Bivy is less confining than sleeping bag.
Just saying.
Its all mental
You are fully constricted a veritable bear burrito. At least with a tent you have space to move. I think it's psychological more than anything.
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It was a sauna too.
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To me, the Gore-tex bivvy sacks of old are just that...of old...
I don't see any significant improvements over the last 25 years that would justify the downsides of a full bivvy vs. the upsides of an UL tent...except for warmth...but if you've ever slept in a full-on bivvy, you know whether you are claustrophobic or not...just sayin...
The only place you need and really want a bivvy is on a multi-day big wall climb. That's it, IMHO. YMMV.
You haven't slept with my GF. I guess that's a good thing?Originally Posted by Soggybottom
Scarebear, I think we're talking about different things here. This isn't a fully waterproof tent replacement bivy, which is indeed claustrophobic. This is a lightweight splash / bug bivy to pair with the tarp, which is a common choice for reasonably temperate trips.
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I prefer Tyvek because it is more robust than any of the polycryo things. It is just kind of handy for finding things you drop too because it is at least white rather than clear. Sounds like you are going pretty light so a couple more ounces on the ground sheet is nothing.
I can't speak about the PCT; however, I do have a NeoAir Xlite. I would not sleep in a shelter on the A.T. without something under it. My husband cut a piece of Tvec material in the shape of my NeoAir, and I use that underneath it. While I have not gotten an actual weight, I really think it has to be 3 ounces or less ---- totally worth it!
I discovered that if you just use a bivy and no ground sheet, you have no place to layout gear or stand/kneel on if the ground is wet/muddy or is otherwise inhospitable for direct contact.
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I bought a cuben tarp, guylines, stakes and a bivy with bug net to save on weight. It was pretty much the same weight as my tent when I was done. It was more work to set-up and coverage was different. It was worse for sideways rain and the "adjustment flexibility" was not all that good because I found that when the weather changed I'd have to get out of sleeping bag and get wet to change the position of the tarp. A sold the tarp.
This is pretty much my experience as well on the PCT (but before Cuben was invented), when I hiked it with my wife .
My advice to the OP is to stay flexible. If you're new on the PCT, you may find that others' advice just doesn't work, especially when there are two of you involved. One may be more phobic of something than the other, and you really need to address that--phobias don't just go away. Or the two of you have different skill sets, sometimes complementary, sometimes not, and you just can make some gear work. If possible, leave other options ready to ship with a family member, or be ready to spend some money at an outfitter in a trail town. (My wife and dropped hundred of dollars on a town trip from Agua Dulce, more in South Lake Tahoe, and then again in Ashland, to dial in our gear just a little better. It was our first multi-month hike together. After that, things got smoother. But what worked for us will certainly not work for you.)
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
That nails it. The tarp/bivy scheme did save some weight when tents used to be on the heavy side, but with new designs and materials, a tent comes in at the same or less weight with fewer disadvantages and is easier to use.
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That is good advice..... once you walk through southern California and hear a rattlesnake 2-3 times per day you may change your mind about Cowboys.
Good advice, thanks all. We have a Copper Spur UL2 which we'll mail if the tarp really isn't working out. Right now we're saving about a pound in weight with the tarp and bivies. We plan to switch to the tent anyway if the bugs turn horrendous or if Washington is super wet this year.
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