Switched from a big tent to a bivy sack for solo trips

I always thought you needed a full tent for any overnight, but a guide in Moab last fall convinced me to try a simple bivy. It cut my pack weight by over 5 pounds and setup takes about 30 seconds. Anyone else made a switch to minimalist shelter that actually worked out?

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3 Comments

oscarthompson5mo ago

That weight difference is a game changer for scrambling routes. Did a ridge traverse last summer where every ounce mattered, and just rolling out the bivy on a narrow ledge was possible. A tent would have been impossible to pitch there. You trade some living space for being able to sleep in spots you could never fit a tent.

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avery_nelson5mo ago

Wait, you actually slept on a narrow ledge?

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tessa8685mo ago

Totally get that. Did a climb in the Tetons where the only flat spot was maybe two feet wide. Just a crack in the rock. Laid out the bivy sack, clipped in, and called it good. Woke up with my legs dangling but it beat hiking down in the dark. You learn to love those tiny, weird perches.

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