Anyone not use a ground sheet with a floorless shelter?

CBreeze

FNG
Joined
Oct 5, 2019
Messages
84
If you have to dry layers with a down bag your best bet is between you and the pad. That down wetting out wont cripple you and you can still effectively dry stuff out. Ive run a light synthetic quilt plenty of times inside down with wet layers on to dry them and the quilt takes the water and tthe down stays fluffy. I Alwys look to put wet layers laid out flat beneath me between my bag and my pad if I’m using down and drying layers off as my first option and a Bivy that’s highly breathable aids all of this tremendously
 
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
671
Location
Boulder, Wy.
im not sure why anyone would not carry a bivy,, the BG bivy is less than 8oz,,, i can see still carrying tyvek too the size of the bivy, as others have stated, use it for laying meat on and or the bivy to keep clean and extra layer of protecions

i wanted the bivy to carry in my pack at all times as well as a 30-quilt for all my day hunts it less than 2 lbs combined,, that way i can stay the night anywhere anytime just in case,, like part of my first aid kit.. I'm always prepared, I've come out way to late at night in the past, and easily could have just stayed the night if i was prepared. if you add the pad less than 2.5lbs i can stay the night anywhere in comfort!

as to the floorless shelters keeping wind rain and snow out is not a issue at all. i have a LBO and a Kifaru tipi, both i have pitched without air gaps if i wanted, its not hard at all,, i was a skeptic at first as well,, but no longer with the addition of the bivy i feel this is bomb proof in any conditions

best part of the bivy is i can use it stand alone, with a tarp, tipi whatever,, but its not for everyone i guess.
 

mtwarden

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Oct 18, 2016
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Montana
Tyvek isn't perfect, but it works

I'm going to try something different though, I just ordered two 40x80x1/8" ccf pads- I'll use just one if solo and I'll use a little velcro so I can attach two together if my wife goes

the ccf pads will also add a little warmth to the sleep system, won't retain water, nonslip and can folded over and used as a pad in the event of a catastrophic failure of a inflatable pad

weight is just a few more ounces than a sheet of Tyvek
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Messages
17
I have only spent a few nights in my luxe octopeak but the one night i had a tarp on the floor, i ended up with a puddle on it i sleep on a cot though so I stayed dry.
 

Phaseolus

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
1,275
I’ve spent a bit of time under my SO DST tarp and have been using the Matty pad as my groundcloth and a little bit more insulation. Archery hunting at 11,000’ this Sept we had an estimated inch of rain with hail. I reset the front anchor of the tarp much closer to the ground and stayed dry. Days of that would be tough as would e snow. I’d bring one of my tents if i felt those conditions would hit me.
 

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ridgefire

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
623
Location
western wa
I have used a piece of Tyvec and a Ti Goat bivy with a Kifaru Paratarp and much prefer the Bivy. Love how you can use it by itself if the weather is nice or use it with the tarp if weather is bad. It's also nice that it keeps you on your pad all night and it keeps stuff clean.
 

gfreidy

WKR
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
527
I’ve spent a bit of time under my SO DST tarp and have been using the Matty pad as my groundcloth and a little bit more insulation. Archery hunting at 11,000’ this Sept we had an estimated inch of rain with hail. I reset the front anchor of the tarp much closer to the ground and stayed dry. Days of that would be tough as would e snow. I’d bring one of my tents if i felt those conditions would hit me.
Love the DST. Used it this year on several trips logically I probably shouldn’t have. It performed admirably! Pitched it in flying diamond most of the time. Did an A frame style in poor weather. When the weather turned south, pitched in a modified A frame with door flaps.
 

positivepete!

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Messages
290
Location
Northern Colorado
I have a piece of tyvek that I added some grommets to in the corners. I carry 4 small nails and stake it down. I have a closed cell pad that dosent slide around on it and cant pop so it's not a big deal to me. If the ground is slightly uneven I will push pine needles under the tyvek to keep from rolling or sliding that direction. The only reason I use the ground cloth is to keep any ground moisture and dirt from getting into my down bag.
 

reaper

WKR
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
Messages
2,124
Location
Quebec,CANADA,speaking French.
Love seekoutside gear but their matty mat face was a bad purchase for me,i thought it was puncture resistance...not at all, doesn't looks to like cold weather either,2 days and alreay one tear a d 4 holes.It added some insulation for sure,maybe it will perform better this summer.
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Envoyé de mon Pixel 2 en utilisant Tapatalk
 

arwhntr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
249
Location
Nevada
I've never used a ground sheet. Currently running a Gossamer Gear Thinlight foam pad under my Thermarest uberlite which doubles as my glassing pad. At only 2.5 oz it's a win/win. Haven't had any issues although the thinlight pad does collect pine needles like crazy so I do routinely need to pull them out.
 

Jordan Budd

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Aug 8, 2012
Messages
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NW Nebraska
Had a sheet of tyvek with me this year... all it seemed to do was collect water (snow melting from the stove) and get my stuff wet.

Anyone just use a pad and no groundsheet? In hindsight the tyvek seemed like wasted weight.

Same experiences this year for me. I'm going to purchase a Borah bivy and use that from now on. Pretty light and inexpensive for what it is IMO
 
OP
B
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
Messages
1,209
Location
Ohio
Same experiences this year for me. I'm going to purchase a Borah bivy and use that from now on. Pretty light and inexpensive for what it is IMO

Glad I'm not the only one!

I'm going to mess around with the Seek Outside Matt first, I like the fact it's dual use (Sit pad, back up sleep pad, ground matt.)

From now on in colder weather I plan on always carrying my sleeping bag on my person due to the extreme weather I encountered this year. The Matty McMatt face will probably be good enough to get me through the night in that scenario and will save me from having to lug around my primary inflatable ground bad.

That said I worry I'll have the same issues with the tyvek, but we shall see. Plenty of time to mess around with it over the next few months.
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2021
Messages
38
Same experiences this year for me. I'm going to purchase a Borah bivy and use that from now on. Pretty light and inexpensive for what it is IMO
I just ordered a Borah bivy thanks to the info on this thread. I had been looking for a Jimmy tarps bivy but couldn’t find one. Borah makes exactly what I was searching for. I custom ordered double zippers to open like a clam shell.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
968
Location
Eastern Oregon
Not as many cot users as I thought there would be. Other than weight penalty and no bug protection, are there downsides to running a cot over the bivy? Seems more comfortable and you're practically guaranteed ground protection.
 

Eldoradotim

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Classified Approved
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
88
Location
Central Idaho
Also started with tyvek and had all the issues described in this thread.

Got a Borah bug bivy, and long/wide its 7 oz. Like already said its just nice to keep everything contained and clean, bugs etc kept out. You can use it alone if theres no chance of precip, with a tarp, with my Cimarron, etc...
 

Eldoradotim

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Jul 27, 2020
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Central Idaho
Not as many cot users as I thought there would be. Other than weight penalty and no bug protection, are there downsides to running a cot over the bivy? Seems more comfortable and you're practically guaranteed ground protection.
Whats the weight on that?
 
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