Nest or bivy?

[roosiebull]

I have a seek outside eolus, being wet around here I think I will get a nest for it for wet hunts. Another thing I have considered is getting a bivy instead of a nest that will serve a similar purpose but also add some versatility to the shelter, what do you think?

 

[Mudd Foot]

Can’t go wrong with having both.


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[Carrot Farmer]

I hate bugs and being wet.

Both for this camp


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[Michael Rankin]

I have a Borah gear bug bivy that only weighs 8 oz. I use it inside my seek outside cimarron tent when the bugs are out. I do put a small ground tarp down, then the borah gear bug bivy on top of that. Sleeping pad and sleeping bag both go inside the bug bivy.

After the second week of September where I hunt in Oregon the bugs are a non-issue and I just put my sleeping pad on top of the light weight ground tarp.

Between the bug bivy and ground tarp I’m good to go inside the cimarron in any weather/bug conditions.

Two of us share the cimarrontwnt. If I was alone and had a one man flourless shelter I would use the same bivy/ground tarp combination.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Depends on your use. A bug bivy from Borah fear is super lightweight, like 5oz or so. A nest is significantly heavier, but will allow you to sit, move around in, etc.

Solo lightweight adventure? Take the bivy.

Family camping? Take the nest.

 

[turley]

I like the versatility of a bivy with a water resistant breathable top and full head net. In nice weather I'll not pitch a tarp and just throw the bivy down and sleep under the stars as the head net protects from bugs/insects and the water resistant breathable top blocks wind and keeps the normal moisture in the night air off my sleeping bag. When it rains the top bivy fabric protects against any rain splatter that gets under the tarp.

 

[j33]

My Borah gear water repellent bivy is 6 oz so cheap insurance.

The bug bivy is like 4.5oz

 

[turley]

If you went Borah Gear water repellent bivy with DCF floor you'd be looking at around 5oz. It's more costly but the DCF floor is considerably more waterproof than silnylon and is treatable in the field....plus it doesn't slide around like silnylon does.

 

[Kevin_t]

Nest will be more comfortable and be able to pitched all at one time. A bevy is lighter and can be used in a lot of different shelters. Myself, I usually take the nest for comfort

 

[roosiebull]

Right on, thanks guys!

I was just wondering if I was missing something conceptual. I will likely end up with both, just trying to decide which first, and that will give me an idea if the other would be beneficial.

not much need to backpack in where I live and hunt, no real benefit vs day hunting, but we just got another house on the south coast and there is a good amount of wilderness (lots of it recently burned too in the last 2-20yrs) and plan on doing a lot of backpack hunting this year. Will mainly be solo so looking for simplicity.

 

[Mudd Foot]

Nest. More options more comfortable.


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[Jimss]

My preference is a little more room plus breathability. I use the fly off my 4 season Hilleberg for lots of room. Without the main tent it only weighs around 2 lbs and is bomberproof. I often just bring painters plastic for a floor. In a pinch when it's super wet I can add a bivy. On extended trips I hunt out of a base camp and add the inner tent.

It's pretty hard to store gear, change clothes, cook, etc with just a bivy when it's raining and/or snowing.. It's also nice having a place to dry out wet clothes and gear. I bought a bivy quite a few years ago and have never seen the need for it. I don't have many bugs to deal with so that helps.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I went with a nest. I've had a few biveys that wee all supposed to breathe.My bag was always wet in the morning

 

[7718Sallee]

I tried out a bivy and it condensated alot which isn’t going to work for me. I just ordered a bug bivy and going to give it a try. I also have a 1/2 nest. But it weighs like 28 oz

 

[AK Troutbum]

I’ve owned several of both (nests and bivy’s), but I much prefer a bivy, and of the 5 or 6 DCF shelters that I currently have only one has a nest, and I’ve never used it. I’ll take a Borah Gear DCF bivy over a nest every time.


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[Mudd Foot]

I’ve owned several of both (nests and bivy’s), but I much prefer a bivy, and of the 5 or 6 DCF shelters that I currently have only one has a nest, and I’ve never used it. I’ll take a Borah Gear DCF bivy over a nest every time.


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While I also own 2 Borah Bivys (Ultralight and Bug) and I fundamentally agree with AK’s assessment, I’ve recently gone for simplicity over pure weight savings. For me, a nest is simpler.

In my case I always use a tyvek sheet under my bivys for protection against tears. I also have come to want the tyvek to extend afoot or so past the entrance edge of the bivy so that I can roll out without going directly on the ground. The other issue was the ability to either sit up, or lift arms straight overhead.

Was running a 10x5 sheet of tyvek which weighed 9 oz on my scale. Combined with the bivy, the total was a 16 oz. for a couple of ounces more the nest was simpler and more comfortable.


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[roosiebull]

I’ve owned several of both (nests and bivy’s), but I much prefer a bivy, and of the 5 or 6 DCF shelters that I currently have only one has a nest, and I’ve never used it. I’ll take a Borah Gear DCF bivy over a nest every time.


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that borah gear cuban bug bivy looks perfect, thanks.

 

[roosiebull]

anyone have experience with the zpack solo bathtub groundsheet? when bugs aren't a factor, seems like a good option, and could be used as a meat tarp as well when cutting up critters. the large (plus version) seems like a multi use piece of gear to have in the pack that doesn't weigh much.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Yup, I have a couple of those too and I use them in shelters where they’re just clipped in and bugs aren’t an issue.

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[Mudd Foot]

Nice set up there. No bugs!? Where’s that?

Got eaten alive at 10,000 -12,000 ft 3rd week of Sept in Central CO. This was after a hard frost. Brutal.


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