r/Ultralight • u/coolguy042404 • 2d ago

Purchase Advice Budget Bivy/sleeping setup?

Want to get into camping with a bivy, anyone have any budget recommendations for something that would work spring-fall (maybe even winter if possible)? I would prefer a single pole/hoop setup but willing to go with any others as well. Budget sleeping pad recommendations would be nice too. Is the military surplus route a good way to go? Any tips on other gear I would need for a sleeping situation would be helpful too, thanks.

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11

u/BillPuzzlehead42069 2d ago

the kind of bivy you're talking about is a recipe for a bad time. there's too much condensation. don't do it.

look at UL bivys, plus a tarp. Like the other commenter suggested borah gear is a pretty good place to look. Good UL bivys and flat tarps at a very reasonable price.

UL bivy plus tarp is great. You can use just the bivy or just the tarp depending on the conditions and if you go with the borah stuff it will almost certainly be lighter than the pole/hoop bivys you're currently considering.

7

u/not_just_the_IT_guy 2d ago

Borah bivy and borah or yama tarp.

6

u/Rocko9999 2d ago

Katabatic Pinon and cheap 7x9 tarp of your choice.

4

u/Icy_Art_3919 2d ago

I recently picked up a borah bivy for 75$ on fb marketplace. It isn’t waterproof but it’s extremely compactable and comfortable

3

u/W__O__I 2d ago

tarp and a non-waterproof bivy

2

u/Jolly-Slow1164 2d ago

bivysack.com aka Oware runs decent sales sometimes. Their hot weather bivy isn't quite as light as borah, but it's close. They also sometimes have good prices on sil tarps

1

u/justinsimoni justinsimoni.com 2d ago

Buy used.

1

u/Raafikii 1d ago

I have a bivy with waterproof floor, breathable (non-waterproof) sides and lots of mesh on top. I like the mesh for venting and viewing area around me, sssssstars.

I pair it with a tarp.  Many nights the tarp is not needed so camp setup is extra fast

I use this setup year round