I am looking at doing a 'deep' back country (sounds good!) hunt for goats. I will be living off of my own urine, space age technology dry food packs, a sharp stone and a candal.
What I want to know is what is the lightest 'waterproof' tent available that people have had experience with?
or...
are these bivvy sack thingies all that shite hot like I have heard?
WEIGHT! ... is an issue, the lighter the better!
Light weight tent or bivvy sackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk ?
Moderator: Moderators
Bivy sack ?
Gundy,
My experience with bivy sacks is that the nylon material their made of condences the water vapor from your breath and after a few days things start to get damp.
If your only out for a few days in warm weather this may not be a problem, however a back packers ultra light tent ( 2 person) will keep you and your gear dry in dirty weather, and only weigh 2 or 3 pounds. You can get these for under $200 if you shop around. Personally, I prefer the extra room.
My experience with bivy sacks is that the nylon material their made of condences the water vapor from your breath and after a few days things start to get damp.
If your only out for a few days in warm weather this may not be a problem, however a back packers ultra light tent ( 2 person) will keep you and your gear dry in dirty weather, and only weigh 2 or 3 pounds. You can get these for under $200 if you shop around. Personally, I prefer the extra room.
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Guest
G'day Gundy,
I'm in the market for one myself as I do a bit of backpack bowhunting.
I've been looking around and am going to give this one a closser inspection... http://www.huntech.co.nz/oneman.htm
There are links to another couple of items on the same page.
Mark K.
I'm in the market for one myself as I do a bit of backpack bowhunting.
I've been looking around and am going to give this one a closser inspection... http://www.huntech.co.nz/oneman.htm
There are links to another couple of items on the same page.
Mark K.
Hi Fellows, I sold my Huntech Bivvy bag last year after finding it way too small 
You couldn't even have your feet in an upright position ( size 10 ) & even the main body of the thing was tight ( I'm 5'10" & slim ) the waterproof hood when pulled over your nut to keep the rain out lay on your face & bugged the beejeebers out of me so it went 
Great Outdoors have in their upper grade tents a very lightweight single person tent which is waterproof & only $169... it is a bargain. Huntech bivvies don't have a floor & this seems to defeat the purpose as you really only want to put it up if it's raining. Have had a Macpac Mineret for some 10 years now & have travelled to Southern Alps of N.Z 3 times & it is very good, but packed weight is a tad heavy for serious backpack hunts & really you only need a 1 man job.... it is only to keep you out of the rain for a night or so & if you want to be really comfy in the rain add a nylon fly(extremely light & compact) to your 1 man job & you can cook & sit out of the tent if the rain persists. I have slept on the ground in the open for the last 20 years or so & only resort to a tent if the rain beats down overnight,
I travel with only the essentials & want my camp to go up quick & come down quick. I am always looking for ultra-light gear & if cost is important the Great Outdoors single is the best I have found to date ( it's also olive green & not bright red or blue ) & I did have a browse at a US single person tent a week or so ago ( MSA I think... it was yellow for memory ) but was the right weight & the awning area was larger than the G/Outdoors.... I few more dollars but worth investigating if a quality tent is what you want. Bivvy tents which are like a bivvy bag but have a pole at the head end are just for sleeping in & if it is raining you have to get out in the rain to do ANYTHING
I sold mine also. 
You couldn't even have your feet in an upright position ( size 10 ) & even the main body of the thing was tight ( I'm 5'10" & slim ) the waterproof hood when pulled over your nut to keep the rain out lay on your face & bugged the beejeebers out of me so it went Great Outdoors have in their upper grade tents a very lightweight single person tent which is waterproof & only $169... it is a bargain. Huntech bivvies don't have a floor & this seems to defeat the purpose as you really only want to put it up if it's raining. Have had a Macpac Mineret for some 10 years now & have travelled to Southern Alps of N.Z 3 times & it is very good, but packed weight is a tad heavy for serious backpack hunts & really you only need a 1 man job.... it is only to keep you out of the rain for a night or so & if you want to be really comfy in the rain add a nylon fly(extremely light & compact) to your 1 man job & you can cook & sit out of the tent if the rain persists. I have slept on the ground in the open for the last 20 years or so & only resort to a tent if the rain beats down overnight,I travel with only the essentials & want my camp to go up quick & come down quick. I am always looking for ultra-light gear & if cost is important the Great Outdoors single is the best I have found to date ( it's also olive green & not bright red or blue ) & I did have a browse at a US single person tent a week or so ago ( MSA I think... it was yellow for memory ) but was the right weight & the awning area was larger than the G/Outdoors.... I few more dollars but worth investigating if a quality tent is what you want. Bivvy tents which are like a bivvy bag but have a pole at the head end are just for sleeping in & if it is raining you have to get out in the rain to do ANYTHING
I sold mine also. Russ, the G/Outdoors for memory has just enough room for you & your bow in the main tent & you could store your pack in the awning area.
You can check out all the MSR tents & details at www.spelean.com.au & I got it wrong with the colour
..... beige & red not yellow. The micro zoid packed is only 1.3kgs, pretty good. On looking again the only disadvantage I could see with the Zoids is the low o/all height, but you still could get dressed inside ( better than standing in the rain 
) Somthing I didn't mention yesterday is that you can pay $500+ buckeroos for a Paddy Pallin Bivvy Bag & they are roomy enough, but it is still just a bivvy bag. For my money & maybe a saving you can have a lightweight tent that can keep you & your gear out of the elements, cook in the awning if it's really coming down outside & weigh the same or a smidgen more.
Good hunting Russ in N.Z, the Sth Island is a beautiful place.... those mountains!!!
You can check out all the MSR tents & details at www.spelean.com.au & I got it wrong with the colour
..... beige & red not yellow. The micro zoid packed is only 1.3kgs, pretty good. On looking again the only disadvantage I could see with the Zoids is the low o/all height, but you still could get dressed inside ( better than standing in the rain ) Somthing I didn't mention yesterday is that you can pay $500+ buckeroos for a Paddy Pallin Bivvy Bag & they are roomy enough, but it is still just a bivvy bag. For my money & maybe a saving you can have a lightweight tent that can keep you & your gear out of the elements, cook in the awning if it's really coming down outside & weigh the same or a smidgen more. Good hunting Russ in N.Z, the Sth Island is a beautiful place.... those mountains!!!
Great to see you posting too, Dave!
Folks, Dave knows a thing or two about camo and outdoor gear, this is his site:
http://www.blackfoot.com.au/
Dave, you ought to put the URL in your Ozbow signature.
cheers,
Erron
Folks, Dave knows a thing or two about camo and outdoor gear, this is his site:
http://www.blackfoot.com.au/
Dave, you ought to put the URL in your Ozbow signature.
cheers,
Erron
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Guest
G'day Dave, That looks like another I have been looking at... http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/Prod ... 0710A.aspx
with fly....
http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/Prod ... px?Image=2
Not sure how the qualities compare, any clues on the price of the one you pointed out?
Mark K.
with fly....
http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/Prod ... px?Image=2
Not sure how the qualities compare, any clues on the price of the one you pointed out?
Mark K.
Mark, the $ listed on the web page for the Micro Zoid shows $159.95 which I am guessing is in USD. You could email Spelean.... they are the wholesaler, so they won't tell you much but can put you in touch with a retailer who could give you a current $. I am thinking of opening an account with Spelean so if any of you guys have interest in any of their products let me know.
Dave G. www.blackfoot.com.au
Dave G. www.blackfoot.com.au
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Guest
Hi there, thought I’d add my 2 cents worth.
If one is using ‘shanks pony’ as his wheels, weight will almost always be the deciding factor on equipment choices. I would opt for a tent opposed to a bivy bag at the expense of some weight for practicality reasons, though it all depends on ones destination/duration and how versatile he wants his equipment to be. If you find your self in localities were rain is a possibility (and l don’t mean a passing shower) you will wish you had a well suited tent. Locations such as Vic’s high country were one can expect some rain during a trip to the West Coast of NZ were the possibility lies for an entire trip to be spent in a tent positioned in some god for saken creek that is threatening to flood. It is then that you will pray to the gods that the equipment you have chosen is up to the task at hand.
On 2 man excursions I have used the Salewa Sierra Leonne for all my recent NZ and Sambar hunting, though no lightweight at 3.2 kg we settled on this unit because it handled well, whatever the heavens dished up for it. The twin vestible and the occasional use of a tent fly (weather permitting) allowed for extended stays during bad weather. Condensation can be an issue; this is where the gortex sleeping bags hold their own. Gone a little off track from the initial question but l suppose you get my drift, buy what best suits your needs with versatility in mind & the best you can afford .JMO … ds
If one is using ‘shanks pony’ as his wheels, weight will almost always be the deciding factor on equipment choices. I would opt for a tent opposed to a bivy bag at the expense of some weight for practicality reasons, though it all depends on ones destination/duration and how versatile he wants his equipment to be. If you find your self in localities were rain is a possibility (and l don’t mean a passing shower) you will wish you had a well suited tent. Locations such as Vic’s high country were one can expect some rain during a trip to the West Coast of NZ were the possibility lies for an entire trip to be spent in a tent positioned in some god for saken creek that is threatening to flood. It is then that you will pray to the gods that the equipment you have chosen is up to the task at hand.
On 2 man excursions I have used the Salewa Sierra Leonne for all my recent NZ and Sambar hunting, though no lightweight at 3.2 kg we settled on this unit because it handled well, whatever the heavens dished up for it. The twin vestible and the occasional use of a tent fly (weather permitting) allowed for extended stays during bad weather. Condensation can be an issue; this is where the gortex sleeping bags hold their own. Gone a little off track from the initial question but l suppose you get my drift, buy what best suits your needs with versatility in mind & the best you can afford .JMO … ds
never heard or a gortex s/bag, but of course they are available as there is just about gortex everything these days. if condensation problems exist in a tent or your s/bag ends up against the wall of the tent or the fly gets snow laden as it did on my last nz trip,then a gortex bag would be perfect, can anyone tell me if gortex outershells are available to cover my existing sleeping bag?......russ
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Guest
Rus, I ended up opting for the Swazi Katipo bivvy bag/tent for my South Island trip coming up.
My mate has the 4 seasons tent (Farydown) and also uses the Katipo down there. Together you are as well equipped as you can get short of a good rock bivvy or hut.
The Katipo can be used as a bivvy tent or bivvy bag. On that trip I will use it as a bag cover for the old goose down sleeping bag.
I eventually came to this decision on the advice of the fella that’s organising the trip and coming along. He fly camps and bowhunts the Southern Alps regularly.
Mark K.
My mate has the 4 seasons tent (Farydown) and also uses the Katipo down there. Together you are as well equipped as you can get short of a good rock bivvy or hut.
The Katipo can be used as a bivvy tent or bivvy bag. On that trip I will use it as a bag cover for the old goose down sleeping bag.
I eventually came to this decision on the advice of the fella that’s organising the trip and coming along. He fly camps and bowhunts the Southern Alps regularly.
Mark K.
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Guest
Yep, I recon it will do the job nicely.
Depending on your contacts (and their access to discounts) it costs from 4 - 6 hundred. www.swazi.co.nz
A lot of dollars, I thought long and hard but in the end I recalled some of the miserable nights I've spent in N.Z's high country and in the middle of one of those I would gladly part with more for one.
Mark K.
Depending on your contacts (and their access to discounts) it costs from 4 - 6 hundred. www.swazi.co.nz
A lot of dollars, I thought long and hard but in the end I recalled some of the miserable nights I've spent in N.Z's high country and in the middle of one of those I would gladly part with more for one.
Mark K.
Gday dave. I have a short story about tents and hiking... hope people don't mind...
I've been hiking for years with my mates - ever since we were in highschool - all through Namadgi and Kos Nat. Park. We never took tents. This was partly because they were SO DAMN HEAVY in those days, and partly because we had some pride in our ability to build shelters fast, taking advantage of the natural environment.
Eventually though, my body started to age, and the creature comforts got a higher priority. I was also sick and tired of waking up with ants or weird bugs crawling under my clothes. Also for a couple of hundred bucks, you could all of a sudden get a really lightweight tent, that was fast to setup, and keep the frost off.
Anyhow, a year or so ago me and my mates headed up onto the Namadgi Kos. border in late autumn. It had been really cold lately so I decided to take my lightweight 2p tent along, and advised my third companion to take his also. He refused complaining about the extra kilo, made some comment about "girly blouses" and said he'd make a shelter instead.
We eventually climbed up onto the mountain top, found a flat area covered in snowgrass and some small trees. I set up my tent, and my friend, with limited resources made a twig hut, just big enough to slide into.
We got a fire going, cooked our meals, and the temperature dropped RAPIDLY! Myself and my other mate slipped into the tent, and my third mate slowly manuevered himself into his 'house of twigs'.
It wasn't long after I zipped my bag up until we first heard a single dog call off in the near distance...then another on the opposite side of the ridge... followed by another...another...and lots more... getting closer and closer...
At this point I could hear my mate squirming in the twigs, and pictured his head popping out of the twigs and sleeping bag like a tasty orderve.
I asked him where the food pot was and he said somewhat concerned that it was a metre away from him. Meanwhile the dogs were closing in pretty fast on all sides. I asked him if he wanted to come into the tent and at first he said no... but after a few calls seemed rather close there was a sudden CRACKING and SMASHING of twigs and Andrew came rushing into the tent after throwing the pot as far as he could.
I'm not really sure if the dogs actually came up to the tent that night... considering there were three big lads in a 2person tent, with big sleeping bags, it's actually surprising I could breath let alone hear anything.
The next morning we got up, I rolled up my tent (it compresses down VERY small) and we prepared to make the second leg of the journey. At this point Andrew (my third mate who refused to carry his tent) asked where his delicate SOG-C public servant economist glasses were. I asked him where he put them last...
He scratched his head and said "I remember putting them in the inner tent pockets last night before I went to sleeeeeeeeeeeeep..." as he looked down at my tiny little rolled up tent
I unrolled the tent and found his glasses, rolled up also, curved into what looked like an exotic piece of Outerspace Ralean Jewelery with weird clear cracked precious stones.
Andrew ALWAYS takes a tent now. I always take a tent also. Considering their price and size these days, they're worth every gram.
I've been hiking for years with my mates - ever since we were in highschool - all through Namadgi and Kos Nat. Park. We never took tents. This was partly because they were SO DAMN HEAVY in those days, and partly because we had some pride in our ability to build shelters fast, taking advantage of the natural environment.
Eventually though, my body started to age, and the creature comforts got a higher priority. I was also sick and tired of waking up with ants or weird bugs crawling under my clothes. Also for a couple of hundred bucks, you could all of a sudden get a really lightweight tent, that was fast to setup, and keep the frost off.
Anyhow, a year or so ago me and my mates headed up onto the Namadgi Kos. border in late autumn. It had been really cold lately so I decided to take my lightweight 2p tent along, and advised my third companion to take his also. He refused complaining about the extra kilo, made some comment about "girly blouses" and said he'd make a shelter instead.
We eventually climbed up onto the mountain top, found a flat area covered in snowgrass and some small trees. I set up my tent, and my friend, with limited resources made a twig hut, just big enough to slide into.
We got a fire going, cooked our meals, and the temperature dropped RAPIDLY! Myself and my other mate slipped into the tent, and my third mate slowly manuevered himself into his 'house of twigs'.
It wasn't long after I zipped my bag up until we first heard a single dog call off in the near distance...then another on the opposite side of the ridge... followed by another...another...and lots more... getting closer and closer...
At this point I could hear my mate squirming in the twigs, and pictured his head popping out of the twigs and sleeping bag like a tasty orderve.
I asked him where the food pot was and he said somewhat concerned that it was a metre away from him. Meanwhile the dogs were closing in pretty fast on all sides. I asked him if he wanted to come into the tent and at first he said no... but after a few calls seemed rather close there was a sudden CRACKING and SMASHING of twigs and Andrew came rushing into the tent after throwing the pot as far as he could.
I'm not really sure if the dogs actually came up to the tent that night... considering there were three big lads in a 2person tent, with big sleeping bags, it's actually surprising I could breath let alone hear anything.
The next morning we got up, I rolled up my tent (it compresses down VERY small) and we prepared to make the second leg of the journey. At this point Andrew (my third mate who refused to carry his tent) asked where his delicate SOG-C public servant economist glasses were. I asked him where he put them last...
He scratched his head and said "I remember putting them in the inner tent pockets last night before I went to sleeeeeeeeeeeeep..." as he looked down at my tiny little rolled up tent
I unrolled the tent and found his glasses, rolled up also, curved into what looked like an exotic piece of Outerspace Ralean Jewelery with weird clear cracked precious stones.
Andrew ALWAYS takes a tent now. I always take a tent also. Considering their price and size these days, they're worth every gram.
tent or Bivvy Bag
On the issue as to whether to select a bivvy bag or tent:
Personally mate, I've only just started getting into this bowhunting "thing", but I've been walking the scrub with the military for a few years now. So here's my 2cents worth.
Weightwise, you can't beat a goretex bivvy bag. I've been carrying mine for about 4 years now. It's a plain green, clamshell opening "small to medium" from Mountain Designs, inbuilt mozzie net, no guy ropes, no poles. I can quite comfortably climb in with my sleeping bag with boots on. I can't bring all my gear in with me, but I pack and lay out my kit in the evening before I go to sleep ready to run away in hurry.
The good things: easy to carry, light weight, quick to get into and (relatively) quickly to scramble out of.
The bad things: it does take some getting used to sleeping like this when it's raining p!ss and pickhandles. The noise can scare the bejesus out of you. But I've gone to sleep in cyclonic weather and had a good nights sleep.
I've used bivvy bags in places like Gippsland before, but most of my bush time has been up north where the cold isn't as much of an issue. So it depends on where you're going.
Just some random thoughts...
Personally mate, I've only just started getting into this bowhunting "thing", but I've been walking the scrub with the military for a few years now. So here's my 2cents worth.
Weightwise, you can't beat a goretex bivvy bag. I've been carrying mine for about 4 years now. It's a plain green, clamshell opening "small to medium" from Mountain Designs, inbuilt mozzie net, no guy ropes, no poles. I can quite comfortably climb in with my sleeping bag with boots on. I can't bring all my gear in with me, but I pack and lay out my kit in the evening before I go to sleep ready to run away in hurry.
The good things: easy to carry, light weight, quick to get into and (relatively) quickly to scramble out of.
The bad things: it does take some getting used to sleeping like this when it's raining p!ss and pickhandles. The noise can scare the bejesus out of you. But I've gone to sleep in cyclonic weather and had a good nights sleep.
I've used bivvy bags in places like Gippsland before, but most of my bush time has been up north where the cold isn't as much of an issue. So it depends on where you're going.
Just some random thoughts...