What is a bivy tent?

What is a bivy tent you ask. Well, let's take a look.
First, let's take a look at where they started from.

They first started out as bivouac sacks, which were designed for mountain climbers to help protect them from the elements. They provided as much as 5-10 degrees more protection than just a sleeping bag. They were nothing more than a windproof and waterproof bag with a hood you slipped over the sleeping bag to help block the wind.

They then started a new series called the bivouac tent, which is why you are here. A bivy tent is a cross between a bivouac sack and a regular tent. They give you more space than a bivouac sack, (so you're not in a cocoon) and usually have a small set of poles and stakes, just like a tent. In fact, anymore it is very hard to tell the difference between a regular tent and what is considered a bivouac tent. If you look for a small solo tent, you probably will have a bivy tent.

Nowadays bivy tents have two layers of fabrics, the bottom layer can be either nylon, taffeta or oxford coated in urethane for waterproofing. The top layer will be either Gore-Tex or Tegraltex to let it breathe and for waterproofing.

These tents come in freestanding and non-freestanding models. You will have to decide which one you need. If you are going to an area where the ground is hard and the wind is light, take a serious look at the freestanding models. If you're going somewhere where the wind can be strong and the possibility of storms, I would take a serious look at non-freestanding models. You don't want to come back from a day-hike or climb just to find all you stuff scattered all over kingdom come.

Now lets take a look at an example of a bivy sack and a bivy tent.

Bivy Sack	Bivy Tent

So, what is a bivy tent? I hope I helped answer that question. Bivy tents and sacks are ideal for solo hikers or a group of hikers, each wanting there own space. Just keep in mind, these tents are not made for a base camp type of setup.

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