Reddit reviews Outdoor Research Helium Bivy, Pewter, 1Size
We found 2 Reddit comments about Outdoor Research Helium Bivy, Pewter, 1Size. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Fabric Performance: Waterproof, Breathable, Ultra Lightweight, Fully Seam-Taped, Durable, No-See-Um Mesh, Hydroseal Floor
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DT01AUW/
Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy.
That's your best bet, bar none. It's my go-to when backpacking solo.
Get a second tarp or rain cover for your gear if you need one.
You opened a can of worms with this question!
I am an old tent camper that has been 100% converted to hammock! I find that I sleep much better in a hammock than I do in a tent, even with a decent sleeping pad. The only problem is that I do a lot of winter camping which requires me to take a rather large, custom, underquilt (because I don't want to fork out the money on a more expensive, smaller version).
If I happen to be camping in a place without trees (which is almost 0% of the time), I will take a bivy sack and a sleeping pad and call it a night. You can get bivy sacks that have a bar that lifts the lining off your face like this Outdoor Research Molecule Bivy which is a little more expensive, or a simpler one like this Outdoor Research Regular Bivy which is a bit cheaper. A bivy isn't as nice as a hammock or tent, but they are usually pretty tiny and light weight if you're trying to cut back on space/weight.
​
Let me ask this... why are you so stuck on tent camping? Have you tried hammock? Are you scared of the hammock falling in the night? Or not having as much "protection" as a tent provides? I would suggest picking up some cheapo hammock gear at Walmart or Amazon and using it for a weekend trip. Maybe a 2 nighter as the first night could be uncomfortable since you're dialing in your setup. Pick up a $20 hammock, a cheap hammock tarp, and some cheap tree straps and caribiners. you can be hammock camping for less than $70 as a test. If you don't enjoy it at all, just put it all up on Craigslist, one of the hammock forums on FB, or return it to Walmart (if it's not too beat up).
I'm sure your SO would want you to get better gear, but cheap stuff to begin is a great way to test it out. Then you could be just as fast at setting up as he is!
​
Good luck!
​
​