10 Best Bivy Sacks In 2021

Superlight yet full-featured, the REI Co-op Superlight bivy provides a comfortable experience on the trails as well as at campsites. It’s incredibly lightweight and compact when compact yet a fairly spacious, waterproof, and breathable single-person shelter when set up. This set of features makes it one of the best bivy sacks for solo hikers and backpackers. 

Packability and Setup

With a 1lbs. 6oz. weight and a 5x12inch packed size, the REI Co-op bivy is a convenient alternative to a tent. You have two options when it comes to setup. Thanks to the tent-like loops, you can use it as a free-standing shelter. If you prefer more space or will be camping in the rain, it comes with a sturdy aluminum pole and stakes you can use to erect a more spacious and stable shelter.  

Size and Comfort

Extending 87 inches long, 27 inches wide and with a 20inches headroom, the REI Co-op bivy tent offers adequate space for even tall and active sleepers to sleep comfortably. A structured visor allows you to open the flap for ventilation without letting in the rain. Additionally, a mesh bug panel keeps out flying and crawling insects while allowing you to enjoy the breeze and the view of the night sky.

Material and Weatherproofing 

The top shell is a lightweight, breathable and water resistant Pertex nylon, while the floor material is a tough and waterproof ripstop nylon. These materials exhibit impressive ability to resist moisture, abrasion, and puncturing. For complete rain protection, all the seams are sealed while the zipper is covered. 

Go Time Gear emergency bivy sack is the best bivy sack for survival situations. Designed explicitly for emergencies, it can function as a survival shelter, an emergency sleeping bag, or an emergency blanket. It also comes equipped with a loud survival whistle you can use to call for help, and a 550lb paracord that comes handy in emergency situations. 

Packability and Setup

Weighing a mere 4.1 ounces and folding down small enough to fit in the palm of your hands, the Life survival ultralight bivy is in a class of its own when it comes to packability and portability. It’s very convenient to slip into your hiking pack, glove box, or bug out bag. To use it, all you have to do is remove it from the waterproof carry sack it comes in and unfold it.

Size and Comfort 

Even though the Go Time bivy packs down super small, it unfolds large enough to easily fit around even a large frame. The reflective interior reflects your body heat back to you keeping you warm when night temperatures plummet or if stranded in wintery conditions.

Material and Weatherproofing 

Use of an extra-thick 26um polyethylene material with sealed seams results in a windproof and waterproof bivy that can protect you in even extreme weather conditions. Overall, it’s probably the best bivy tent you can take anywhere and have peace of mind that you have a reliable emergency shelter.

Affordable, ultralight, and super compact when folded, the Survival Frog Tact Bivvy is hands down the most cost and space efficient bivy sack for hiking, backpacking, and emergencies. You can use it by itself or as a sleeping bag liner when the temperatures take a dip. Since it’s made for emergencies, it also comes with an emergency whistle, and a para-tinder paracord you can use to secure gear or start a fire. 

Packability and Setup 

This lightweight backcountry bivy only weighs 4.8 ounces, so it isn’t a burden to bring along everywhere you go. Packed inside the included carry sack, you can fit it in the palm of your hands. The stuff sack has a carabiner you can clip to your pack. When you need shelter, all you have to do is unpack it and slide inside.

Size and Comfort

When unfolded, the Tact backcountry bivy is long and wide enough to engulf all shapes and sizes. This is a thermal bivy sack designed to reflect your body heat back to you and keep you toasty warm. In freezing conditions, it can raise your body temperature by 20 degrees.

Material and Weatherproofing

While ultralight and thin, this bivy sack is also incredibly tough. This is due to the polyester film material and reinforced seams. It’s tear resistant, windproof, and waterproof, and will protect you from the elements for many years to come.

A mummy-shaped bivy equipped with a drawstring hood, the S.O.L. Reflective Escape bivy is a warm and cozy bivy you can use as a sleeping bag when conditions allow or use as a slipcover to boost your sleeping bag’s insulation. Since it weighs 8.5 ounces only, it’s an excellent choice for hiking and backpacking.

Packability and Setup

To go with the 8.5ounces weight, this lightweight bivy sack packs down to 5x6inches. It won’t add much weight or take much space in your pack. When you pick a spot to put it up, setup is a piece of cake. All you have to do is unroll it, unzip it, and slip inside.

Size and Comfort

The Survive Outdoors Longer bivy measures 84x31inches when open, giving you plenty of room to stretch out as you sleep. Since this is a mummy bivy sack, it’s designed to fit snugly and trap your body warmth. Additionally, it features a reflective lining that reflects back 70% of your body warmth keeping you toasty warm. 

Material and Weatherproofing

Featuring a water-resistant top shell and waterproof seams, you can rest assured the S.O.L bivy bag will protect you in the event of rain. You can tighten the drawstring hood to seal out harsh elements or loosen it when you need more airflow.

When it comes to ruggedness and durability, the Bearhard emergency bivy sack is tough to beat. Made of a thick and tough PE material with exceptional resistance to tearing and puncturing, this bivy sack can hold up to tons of abuse. This material also provides excellent protection from the elements. As a bonus, the bivy bag comes complete with a loud whistle and a carabiner.

Packability and Setup

The Bearhard bivy is also one of the easiest to carry bivy sacks. It will only add 6 ounces to your pack and packs down smaller than a can of coke so you can throw it in a hiking or backpacking pack. Using it is easy as all you have to do is unfold and wrap yourself cozy. 

Size and Comfort    

When unfolded, the Bearhard bivy extends 7x3 feet. It’s spacious enough to hug yourself in in the event of an emergency or slip your sleeping bag inside for a warmer sleeping bag with bivy sleeping setup. The lining is also aluminized to reflect your body heat keeping you warm when it’s frigid. 

Material and Weatherproofing

The PE material used to make this waterproof bivy bag is thicker and more durable than Mylar. No matter what kind of terrain you find yourself on, you can set camp with confidence that it won’t tear. The exterior provides excellent protection from rain, wind, cold, and snow.

Featuring a rainfly with a 3000mm HH rating, and a floor boasting a 5000mm HH rating, the Winterial personal bivy tent is guaranteed to keep you dry even in heavy rain. On warm summer nights, you can remove the rainfly and the inner mesh will keep out bugs. This reliability and versatility has made it a favorite of hikers and backpackers looking to cut weight from their packs. 

Packability and Setup

With a 3.3pounds package weight, this is a lightweight alternative to a regular tent. When wrapped up, it will consume 18x4.5x4 inches in your backpack. The assembly is very simple – you roll it out, stake it to the ground, and attach the two poles. You also get 14 stakes and 3 bundles of rope in the package so you can secure your shelter.

Size and Comfort

When you open it up, you get a spacious waterproof bivy bag measuring 90x38x28 inches. You can fit most sleeping bags inside and still have room to put some of your gear inside. The zippered door is very large, giving you easy access. The breathable mesh ensures your night is comfortable and free from bug bites. 

Material and Weatherproofing

Two-layer nylon construction makes this a versatile three-season bivy. The inside is made of breathable mesh, while the outer layer is a removable rainfly. In addition to this reinforced rainfly, all seams are sealed making this is a waterproof bivy sack that won’t leak.

The best thing about the Outdoor Research Alpine bivy tent is that it’s made of a 3-layer GORE-TEX fabric. The Gore-Tex membrane provides superior waterproof protection while still being highly breathable to minimize condensation buildup. This kind of construction also makes it exceptionally durable in harsh conditions. Rated for 3-4 seasons, it’s suitable for even winter, snow, and alpine conditions.

Packability and Setup 

The Alpine bivy packs up incredibly small and only adds 1 pound 5.5ounces to your pack. For this reason, it’s the best ultralight bivy sack in our bivy sack reviews for minimalist backpacking, hiking, and alpine adventures. Setup is simple. You can use it as a freestanding tent or use the included pole to create a nice overhead space to minimize claustrophobia.

Size and Comfort 

When setup, the Alpine bivy measures 84 inches in length and 26 inches in shoulder width. This allows you to fit a thick sleeping pad and bag inside. Since the fabric allows the warm air you breathe to escape and you can raise the hood off your face, your stay inside will be pleasant.

Material and Weatherproofing

The three-layer GORE-TEX membrane makes the Alpine a high-performance bivy sack that minimizes the number one problem bivy tents present - condensation. It prevents rain and morning dew from coming in on one side, while the other side has many tiny pores that allow water vapor to leave the sack. 

Lightweight, waterproof, and toasty warm, the Black Diamond Big Wall bivy is a top rated ultralight bivy sack for alpine and big wall climbers all over the globe. Designed for use in harsh environments and during technical climbs, it’s a 4 season bivy tent equipped to keep you warm and dry during mountaineering and winter expeditions.  

Packability and Setup

The freestanding single-wall design saves on weight and makes setup a breeze. It only weighs 1 lb. 10 oz. and packs down to 6x13 inches. Even though it’s a freestanding design, a sewn in wire offers more headroom and reduces claustrophobia. For stability when setting camp on windy ledges, the external loops allow you to anchor the bivy. 

Size and Comfort 

Once inside, space isn’t a problem. The regular size measures while the 90x 35 inches while the long size measures 99x35 inches. You will have plenty of room for comfortable sleep and all the gear you want sheltered inside. As for comfort, the material breathes well and the mesh panel also promotes airflow and cuts down on condensation buildup. 

Material and Weatherproofing 

Made using an innovative waterproof breathable Todd-Tex fabric, the Black diamond sheds water and breathes exceptionally well to minimize condensation. The seams are taped to ensure rain or dew doesn’t find its way in through the seams

The Aqua Quest Mummy bivy bag is the best waterproof bivy sack for reliable rain protection. Made by the industry leader in waterproof gear and boasting an astounding 10,000mm waterproof rating, it bestows 100% waterproof protection. You can count on it to keep out even heavy downpours. Made of a 70D ripstop fabric, it also offers top-level durability.

Packability and Setup 

The Mummy packs down to a 15x5x3inches, and the best thing is that you can compress it even further to a 6.5x4x3inches package that will take a lot less space in your pack. Weighing in at 1.26 pounds, it isn’t too heavy to hike or trek with. When it’s time to lay down, simply remove it from its pack sack, lay it down, and insert your sleeping bag.

Size and Comfort

This bivy bag extends long enough to fit 6’6″ sleepers and wide enough to accommodate a sleeping pad and sleeping bag combo. In frigid conditions, it’ll boost your sleeping bag’s insulation by up to 9° F. As for ventilation, the fabric has a breathability rating of 3000 gr/m2/day and you can loosen the drawstring around your face or unzip the bivy a bit.  

Material and Weatherproofing

The excellent rain protection the Aqua Quest Mummy Bivy offers is thanks to the 70D fabric with a laminated PU coating and heat sealed seams. This construction ensures there’s no place for moisture to seep through. The drawstring around the face also allows you to tighten the fit to seal out the elements.

The combination of heavy-duty materials and an aluminum pole structure enables the Snugpak Stratosphere ultralight bivy to stand up to severe weather conditions. A waterproof fly and floor and taped seams guarantee that no water will find its way through. The pole structure and included stakes also make it a sturdy shelter in the event of a rainstorm.

Packability and Setup

When folded up, the Snugpak one person bivouac tent measures 12x5inches and easily fits in a backpack. At 2.5pounds, this is a lightweight bivy and easy to carry around on your back. Setup is also quick and easy, as the two poles snap right into place. The package also includes aluminum stakes you can use to secure your shelter.     

Size and Comfort

Extending 91 inches long, 32 inches wide when setup, you can easily fit your sleeping pad and bag or quilt inside and still have room for a small pack. Additionally, the poles raise the headroom to 20 inches. Ventilation is excellent too thanks to two vents. The overhead vent has a fly cover you can roll down for rain protection and roll up to stargaze without letting in bugs.

Materials and Waterproofing 

The rainfly is a ripstop 50D nylon coated with PU (polyurethane) to give it a 5000mm waterproof rating, while the groundsheet is made of a 210T nylon with an 8000 mm waterproof PU coating. This heavy-duty construction also results in a durable bivy rugged enough for any terrain.