There are quite a few options out there for good backcountry shelter, from the ultra compact bivy bag, to multiple person shelters, and some nice options in between. I like to have space to get my gear in order or read a map in when the weather is bad. Accordingly I find Bivys a hard option to justify. There is simply no extra room to get dressed, read, or sort through gear- plus they aren’t all that light when compared to other options (more about that later). Comparable weight and volume can be reached with floorless shelters, which provide sufficient room to sit up and move around a bit, helping to stave of claustrophobia. Then we move into the Tent category, and there are countless options. For most of the year, three season tents are the way to fly, they are light and offer sufficient protection from the elements. But, when it comes to serious weather, with high winds and big snow, a four season tent is the route to take. They definitely weigh more, but they are a s bombproof as a portable shelter gets.
Starting with bivys, there are some good options. I think they serve best when used as a just in case while trying to keep pack weigh and volume down. I really like Outdoor Research gear, and the Aurora Bivy weighs 22 ounces, and is made with good old Gore Tex, so it is tough and can be counted on when the weather turns south. The deterrent to this unit is that it sits right on you, and there are a couple good solutions to this problem. The first two also from OR, the Advanced and Alpine Bivy, and weigh weigh over 2 pounds, the third is from The North Face – the Asylum Bivy. Weighing 1lb. 10 ounces. This option is as close to a tent as a bivy gets. While it doesn’t have the Gore Tex the other units offer, it will function flawlessly in most of those earlier season ventures where extreme weather isn’t the norm.
I have been using floorless shelters now for three seasons, they offer volumes of room and can be pitched with sticks or trekking poles in lieu of carrying tent poles. This substitution or dual purposing of gear really sheds weight. Add in a floor of tyvek and a shelter right around two pounds is the result. I have used both Kifaru and GoLite versions. Kifaru’s Para Tipi is simply enormous, offering more room than I could use. The GoLite I carry is the ShangriLa2, it is reminiscent to the pup tent, and offers sufficient room for two full-grown adults and most of their gear. I have pitched it suspended from trees to work as a tarp, or fairly close to the ground to fend off the wind. A bathtub style floor is available, and would be a crucial addition for high wind or heavy rain. These shelters tend to leave a couple inches of space between the shelter and the ground, which is why I like it so much for warm weather. This style shelter is also killer in the snow, MSR makes a version called the TwinSisters with a snow skirt that creates a sealed envelope, and leans more toward a four season shelter than a three- but it’s not as easy to do right as a four or three season set up.
If you are a die-hard tenter, recognizing the conditions will help in the tent selection. Regardless of the shape, make sure that the tent is at least a three-season offering, and a four-season unit if high winds, snow or extended periods of inclement weather are likely. For places like Alaska, the Yukon, or B.C. where weather reports tend to be more speculation than science, take a four-season tent - the extra weight could be a literal lifesaver. If the weather looks to be fairly warm, and stabile, the three season shelter will generally suffice, and offers some weight savings when compared to a four season unit.
For the three-season set up, I really like the NEMO Nano Elite it weighs a mere 2 lbs. 7 oz. which was unnatainable just a few years ago for conventional tents. When paired with another person, the weight is close to 20 oz. per packer – not bad at all. When the conditions are rough and a tent is the only protection that can be found there are some good four season rigs to look at. I like the MSR Dragon Tail weighing 4 lbs. 12 oz. it’s pretty light in the scheme of four season tents. While this set up is a single wall, which tends to cause condensation problems, this unit is vented to address the issue – making it a killer light weight all conditions tent. Another option from Nemo is the Tenshi, at only 4 lbs. 6 oz. I really like these units because they offer the protection needed for severe, alpine conditions, without the 7 plus pound weight normally found in 4 season tents. Hilleberg also makes some really hardy tents, particularly the Nallo 2 weighing a scant 4 lbs. 3 oz. These shelters offer all season performance in weights commonly found in 3 season tents. This does mean a little additional expense, but they pay for themselves the first time bad weather rears its head in the backcountry.
