There are three different types of ultralight bug shelters suitable for cowboy camping, sleeping in a lean-to, or underneath a flat tarp: bivy sacks, bug bivies, and net tents. They all have their pros and cons, but that’s true of all ultralight backpacking gear. While bivy sacks are confining, they provide excellent insect protection. Bug bivies usually offer more living space, but are generally harder to get in and out of and must be used with a tarp or trekking poles. Net tents offer the most living space, but also tend to be the heaviest option. For a deeper discussion of these considerations and tradeoff, see our Ultralight Bug Shelter Selection Guide below.
With these factors in mind, here are our top 10 recommended bug shelters for ultralight backpacking:
| Make / Model | Type | Weight | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borah Ultralight Bivy | Bivy Sack | 5.1 oz | Chest |
| Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy | Bivy Sack | 5.5 oz | Side |
| Paria Outdoor Breeze Bivy | Bug Bivy | 13 oz | Top |
| Six Moon Designs Haven Nettent | Net Tent | 16 oz | Sides |
| Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy | Bug Bivy | 6.5 oz | Top |
| Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy | Bivy Sack | 7.3 oz | Top |
| Six Moon Designs Serenity Net Tent | Net Tent | 11 oz | Side |
| Outdoor Research Bug Bivy | Bug Bivy | 16 oz | Front |
| REI Bug Out Bivy | Bug Bivy | 14 oz | Front |
| Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter | Net Tent | 10.2 oz | Front |
1. Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
Borah Gear
2. Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack
Check for the latest price at:
Mountain Laurel Designs
3. Paria Outdoor Breeze Mesh Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
Paria Outdoor
4. Six Moon Designs Haven Nettent
Check for the latest price at:
Six Moon Designs
5. Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
Mountain Laurel Designs
6. Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
Katabatic Gear
7. Six Moon Designs Serenity Net Tent
Check for the latest price at:
Six Moon Designs
8. Outdoor Research Bug Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
Outdoor Research | REI
9. REI Bug Out Bivy
Check for the latest price at:
REI
10. Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter
Check for the latest price at
Yama Mountain Gear
Ultralight Bug Shelter Selection Guide
Bug Shelter Types: Pros, and Cons
Ultralight bug shelters can be bivy sacks (intended for warm weather use), bug bivies, or net tents. You can also repurpose the inner tent of a double-wall tent although it will be much heavier and awkward to use in more constrained spaces.
Bivy Sacks
Ultralight bivy sacks do not have waterproof tops because they intended to be used in dry conditions under a separate waterproof shelter in non-winter conditions. Most have mesh hoods for insect protection and comfort with a solid, highly breathable fabric, covering the torso and legs. A waterproof floor is often included as convenience along with a zipper or drawstring closure. Grosgrain loops are usually included to suspend the mesh overhead with cord and to stake out the bivy sack corners. Bivy sacks made entirely with mesh tops can be problematic because insects can bite through the mesh if you are sleeping on top of your quilt or sleeping bag in hot weather instead of inside or under them.
- Advantages
- Provide wind and splashback protection under tarps. (Splashback is when water bounces off the ground near a tarp and back at you.)
- Good for insect and dew protection when cowboy camping under the stars.
- Easy to use in a lean-to because they can be suspended from rafters and take no additional room.
- Provide inflatable sleeping bag protection when a pad is used inside bivy sack.
- They can be used like a sheet for insect protection in hot weather.
- Disadvantages
- More claustrophobic than alternatives
- Low to the ground so less waterproof against pooling water
Bug Bivies
Bug bivies (not to be confused by all mesh bivy sacks that some manufacturers call bug bivies) are similar to bivy sacks but have sidewalls and must be suspended overhead using trekking poles or an overhead shelter. They’re usually offered with a waterproof floor. Many come with top zippers on the ridgeline which can be a little difficult to get in and out of depending on your stand and ability to balance while stepping out of them.
- Advantages
- More living space
- Must be suspended at the ends using trekking poles or covering tarp
- Higher sidewalls provide better insect and water protection.
- Disadvantages
- Top door access can be awkward.
- Heavier than a bivy sack.
- More difficult to use in a crowded lean-to.
Net Tents
Net tents are the equivalent of an inner tent from a double-wall tent but are usually designed to be set up using trekking poles and staked out at the corners. instead. Net tents have waterproof floors and a zippered entrance. If you are planning to combine a net tent with a tarp, it’s important to make sure that the door locations align properly for ease of access.
- Advantages
- Lots of headroom so you can sit up inside and change clothing.
- Disadvantages
- Heavier than bivy sacks or bug bivies.
- More difficult to use in a crowded lean-to, especially if they have a side door.
Zipper Location
On bivy shelters with zippers, it’s often more convenient to have a side zipper or one at the head end than a zipper that runs lengthwise down the center. If you’re sleeping under a tarp, there’s going to be limited headroom underneath it, particularly in inclement weather when it’s pitched low to the ground for more wind and rain protection. Bivy sacks with side zippers and big bivies with end doors are easier to get out of compared to bivy sacks with center zippers or bug bivies with top zippers in the ridgeline.
Bathtub Floor and Sidewall Depth
If you have to sleep on top of your sleep insulation on hot nights, insects can still bite you through the mesh if you come in contact with it. If you sleep on a 2″, 3″, or 4″ high inflatable pad, you might consider choosing a shelter with higher sidewalls made with solid insect-proof fabric instead of mesh,
Breathable fabrics
When choosing a bivy sack, try to get one with a highly breathable top fabric to help reduce the chance of internal condensation inside the bivy back. Avoid buying a bivy sack with a waterproof/breathable top fabric for warm weather use because they’re much more prone to internal condensation.
Editor's note: If you’re thinking about buying gear that we’ve reviewed or recommend on SectionHiker, you can help support us in the process. Just click on any of the seller links above, and if you make a purchase, we may (but not always) receive a small percentage of the transaction. The cost of the product is the same to you but this helps us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides. Thanks and we appreciate your support!Check Out All of SectionHiker's Gear Guides!
- 10 Best Hiking Boots and Trail Shoes
- 10 Best 2-Person Backpacking Tents
- 10 Best 1-Person Backpacking Tents
- 10 Best Backpacking Stoves
- 10 Best Backpacking Water Filters
- 10 Best Lightweight Backpacks
- 10 Best Ultralight Backpacks
- 10 Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags
- 10 Best Ultralight Backpacking Quilts
- 10 Best Lightweight Backpacking Chairs
- 10 Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads
- 10 Best Backpacking Rain Jackets
- 10 Best Hiking Daypacks
- 10 Best Hiking Pants
- 10 Best Trekking Poles
Thanks for the round-up!
The Borah bivy comes with either top or side zippers. If I could do it over, I would have asked them to extend the side zipper further.
Did Enlightened Equipment stop making their bug bivy products?
EE stopped making the Recon Bivy to focus on quilts since they were suffering such severe shipping delays from overseas. I asked. Too bad. The Paria Breeze is quite comparable but heavier. Still not a bad alternative and the price is right!
I dunno, by the time you add the weight of a fly to the weight of, say a MLD or Yama Mountain bivy then you’re getting into the weight of my Tarptent Moment DW. IOr if it’s a Dyneema tarp, the weight of my TT Notch Li.
I have tarped in the ’70s and early ’80s with a homemade netting inner and “Been there, done that, don’t like it”.
At the end of a long, tough day of backpacking I just want to set up the damned tent and crawl into it – moreso if the weather is foul. No futzing with guying out a tarp and attaching a bug bivy.
I do understand that some just love the openness of a tarp and that’s one of those HYOH things. On some beautiful dusk and morning settings it’s really neat for the views.
True, tent weights have dropped so low that tarp/bivy camping is much less attractive than before. Although if you’re cowboy camping a UL bivy sack or net tent is the only way to see the stars and keep the bugs off you.
Zpack 8.5×10 tarp, Borah gear bivy, 10 mini ground hogs, enough extra guylines for versatility, and 1 1/2 oz ground sheet (ok not really needed) = 24oz.
I agree my tent at 32 oz can be pitched in a gale in less than 5 minutes (if blindfolded less if not)
I agree with previous comment that the tent is less hassle and time, but then again tent less versatile.
For me, as a Zpacks solomid 15 oz owner, the Borah Gear bivy makes the most sense. I use it at Joshua Tree Natl Park where no rain can be a certainty and water must be carried so even an overnighter requires an extra eight pounds. John at Borah allows some customizing which I took advantage of: He lengthened the zipper down most of the side and added a flap of mesh over the foot so that the bottom can be fully open, covered with mesh in heavy bug pressure or closed in ugly cold. I had to sew on the buttons. At the hood, I get a stray stick to expand the hood area horizontally as far as I think I want. It seems as roomy as my solomid for only 7 oz.
You mean an MLD Solomid, right?
I used an MLD superlight bivy under a duomid for many years.
Sorry, I should have said hexamid, an older model.
I’m normally a hammock camper, but I bought a SlingFin SplitWing bundle for those times I must sleep on the ground. I like the versatility of the bug tent, and I like being able to leave it attached to the tarp so I can set it up in the rain & keep everything dry. I’m still learning how to pitch it tautly — my hammock is so much simpler — but I’ve been very pleased with the Splitwing.
this list claims that the REI Bug Out Bivy is the heaviest option at a minimum of 14 oz, yet the Outdoor Research Bug Bivy is supposedly 16 oz. Can someone elaborate on this? What does “minimum of 14 oz” mean?
We clarified the language for you.