Looking forward to when we are allowed to do outdoor things overnight in the hills, and need to replace my Alpkit Hunka bivvy. Used for bikepacking, often with a lightweight tarp, so my requirements are speed of setup, small packing size and light weight, but not as constricting as the Hunka.

Not really leaning towards a one-man tent (see speed of setup), although might reconsider. The Helium seems to tick all the boxes, but isn’t cheap.

Anything else I should be looking at?

OR Interstellar.

FWIW, I prefer a tarp as opposed to a hooped bivvy.

SMD Lunar Solo single skin tent.

Lightweight, probably about the same as a bivvy bag + tarp.

Roll the flaps back and it not that much different from a bag with a tarp Flying V behind you. Roll down again it it rains.

Bug mesh.

enough room to move about, get changed, have your essential gear inside with you.

Easier to put up than a tarp. Only needs one pole.

Where a comprise actually turns out to be as good (or at least at times, a better option) as either bivvy/tent.

Not cheap, and get a bearbones pole (not the SMD one).

Oh, I also have a Helium and Siltarp 1.

I have a trekkertent – incredibly light even tho for bike packing you need a couple of poles ( they are intended to be used with walking poles. the basic one person with mesh inner weighs under 600 g and thats a proper two layer tent

I’ve got a Rab Storm, been looking at Heliums too as while it’s great it’s a bit sweaty and I wonder if the hooped construction would let a bit of air circulate.

That or a Borah Gear bivi which I think are probably the lightest version of the not quite a tent bivi idea.

I absolutely loved my OR bivvy (c1993 vintage) and spent 100s of nights in it pre-children. It had 2 hooped poles attached by poppers and a fly net that is an absolute game changer in terms of ventilation while staying dry in all but driving rain. It nailed the quick set up and there was enough space to change / turn over to read/cook. The 2 poles (when needed) allowed the opening to stay open at different places and it’s so quick to flip the pole bit from chest on first drops of rain. I’ve replaced it with a hunker XL that feels in-my-face and snug round girth – I think shoulder measurement is key comparator when you can’t see in person.

I rarely had much in the way of condensation (not used much in driving rain though did fine in snow) so much so that often just whipped out the mat, aired that and stuffed the whole lot into one stuffsack.

I’m not sure the current helium has 2 poles and there is vastly more of me to fit in a hunker than there ever was to fit in my OR bivvy so me harking back to the OR might not be fair. Defo worth the space in bag but too spendy for me to justify another.

The last outing was after a long time in storage and I got in before realising that the white breathable coating had turned into the slime from the Stranger Things “upside down”, but smelling much much worse. It went in the bin and I went home. Only later did I find out that it had a lifetime guarantee on it. Sad face.

I’ve got a Rab Storm, been looking at Heliums too as while it’s great it’s a bit sweaty and I wonder if the hooped construction would let a bit of air circulate.

I have an Helium bivvy. Only used it for one 2 night trip and it felt like it was pooling in water down at my feet. Turns out it was just the cold that felt like wet, which is to say I thought it was very sweaty / full of condensation but actually bone dry in the morning.

This is a conundrum for me.

I’ve got the better version of the alpkit bivvy (forget the name) and a small tarp. I like the flexibility of the setup. But I’ve also struggled with midge with my face/head exposed or the unpleasant feeling when you slam it all shut. Using a helium would give some relief from that but at the expense of some flexibility.

This is when travelling very light – if cycle touring (rather than bikepacking) or with a larger sack I’d always got for a heavier roomier tent. (MSR hubba 1 tour or a Hilleberg Soulo – my camping choices are embarrassingly extensive!).

Turns out it was just the cold that felt like wet, which is to say I thought it was very sweaty / full of condensation but actually bone dry in the morning.

Nerd fact – our skin does not have moisture receptors – we just our sense of cold to make subconscious conclusions to decide if we think we/something is damp or wet.

Good nerd fact!

SportsPursuit have the Rab Alpine Bivvy on at £135 (half RRP)

I have two bivvy bags, a RAB Ascent and a TiGoat Kestrel. Both have mesh areas to cope with the midge. The latter needs to be deployed under a full length tarp as it is merely water resistant. The Ascent is Event fabric and fully waterproof. I still prefer using it with a microtarp as that gives some shelter over my head and a small area for some kit.

Lanshan 1 Pro?