hi gunwharfman,
as you know, a bivvy and a tent are two different things
the tent is going to be more comfortable especially in bad weather,
however, bivvy bags fast to deploy, and pack away again, are a lot of fun, and are great for stealth camping, regardless of what they weigh in comparison to a tent, who cares...
the tent hasnt got the stealth of the bivvy, like you mentioned, so for this purpose they are great, obviously using a tarp adds weight, and then takes away some of the "nobody can see me" aspect,
you could pitch the tarp very low to the ground, but have you considered a poncho?
double use as rain jacket, and tarp.
in the past when not using a poncho or tarp, ive used a black bin liner to store rucksack etc. in, placed on the ground next to my bivvy, or rest my head on it, cheap and light.
check out this video and let me know what you think,
although im using a standard bivvy here, i have owned RAB ridge raider, and a Dutch army hooped bivvy bag in the past, both are great, i sold them because i prefer a tent,
the Dutch army bag was so big i could fit all my gear inside it, although it was heavy.
So even though it's hooped, you still need a tarp? I thought that was the whole point in hooped bivies?
hooped bivvy bags give the option of using no tarp, and giving more comfort from rain, wind and bugs, compared to a standard bivvy bag
Just wondering how such a single-skin Bivi bag compares on the question of condensation.
Second thought is when does a 'bivi-bag' become a tent ?
I really am unable to see what the benefits of a 1.2kg 'nylon body bag' are when compared to a very similar priced and performance of a double-skin 1.4kg 2 person tent (such as the Nature Hike Cloud 2)
I am always looking for alternatives (tried Tarps, tried hammocks and didn't get on with them) so would appreciate some ideas on your thinking behind getting the Bivi-Bag.
Stealth...
regarding condensation, i didnt get any
i suppose a hooped bivvy could be regarded as a small tent
gunwharfman,
after reading your last post, i think you've already answered your own questions, using your bivvy without a tarp would seem to be your quickest, and best option that suits you, just stick your rucksack in a waterproof bag / bin liner...
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diIPSE0Jqtg