Winterial Bivy Tent Review

I was very excited to review the Winterial bivy tent. I certainly have more experience with two person camping tents or even larger tents. I thought why carry a two person tent if I go solo backpacking? Maybe switching to a bivy would be fun! I heard a lot of great things about the Winterial bivy tent, so I though this could be the perfect first bivy to use. So here are my impressions…

Winterial Bivy Tent Review

The Good:

• For around 80 dollars it is a really low price for the quality you get with this bivy.
• Excellent wind resistant aerodynamic shape.
• The door is big enough and it is surprisingly easy to get in even though we are talking about a really small bivy tent.
• Very fast, easy to assemble.
• Great quality stakes. Pointy end helps a lot with setting them even in frozen ground.
• Very easy to pack away, fits into the carry bag easily.
• With 3.3 lbs of packed weight it is small enough to carry over long distances.
• Double layer tent. In warm summer nights I can see myself sleeping in it without the rainfly. The mesh inner wall can protect well enough against bugs.
• It is quite spacious for a single person tent (‎90″L x 38″W x 28″H). I had the feeling that i have enough room for my hands on either side. Also the length is adequate, and it doesn’t get too small even at the very end, so my feet actually didn’t touch the wall.
• There is even a small vestibule next to the door. Don’t expect to store your whole backpack in it. However I could keep my shoes in it.

The Bad:

• The rainfly is a little short, and doesn’t cover the floor completely. Can’t stop feeling like this can be a waterproofing hazard.
• 1500 mm waterproofing is on the thin side. For a really waterproof bivy I would be looking for at least 2000 mm waterproof rating.
• The guylines are black with reflective stripes. This combination bends in completely with the dark earthly colours. I almost fell over the guylines three times.
• The bent poles seem a little light. Over time I am afraid they can break easily.

Who Do I Recommend The Winterial Bivy Tent For?

This is a single person tent. If you are looking for a lightweight tent to give you shelter during multi day hiking trips, this is the perfect choice. However don’t expect it to be your hangout space during the day. It is simply too short and small for that. I think it is adequately waterproof to keep you dry in most weather conditions. However it is definitely not a four season bivy.

All in all perfect for solo backpackers who want a lightweight waterproof tent that keeps them dry and bug-free during the night.

Even though the Winterial single person tent’s Amazon page recommends it as a fishing tent, I think it does not give you enough shade for that use. As I said, this is not a product to hang out in during the day.

How Waterproof Is The Winterial Single Person Tent?

There are two sides of the story to tell here. And I will start with my own personal experience.

I went out sleeping in the Winterial bivy on a relatively dry night. I got a little bit of rain during the night, however when I woke up the ground was only slightly wet, no puddles or excess water anywhere. So in this light rain the tent did really well, kept me totally dry. However the rainfly does not reach totally over the bathtub floor. This means if you get a combination of really heavy rain and wind, the water might end up being blown inside your tent.

On the other hand, let’s look at the product descriptions. On Amazon, they say the tent is 1500 mm HH waterproof. This is on the thin side of three season tent territory.

The shape of the Winterial bivy is amazing, really windproof and aerodynamic. I would feel safe sleeping in it even in the most windy and open areas, like the Scottish Highlands.

Winterial Bivy Tent – My Impressions

Weight

At 3.3 lbs of packed weight, it is safe to say this tent is light enough for solo backpacking trips. However it is not the lightest bivy out there. If you are looking for ultralight options, the MIER Lanshan Ultralight Tent for example is barely 2.2 lbs. Although the latter one is significantly less comfortable. All in all I feel like this weight is a good balance between comfort and lightweight design.

If you want to see a little bigger tents, you can find a list ot the best 2 person waterproof camping tents here. For example the Featherstone tent has bigger inner space but it is not much heavier.

Poles

The bivy comes with two aluminium poles. They are already bent, to help with setup. Actually it is really easy to attach the poles to the inner wall, as there are plastic hooks that you can just pop on the poles.

However they are not the sturdiest. I wonder if through continual use they would break easily. In case you need new poles, write to cs@winterial.com and they will send you new ones free of charge.

Rainfly/Breathability

What I love about the Winterial single person tent is how breathable it is. The entire inner wall is made of mesh, which obviously helps a lot with breathability and free air flow.

The rainfly can be easily attached to the inner tent with four tapes at the corners. You need to secure the rainfly with three guylines, in order to make it taut and windproof.

The issue I have with the guylines is their colour. They are black with thin reflective white stripes thrown in the mix. This combination blends in perfectly with the dark earthly colour. I almost fell over the guylines every time I tried to get around the tent. It might seem like a small thing. However I would hate to fall over while I get out of the tent to empty the tank at dawn.

The mesh inner wall looks sturdy enough. I am sure it will protect me excellently against bugs and mosquitoes if I decide to sleep without the rainfly on during a warm summer night.

There is no vent on the rainfly. On one hand this helps with waterproofing – less risk of water seeping in. Although you might get issues with condensation. On average waterproof tents with a vent on the rainfly tend to do better in staving off condensation.

Carry Bag

The carry bag of the Winterial single person tent is made of polyester. It is on the big side, with enough space to pack away the bivy comfortably after folding it up.

The whole bag is 18″ x 4.5″ x 4″ with the bivy in it. I had the feeling it is quite long but very thin. Of course the special, bent pole design means the carry bag has to be long. However I didn’t get the feeling it would be a problem to carry this bag over long distances.

Before you go…

You might want to read about the best waterproof tents that cost less than 100 dollars.

Or here is an article about the Naturehike Mongar 2, a great two person waterproof tent.