u/Vandorbelt

I've been riding up through Florida from Clearwater on my way to D.C. for about a week now. About to cross the border into GA. Just want to say how much of a boon public parks are. Need water? Parks have fountains. Need a restroom? Public parks got your back. A place to sit and rest? A table to cook your camp food? Hell yeah public parks. A shelter from that sudden thunderstorm. Most parks have a covered shelter.

Currently sitting in a public park waiting out a storm before continuing a bit further north. Just got me thinking how much harder all this would have been without being able to stop at parks and make use of their facilities along the way here.

Hey all, I'm looking for people's thoughts on their experiences with different forms of shelter when touring. I'm planning to do a trip up the east coast of the US and I want to be able to camp when possible to save money and be more self-reliant on my journey. As someone who doesn't really care too much about saving every last possible ounce, I've been very tempted to get a tent given that it is probably the most comfortable, spacious option that provides some privacy, especially for 6'2" me. It also means I can put my bags inside overnight for the added security and safety.

That said, I'm concerned that I may end up in situations where I need to stealth camp, and that combined with the fact that I'll be setting up and breaking down my shelter every night, I'm worried a tent might be too involved. I've heard that they tend to accumulate condensation and require drying out, something that would require me to be loitering in the sunlight, and I don't know if I'll always have the time and space to do that.

I've heard hammocks are much better in that regard, and while they do require trees to set up, they also benefit from not requiring a perfectly clear or flat space on the ground like a tent. A hammock seems like it would have more versatility in being able to be set up and broken down quickly, but suffers from having no interior privacy and being more visible by being suspended off the ground. Hammocks are also very comfortable for sleeping. My main concern with the hammock is just visibility and location. Requiring trees for setup limits your location, and

The bivy also seems to have some of the benefits of the hammock in that it's low profile and easy to set up, but unlike the hammock it doesn't *require* trees. It's effectively a sleeping-bag sized tent that you string a tarp over for rain cover, and while that does limit its comfort compared to a hammock, it's also much lower profile. The main downside is that a bivy feels incredibly spartan. You don't get the comfort of a hammock or the space of a tent... but I also feel like a good tarp setup could effectively "feel" like a tent, just with the main area being exposed to wind, bugs, etc while the bivy itself is enclosed for when you need it. They also, apparently, suffer from condensation, but the smaller size might make it easier to air out without having to set up a whole clothesline.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts so far with the research I've done, but I'm curious to see what other people have to say about them specifically within the bike touring community. Which do you prefer? What are the positives and negatives you've experienced with different types of shelters?