Sleep comfortably in your car with a Backseat Bivy

While it might seem like a great idea to forget the tent and sleep in the car, the reality is often a far cry from expectations and sleepless nights are frequently met with a barrage of aches and pains as dawn breaks.

Patent pending, the Back Seat Bivy is designed to bridge the gap between convenience and comfort.

From the offset, the fun, engaging, “I can make it work” online compatibility guide is more relatable than a stack of complicated specs and instructions, and the relaxed, get-away approach takes the pressure off, encouraging you to work with what you have without the fear or setting it up incorrectly.

I tested the Back Seat Bivy in a GMC Acadia AT4, which has a longer wheelbase and a second row of rear seats, making it perfect for camping out. Once the seats have been folded, the gap between the front and middle row is less problematic when it comes to getting a good night’s rest, but the gap in the middle, between the two rear seat rows, is virtually impossible to avoid. This is where the Back Seat Bivy takes the stage.

In an attempt to save my butt, I hooked the rear seat loop straps over the middle row of seats and used the high quality recycled fabric to bridge the gap between these and the third row. As per the instructions online, I connected the bottom of the Back Seat Bivy to the clamp at the back of the rearmost seats using the adjustable straps between the daisy chain loop and the rear seat hooks. Spanning the width of the Back Seat Bivy, the loops accommodate a variety of anchor points in the car to keep the Back Seat Bivy flat and straight to maximize the comfort.

Initially, I was a little concerned about whether the GMC Acadia AT4 would house the 48-inch width of the Bivy as the interior of the car narrows towards the back. The tent poles fit perfectly behind the front seats to the middle row, but it’s a pretty tight squeeze from the middle to the third row, so I opted to disengage the end connection and slightly reduce the width. This isn’t recommended in the technical spec on the website, it worked perfectly and demonstrates the versatility of the Bivy.

The material is durable and lightweight, but, as you might imagine, it doesn’t add much cushioning, so I recommend using the Back Seat Bivy with a sleeping mat. With or without the sleeping mat, the Bivy increased the level of comfort ten-fold. It is also incredibly compact and so, fully collapsed and stored in its carry bag, the Back Seat Bivy can be left in the vehicle for impromptu overnight adventures ahead.