Well thats the plan if I'm needing to cook. If I roll into camp and I eat and then it starts raining, I need not string it up seriously. The only thing I use shelter for is to sleep under. I go to bed well past hikers midnight because I really enjoy night photography, and I'm up before the sunrise of course. So I spend 6-8 hours in the bivy a night, period. If I'm breathing, I'm hiking! As far as comfort goes, I don't care much for it or against it. As long as I wake up and my back isn't crinked, I'm happy. And as long as I find somewhat level ground, it usually works out as such.