Ron @ MLD gives first glimpse of FKT Bivy

[Monte Masterson]

When you click onto "shop" from the MLD Home page you can see a pic of the new FKT bivy. Then click on the pic and you can see 4 more photos. Each image can be enlarged. It looks as if there's a 4 inch high cuben bathtub around the head end. I can't tell if the entire bivy is like that, but I hope so. No other info is given.

[Stuart .]

That looks like an eVent upper, although I can't quite figure out the inner face material. This appears to be a slimmed down version of the Soul bivy, perhaps without the bug mesh. As Arte Johnson would say on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In: "Verrrry interesting"

[Ito Jakuchu]

"It looks as if there's a 4 inch high cuben bathtub around the head end. I can't tell if the entire bivy is like that, but I hope so. No other info is given." If you look at the bigger photos, you can see the cuben going from head to side and stopping at the feet. Feet being the same black material as on the top of the bivy.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Yeah I agree, looks like feet get a bit more breathability treatment. Not a bad idea really on an FKT, don't have time to sit around camp letting feet air and dry, just get yourself in, go to sleep. Looking after feet is critical. One of the pics (top section, vertical view) it looks like there is mesh there. Perhaps optional? Very fine mesh can be hard to photograph. My other thoughts are that this will no doubt be designed as a system, so there might be aspects of the design of the quilt and shelter that are influenced by this bivy. Ie, no point carrying a fully enclosed shelter with a floor if you have a WPB bivy. Perhaps its a mini tarp…something not covering full length of the body but rather the head half (to sit under eating basically with legs in the bivy, protection from the wind, make sleeping in the rain in a bivy a bit more comfortable). A small diamond shaped bivy would work well….easy to pitch when knackered.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

So just did a bit more thinking about this Bivy. The current MLD Soul Bivy in medium, is 13.5oz. That's without a hoop, with 3 layer event, 1.5oz cuben base. Size large adds an ounce, 6 inches of length (from 72 to 78) and 4 inches of girth. The girth on the medium is already fairly alright at 72inches at the shoulder, 54 at the foot (personally I'd be swimming particularly at the foot end). I'd expect trimmer widths, particularly foot end. Particularly again as I reckon Ron is building a synthetic FKT quilt (not a down one), thus foot lofting isn't as much an issue…he would factor in all this girth for people taking their Soul Bivy on winter trips with high loft down bags. He also factors in thicker inflatable pads such as full length neoairs, currently. I expect he'll toss that factor for an FKT product where shorter pads and thinner pads are more the norm. My guess (again thinking his system) that his FKT pack might have one of the klymit backpanel/pads. When you are tired enough, you don't need a NeoAir… Length…I'm guessing he'll still have options. Current Soul has a -2ounce option using the more expensive 2 layer cuben event for the upper. I'm betting Ron will use a lighter cuben for the base. Probably 1.0oz (with .18 mylar, the more important factor for a floor fabric) or the ~.75oz cuben that comes with .18 mylar and is hard to get! I'd expect he's saving an ounce at least from the base fabric, maybe another ounce here and there through trimming down the size, those two ounces (already optional on Soul bivy), maybe another magic half an ounce from say lighter mesh and other fine construction details. So, 13.5 -(1+1+2+0.5)= 9 ounces WPB FKT Bivy. Another thought I had; given the WPB Bivy, and mostly likely climashield apex…Ron will shoot for a rediculously light fabric for the quilt. Doesn't need to be downproof, or calendared, or particularly durable, or even waterresistant at all. I'm guessing a fabric approaching 0.50oz/yd^2, 5, 6 or 7D

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Ron is such a tease. Looks like he has deleted the FKT Bivy entry from the MLD website.

[Ito Jakuchu]

Now I wish I had saved those images.. Perhaps it is a good sign – that he is finishing up to show the final product ready to be ordered. I'm very curious about a pack/vest he would make for speed hiking.

[Monte Masterson]

Perhaps Ron got too many e-mails inquiring about the bivy. Or it could be part of a master plan… he gives us just a quick look at the FKT Bivy and then makes it disappear. Then we want it even more. Ron had better hurry up on the pack though because I'm seriously considering this OMM Phantom 20 from ultralightoutdoorgear.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Yeah I've got a OMM Classic 20 and 32, both a few years old (think I got the 20 in 2007). Excellent, particularly the 20 which has seen a lot of use Rogaining and such. Harnesses much better than I expected, again, particularly the 20. I expect the Phantom 20 will be a nice evolution on that. They do mesh shoulder straps quite well. My Ex used to steal my Classic 20 a huge amount…quite a different build to me…as it just seemed to fit her perfectly too and was so comfortable. I'm eyeing off an Inov8 Ultra 10 Vest for sub24 hour pursuits.

[Monte Masterson]

NM

[monkey]

FKT bivy is official now: page

[Monte Masterson]

WOW! $375 is pretty steep, but as Ron says, the materials are expensive. I wish there was a better pic showing the bug netting.

[Mike M]

I have the Soul bivy, I would definitely have grabbed this one if it had been available at the time- looks well thought out. The Soul bivy was an expensive purchase, but it has lived up to all of my expectations on many an outing- this appears to be just a lighter version

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Given the now availability of other fabrics that are of a similar weight to the 1.0oz Cuben, but with probably better durability and tested better aged HH, such as the PU2000 one from Ripstop By The Roll, plus the crazy relative expense of the 1.0oz Cuben, I wonder what is the point of using Cuben for the base. Saving just a few grams total, doubling the Bivy price. Really I'm surprised MLD haven't sourced the ~.75oz Cuben Fibre that has a .18Mylar layer just like the 1.0oz version. It will be just as durable in this application-the extra spectra fibres don't mean anything, its the mylar that is important. Similar price when they buy it as a roll, save more weight. Looks like a great Bivy. But at that price its totally worth me just making my own. I can get the sizing just how I want and easily make up the grams over running a Sil floor.

[William Chilton]

"Really I'm surprised MLD haven't sourced the ~.75oz Cuben Fibre that has a .18Mylar layer just like the 1.0oz version." I suspect that it might be difficult for them to get across to customers worried about durability that they're using a different .75oz cuben from that used in their shelters.

[Ito Jakuchu]

Very valid points Adam. Have you considered asking them to Ron (mail or through Facebook?) I do really like the looks of this bivy, but can't help but think of this SUL set up thread on BPL. See Thread. The Montbell bivy doesn't have a closed off head section, but reading from Ron's comments it might be in your best interest to add a mini tarp anyway. Both to battle condensation and to keep your mental health… Of course at the cost of a little more faff.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Good thread. Yes that's my thoughts exactly. Everything I've ever read about people that use WPB bivys (I've only done a few nights in one, more than a few years ago now, and old Bibler Todtex bivy…though there was one uncomfortable night of rain), is that fully closed up is awful. You never really want to be fully zipped up. So, you want it to be at least a bit open. In which case you might need a little extra protection. That small zpacks tarp is exactly what I'm thinking of. If you assume you'll have something like that tarp (which I'm thinking, could actually be a short poncho too…or an even smaller tarp you could probably get away with), you can do away with a fully waterproof zipper (at least across the chest), and probably use a light DWR non WPB material for most of the hood, saving more grams. Ease of set up on very small tarps is great. Just four lines. Maybe take a couple of pegs. Use local situation to tie it out-small saplings, tree, etc. Super simple to pitch. Lighter fabrics, like 0.34oz Cuben Fiber less of an issue as the panel area is so much smaller and with only four points the pitch is often easier to get nice and even. Flying diamond, flat panel pitch, simple lean to, etc, no worries.

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