New Sierra Designs Bivies

[paul johnson]

SD has two new bivies: viz, navassa and zagori.

both made from their DriZone laminated fabric. based upon published figures it is supposedly just a very tiny bit more breathable than eVENT (an insignificant difference in numbers however – not sure about actual performance in the field under varying conditions). i don’t know anything about its “waterproofness”.

in my never ending quest to find the one perfect bivy (ok. maybe two “perfect” bivies – one a simple sack, and one a shelter with a wire or hoop that can be used alone w/o a tarp), does anyone have any input for me on these new products or on their DriZone fabric?

can a DriZone bivy be used alone, or is it more like Epic & wouldn’t survive all night torrents?

the navassa looks like it would compete head-to-head with the REI Minimalist (wts are ’bout the same). the zagori looks like it would compete with the ID Salathe (again, similar wts and features). this would only be true if they were substantially waterproof (Glenn, the Minimalist is waterproof right? or, is its fabric just water-resistant, like Epic?)

would value your input. any guidance anyone can offer on this fabric or the bivies themselves would be greatly appreciated. many thanks, pj

[Glenn Roberts]

Paul: the Minimalist is made of REI’s proprietary Elements material, which they tout as waterproof/breathable. I’ve never gone out to look at the tech specs on it (I think they’re on the website somewhere) since “waterproof” isn’t really a huge concern for me. (I always pair a bivy with a small tarp, so I’m only interested in the bivy’s ability to turn dew when I sleep under the stars, and to turn the mist and spatters that drifts under the tarp in a storm.)

On the SD website, it says both bags have a “no-see-um” mesh window. Any idea what size the window is? The Minimalist has a mesh window, too – it’s about 8 inches long by 15 inches wide: just enough to expose your face, but not enough for real ventilation in the summer. (Best design is still the ID Salathe/Unishelter, where the waist-length opening is fully backed by mesh. Now, if someone could just do that for less than 2 pounds…)

[paul johnson]

supposedly, the smaller/lighter Navassa has a “porthole”, described as a “No-See-Um Mesh Window” on the SD website – what does this really mean? don’t know? maybe smaller than the full-face netting on the Minimalist.

the Zagori has a similarly described “No-See-Um Mesh Window”, so, probably much less netting than the Salathe.

prices are reasonable, even somewhat inexpensive, for both.

chief appeal, to me, is the fabric IF it is waterproof and as breathable, under actual usage conditions, as claimed by SD. if the fabric were good, the Navassa could shave ~4oz off of my Wild Things custom (shortened in length) eVENT bivy, while maintaining breathability. with the Zagori, compared to the wire-hooped Salathe, no wt. would be saved, but a far more breathable fabric would be the appeal. of course, i could stick with the eVENT Unishelter which involves only a little more “setup” time due to the sectioned, shock-corded pole. maybe i shouldn’t be trying to make trail life too simple?

for dryer weather, and/or as my tarp skills grow (thanks again for the GG SpinnTwinn and other gifts – nicest gifts i’ve rcv’d in a very long time – you are a very kind and generous person), my 10oz very-customized MLD Epic Soul bivy is my “go-to” bivy. coupled with the SpinnTwinn – it weighs about the same 18oz as the Navassa alone. so, with this in mind, i’m still trying to make up my mind on the Navassa. i’ll give your REI Minimalist another look as well (would love to know the WP/B numbers for the “Elements” mat’l. however, it wouldn’t make sense, for ME, with my current gear, to pair it with a tarp when the MLD custom-Epic Soul bivy is 7oz lighter than the Minimalist – but the Minimalist looks like an excellent value.

well, thanks again for the info. anyone else have any info on the DriZone fabric or these two new bivies from SD?

[Siegmund Beimfohr]

To resurrect this thread, has anyone actually used one of these? I understand they are large bivys and should handle winter bags as well as gear inside. Any feedback on the Sierra Designs’ Dri-Zone fabric?
Thanks

[Rick Sperko]

bump.

I am also interested. I am leaving in two weeks and want a bivy for the trip. I just purchased an REI Minimalist, but the SD looks interesting with the ability to use trekking poles to keep the mesh off my face.

So has anyone used the SD Navassa? Has anyone used both REI and SD?

Thank you,
-Rick

[Author]

Posts