Bivy Q’s

Since I'm a bivy hoe I guess I'll play.

1.) Do you use partial or full net hoods, or do you just carry a head net for those buggy situations?

Just a headnet and 99% of the time I don't use one.

2.) Do you stake out your bivy or does it naturally stay-put?

Stays put and I've slept on some stupid small sloping sites ;)

3.) Did you make or purchase your bivy?

Purchase. 2 "emergency" variations and the Montbell bag cover.

4.) In your opinion, what is the best top fabric that you’ve encountered?

Depends on the goal.

5.) In your opinion, what is the best bottom fabric that you’ve encountered?

Doesn't matter. I use a GG 1/8" thinlight and sometimes my pack as a pad/groundsheet and I've never torn my bivy.

6.) What, if anything, would you change about your bivy?

Lighter? The montbell to me is just about perfect for a reasonably durable bivy. I've used those 3.5oz heatsheets ones and they start to get holes in the feet after a week or so but then again they're patchable with clear packing tape.

You have to really define what you want your bivy to do though as everyone is different about what they expect. I suspect most people would be happier just carrying one of the 12-24oz tarp/tent style shelters (gatewood cape, wild oasis, sublite, contrail). If you want the ultimate in light weight and like to check out the stars every night, bivys are pretty fun. Plus bivy's pitch in seconds! ;)

Jim,

I just made the jump from a tarptent to poncho tarp/bivy this year.

With my limited experience, here are my answers:

1. Mine does have a bug net built into it…have not had to zip it up to defend myself from bugs yet. On my last trip, I did not even bother to zip up my bivy. Loved the freedom of basically sleep out under the stars. (I also cary a head net for use on the trail)

2. I have never staked out my bivy. I stuff a lot of my gear into the head space of the bivy above me for storage. When I setup camp, I slide my pad and sleeping bag into the bivy with the other stuff, so blowing away would take a lot…like a storm.

3. Purchased mine…Mountain Laurel Designs. See my review/impressions of the Soul Side Zip with eVent top. (13 oz rounding up)

4. eVent, but then again, this is my 1st bivy.

5. I opted for the "heavier" 2.0 silnylon bottom on mine, but am sure that the regular 1.3 silnylon bottom would be fine. Nice thing about a bivy is that you can setup anywhere. As with any light weight shelter, site selection is important. I have slept out on gravel/sand/granite. I cleared the spot under my bivy of the big rocks that might have poked a hole in the bottom of the bivy.

6. Being that this was my 1st bivy, I opted for all the options to make mine "bomber". If I were to change one thing, I would opt to not have the 1.3 oz wire for the hood part of the bivy. I find that I use the guyline loop that is built in to tie the hood to the ceiling of my tarp to pull it off my face. The wire helps out if I don't pitch the tarp and sleep out under the stars. In that case, I have used my poles in a "X" above me and tied my bivy hood to my poles for the same effect. Wire is not necessary. I might have gone with the standard bottom material vs. the heavier/stronger bottom.

Check out Ron at Laurel Mountain Designs.

Can not say enough good things about Ron's customer service and workmanship.

My buddy also has one of Ron's bivies and either talked to Ron on the phone or emailed him for his advice on which bivy to buy for CA./Sierra.

Ron recommended the least expensive one that he makes.

Mine is probably the most expensive one, but I am paranoid about rain/water. :)

Hope that helps you out.

-Tony

1- built in full net hood is best for me in most situations. I like to be able to look around me at night.
2- it stays put because I put my sleeping pad and bag inside it.
3- make. it's way cheaper than buying pre-made, for the same materials.
4- momentum is better than standard ripstop nylon. I think seam-sealed eVENT would be best, as there'd be less concern about ground moisture coming in through a seam, or after wetting out part of the top fabric.
5- silnylon. gets the job done, has a very durable coating (compared to urethane), and is lightweight.
6- I made mine to have a permanent built-in head net over the head and a center zipper, oriented long-ways. The center zip makes it very easy to get in and out-I would not change this feature for anything. However, I do wish I had built in a way for the bivy to totally seal up. In a stiff winter breeze, bug netting isn't enough to block the wind from freezing and dehydrating my face.

> However, I do wish I had built in a way for the bivy to totally seal up. In a stiff winter breeze, bug netting isn't enough to block the wind from freezing and dehydrating my face.
Understandable, but maybe risky. I suspect this might significantly increase the amount of condensation inside the bivy. Compromise.

Cheers

1. Full net insert, mainly b/c ticks are as much a concern in my area as mosquitoes.
2. Usually not staked, except in high winds / exposed location (wind can pick up a bivy even with your bag and pad inside).
3. Purchased
4. Everything is a set of compromises. Momentum 90 and Pertex Quantum are more breathable, and only water-resistant. eVent is less breathable but water-proof. Since I use my bivy with a 9×7 tarp in really wet weather, and often in temps 20-40F, with a down bag and on long trips, I've learned that condensation resistance over multiple nights is crucial for me.
5. Only used 1.35 Silnylon, which I find more than adequate.
6. Nothing I'd change. My current bivy is a MLD Soul Bivy w/ Momentum 90 top and 1.35 Silnylon bottom. I've removed the hood wire (Ron now provides a small slit in the hem to extract/insert it quickly). Having owned a BPL Vapr and a homemade bivy, the Soul is my favorite.

I did get my current bivy in size wide, even though I'm a thin guy. The ability to sit up inside the bivy crosslegged (taking the bivy hood up with me, so the opening remains at my face) gives me enough room to deal with gear, perform foot care, do some stretches, and generally enjoy a more livable space. The weight penalty is negligible, and I don't notice a difference in warmth over a narrower fit.

>Understandable, but maybe risky. I suspect this might significantly increase the amount of condensation inside the bivy. Compromise.

True enough, and indeed that's exactly why I made it the way it is to begin with. I don't mean to seal myself inside, though. I just meant, I wish I'd made my bivy with a breathable nylon "hood" that I'd realistically be zipping closed only halfway, but which would block wind.

I have a few bivvy-bags, some stand-alone, and one for under shelter.
My favourite for performance is the ID All E-vent bag. The TiGoat is also excellent for a lightweight bag.
A good combination of fabrics would be 3-layer E-vent on bottom and sides, and a very breathable fabric on top. I think this combo would give zero condensation, and a lower weight than an all E-vent bag. It would also stop the problem of condensation caused by a sil-nylon base ending up on top of a restless sleeper. It would be bombproof IMO. I would love to see someone produce this.

I was leaning towards the Soul Bivy from MLD, but could not help wonder about the value of the attached link to Cabela's lightweight bivy. I will only use the bivy for supplemental winter or shoulder season use since I like hammocking in the summer. Anyone know anything about this $90 bivy?

Catalog description: When space and weight are an absolute premium, leave your tent at home and pack our newly redesigned XPG™ Bivy Sack (weighs less than one pound.). It rolls up small and fits into its attached pocket, yet with a 100% revolutionary waterproof breathable fabric shell, breathable internal mesh panel and water-resistant YKK® zipper, it keeps you completely dry and comfortable in extreme conditions. Drawstring hood. Imported.
Sizes:
36" x 84", Carry weight: 13 oz.
40" x 90", Carry weight: 15 oz.

Link
http://www.cabelas.com:80/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0019786515869a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=bivy&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

Thanks!

Thank you all for your most generous replies. You’ve given me some great information.

I wanted to get a feel for what features you found important, and if you had buyer’s remorse for either paying for or hauling those extras that you don’t really use. Because I hike mostly in the Sierra Nevada in the summer and fall, I’d want a bivy that is water resistant and highly breathable and (of course) as light as possible. That being said, I am looking to expand my range further into the shoulder seasons. It must be reasonable to assume that being learned in site selection, preparation and tarp pitching are more important than the differences between Momentum, Quantum or Intrepid for the top fabric and Sil-nylon or 0.6 oz Cuben for the bottom!

I'd look long and hard at the eVent bivy by Integral Designs. Bivy's, even GTX ones, can get a lot of condensation inside them.

Eric

I agree with Eric here. E-vent is the king for wet and wintry conditions. I have the ID All E-vent overbag, and it is THE best bivvy-bag i have ever had at handling condensation. Maybe an ounce or two heavier, but when conditions are bad, it's worth it IMO.

Hi James! The BackpackingLight magazine, issue #7, featured quite an extensive review/comaprison of 14 bivouac (bivy) bags from various manufaturers (it did not, however, review any biwys). The parameters included storm protection, insect comfort, condensation resistance, packability, livability, durability, weight, and cost. There was not any one bag that excelled in all areas: some were too heavy, some had condensation problems, etc. The one that consistently had top overall ratings (3.4 out of 5) and was the recommended UL bivy was the Equinox Ultralight Mummy Bivy (6.5 oz, $60). Since you'll be using a tarp, this would be a good choice and is the one that I use. When I don't want to fool around with a tarp and the weather might be dicy then I use my heavier gore-tex one.
Other information can be found online at BPL's gear guides.
Happy trails!