Event Bivy, Epic Quilt

Hi David,
As a fellow Scot, i know the conditions only too well! I too use a Nunatak quilt, the Arc Specialist, with the Epic shell.
I've used it in an ID All E-vent bivvy-bag under a tarp, and never had ANY condensation. E-vent bivvies are SO breathable.
Now that the nights are long, i'm in my tent reading at night. Depending on the tent, i'll use a TitaniumGoat bivvy, or none at all.
I think you have made a great combination of fabrics for our climate. I've never regretted it. :)

According to this site, given that you are in an eVENT bivy, I would be getting a Pertex Quantum shell on your sleeping bag. This article sums it up:

“Do not get a bag with a waterproof/breathable shell. Waterproof/breathable shell fabrics are a bad idea for down bags in humid environments as they impair critical air transfer and breathability, essential for drying the bag’s insulation from insensible perspiration and moisture from wet clothes worn in the bag. The shell of the bag should be a light fabric that is highly breathable with excellent water resistance (e.g. Pertex Quantum or Microlight or polyester microfibers). A good DWR should keep most shelter condensation off your sleeping bag. Some microfiber shell fabrics have a surface topology that keeps water droplets beaded and provides water repellency in addition to the DWR. Not only will a highly breathable shell help in the tent, but if you by some good fortune happen upon few hours of sunny weather, you can rapidly dry your bag.”

I live in a dry climate though, so can’t give a personal comment.

I had read that article before ordering the Epic shell on my quilt. Epic isn't waterproof, by the way.
However, i have been using down bags for over 30 years in Scotland, and nowadays, i always use a water-resistant shell. My most recent bag (Rab Quantum Endurance 250) has never had any wet down problems, due to the shell. The opposite in fact.

I have used Gore-Tex, Endurance and now Epic shells on down bags for 30+ years and this is all over British Columbia. We have 15-20 FEET of rain on the BC Coast every year and 25" most Novembers where I train-hike, plus it is COLD here, in the interior, I have used this type of bag at -40, several times, for multiday trips.

I have never had a problem doing this and do not expect to in future.

Thanks for the feedback folks. I guess the main encouragement is that the system works for you in Scotland Mike. I've seen a fair few of your posts on outdoorsmagic and always find them to be good (i'm an occassional poster under the name potatoman, recently changed to hikersong). Hope you'll still talk to me when you discover I'm a Sassenach;-) I'm in Kintyre, but I have a son who has just started doing a sports degree in Dundee.

The bottom line anyway is that I have the quilt and I will need to experiment. The appeal to me of the bivy (I've already used a rab survival zone bivy a handful of times) is the simplicity. I'm not bothered about the camping aspect of backpacking, and the idea of just being able to unroll my bed is great.

You mention tarps Mike, and to be honest I find the idea of all that faffing with string a bit depressing. However, I realise that there will be times when I might need extra protection if only for getting into the bivy. I've got a couple of ideas, and I want to see just how much I can use a bivy on it's own.

How waterproof do you find your ID event bivy? Would you feel confident in wet conditions, without a tarp, if only for 2 or 3 nights?

Awright David.
I hope your son enjoys himself in Dundee. It's ideally situated for anyone with an outdoor interest.
My Bivvy just has a simple drawstring closure, so theoreticaly, water could enter there. You could just turn over during rain, but i prefer to use a tarp to shelter the head area. I sometimes use a larger tarp as well. If you don't use a tarp, then there may be a chance of some condensation in a night-long downpour. Sitting water on the bivvy may stop it breathing. After a night long downpour, you'll probably want to go home anyway! :)
The fabric has been totally waterproof. The bivvy is all e-vent, and no water has been forced through from the ground either. I wanted an all e-vent bivvy, so i was surrounded by breathable fabric.
I have an older Outdoor Designs Assault Bivvy, (same as the Rab Assault Bivvy) that i used for 'stand-alone' bivvying without a tarp. This is made from Gore-tex, with a waterproof floor, and there is a big difference. I always had some condensation with it.
I'm confident of keeping my sleeping bag dry in the e-vent bivvy for more than one night, i wouldn't say the same for the Goretex bivvy.

For solo trips, of the various available silnylon tarps and I have several, I have come to prefer my ID Silwing model at 12 oz. and "catenary cut". This can be pitched VERY taut in any weather and, if kept low to the ground and used with an eVent bivy, it will handle the worst weather with no problem.