UL Bivi

"Hey guys. I was wondering about which bivy i should go with. I will be under a tarp, and i have a down bag (which i want to keep dry). Should I go with the Equinox Sprawler Ultralight Bivi, or the Montbell Breeze Dry-Tec Cover."

I'm not familiar w/ these two but I have the Titanium Goat Ptarmigan Bivy w/ Full Net Hood option for use under a tarp. It is higly water resistant, has good bug protection, is light (I have a custom short model and weighs in a smidge over 7 ounces), and is relatively inexpensive.
I would also consider Mountain Laurel Designs however they are "pricey" in comparison.

Cheers,
Christopher

i'll 2nd that ti goat bivy. i also use a down bag under a tarp. great quality, no condensation probs and 8 oz. for size long w/ netting. too bad it's twice the price now but still worth it.

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/Bivy.html

I 3rd that! I got an Equinox Ultralight bivy and it was pretty nice but the Goat is half the weight with the same features at the same price.

I returned the Equinox and got the TiGoat bivy. To be fair I never had the Equinox on the trail. It was really well made but the top fabric was heavy and they went a little overboard on zippers IMO.

What I miss is that the TiGoat does not have stake out loops in the corners. I tend to flop around a lot in my sleep.

If you're going to be using it with a tarp I would go with the Superlight Bivy from Mountain Laurel Designs. It breaths great and at 6.2 ounces it weighs about as much as a groundsheet.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com

I have a few UL bivies and use my Mountain Laurel Designs Sould Side Zip Bivy pretty much exclusively now.

I just realized that I got my gear wrong. The heavy same price bivy I was talking about was the Outdoor Research Micronight Bivy -vs- the TiGoat.

I got the Outdoor Research Micronight Bivy and returned it because well, it was more than 2x the weight of the TiGoat. It was bomb proof and had nice features but not worth the weight.

The Equinox Ultralight didn't work for me because of the lack of bug netting.

I know people here dig the MLD but the TiGoat with the full net hood is nice. I think it's a pintch over 7oz in the stuff sack. It doesn't really feel like a bivy when you hang the net, lots of head and chest room.

"the TiGoat with the full net hood is nice. I think it's a pintch over 7oz in the stuff sack. It doesn't really feel like a bivy when you hang the net, lots of head and chest room."

I agree…and the quality is exceptional, and much cheaper than MLD.

I would highly recommend the TiGoat with full bug netting. On my scales, with full bug netting and stuff sack it is 6.95 oz, and probably one of my favorite peices of equipment, especially given the price. The bug netting on muggy/buggy nights is invaluable, and in my bag comes to roughly the center of my chest when I'm trying to maximize the area it covers. Additionally if your using a tarp already, I would strongly recommend a highly breathable/highly water resitant fabric over WB/B fabrics. It will result in far more comfortable nights, and the loft on your down bag will collapse far less due to condensation within the bivy. I hear that if you have the money MLD give you the same quality and a few more options, as well as slightly lighter, but at an increased cost.

Hi Kohl! Since you're going to be using a tarp, go with the Equinox, as it'll breath better than any goretex or event fabric. I have one and couldn't be happier. The reason it'll outperform the others is because it's water repellent, not waterproof, weighs only 6 oz and the price makes me smile. As for the lack of netting, I just wear a head net treated with permitherin…no bugs.

In the lower price range I'd have to agree that the TiGoat bivy with the netting would be a good choice. The TiGoat was my first, ever, bivy.

There were a few things that I wanted in a bivy, and the MLD Soul Sidezip (Momentum) had them all. The zip for easy entry and exit, netting that could be left open or closed, and tabs for staking down to keep the bivy in one spot. The large size allows for side sleeping and having the pad inside (where it is held in position by tabs and a thin bungee).

I have the Equinox bivy. I have no experience with bivies. Water repellant for this bivy means what exactly? How much water can get on the top before it gets inside and you get wet? Can you sleep under a poncho tarp in rain and wind?

You can also ask for a half zip on the tiGoat bivy for an additional $25.

Mine weighs 7.25 ounces with the full bug net option and a half zip. My friend got the same options and his came in the exact same weight.

I haven't used it in real tough wet conditions yet so can't give you any feedback in that regard. I did use it in fairly cold temps nearly fully closed and had no trouble with condinsation.

I do think having stake out loops would be nice though. That's the one feature it doesn't have.

Hi Diane! I treat my Equinox with a spray-on DWR which will make any wind blown rain droplets that get under the tarp bead up and roll off. Untreated, the fabric wouldn't shed water for very long (the bottom is made of waterproof fabric, so you don't need to worry about that). So, the long and the short of it is that when using this particular bivy, do so in conjunction with a tarp or some other shelter when the weather threatens. Happy trails!

Another argument for the MLD Bivy is that it is the *only* bivy I've had that I didn't wake up with moisture in the foot area (i.e. outside of my sleeping bag, inside of the bivy). I attribute this with the footbox of the MLD Bivy being made of eVent.

I used the Montbell bag cover all of last season and loved it. I used it as my sole shelter w/o tarp. Loved it. But one evening the foot migrated off of the groundsheet onto the bare ground. The next morning it was pretty well shot. Full of rips and tears. Great idea, but a little too delicate for extended use.

The Ti Goat bivy looked perfect – however they now make it only in black. In the Texas heat, even with the full net option, I would be afraid that it would be a sweatbox.

Maybe the next generation will be in a lighter color for us Southern boys.

I have one of these and it is nice and light but there are a few things I don't like about it.
1. No zipper makes it too hard to get into and out of.
2. Really only usable on a ground cloth or in a tent. I got it for in a tent so that my bag would stay dryer. It is all but usless outside as it is not tough enough to stand up to sticks and rocks.
I carry it now as a back up for my hammock and nothing else. But it is a somewhat useful piece of gear but I would go with Oware.