Integral Designs Wedge eVENT Bivy REVIEW

Eric – you would rather have a Moment over anything. We know, we know.

I have used the Moment 5 times and not once not had copious amounts of condensation. Even with the fly rolled up and the door open. I have also not had one night sleeping where I haven't stuffed my sleeping bag against one wall, soaking it.

If you make the Moment freestanding, isn't it almost the same weight then?

The desert must be a nice place to hike. ;)

David,
Agree with you, but do not think the single wall tent is dead. But there must netting at head, foot and sides, such that there isn't much weight savings over simply having a netting inner. The advantage of the single wall is that the single wall goes up in the rain without flooding the bathtub floor.

The tent reviewed here appears to weigh around 4 lbs with the vestibule that allows sitting up as well as sheltered entry and exit in the rain. The Hilleberg Suolo is around the same weight, and would be my clear preference if I were going to carry 4 lbs. of tent for harsh conditions.
Sam

The Soulo is a full pound heavier than the Wedge with the vestibule.

This seems like the ideal tent for a very small group of people, and an inideal tent for many others. I think the users who would get the most out of it will be a pair of climbers who share a single sleeping quilt or bag and who intend to climb difficult routs with small bivy sites and the possibility of bad weather. There really aren't all that many routs like that in the lower 48, but I'm guessing these will see some action in Alaska and the Himalayas.

The vestibule seems like a really excellent addition, it actually looks like it would make serious rain-camping quite doable. This combination might yield a shelter that would work for a trip with a long approach to climb a serious rout somewhere, which may become more common as air travel to get to peaks gets more expensive.

If I had unlimited funds I'd buy one today, because someday I hope the do the sort of trips it would be ideal for.

Doug, thanks for a great review! This sounds like it'd be great for high-mountain gnarly stuff.

As for moisture, breathability, and condensation: I noticed that in the set of 4 photos showing the poles there is clearly condensation in 3 of 4 photos. There is also clearly water beaded up on the blue fabric in a photo lower down; not sure if the water running down the sidewalls is inside condensation or outside moisture.

My recollection is that Epic is more breathable than eVent, potentially by a significant factor. It reminded me of this older thread; check the 2nd table by Mr. Nisley. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=18298

The door design is absurd in many respects. If you knew you were only going to use the shelter in full-on winter conditions, you wouldn't be worried too much about falling snow getting in and out. But rain, well, that would stink. I would also think the flatter roof would tend to channel or pool rain on the roof and around the door zipper.

In addition to snow load concerns on the roof, I wonder how the flat surface would take strong winds? As mentioned, any way you slice it this is still a much beefier option than a standard bivy.

Cheers!

Thanks Brad- I appreciate that.

Yes- you do see condensation on the poles (that always happens with exposed interior poles) but not on the breathable eVent fabric. The blue nylon at the bottom is not eVent and it does have some condensation from being pitched on the snow. I never had water running down the eVent fabric- there was never enough condensation to allow this to occur.

I never had the water pooling as you mention. I found the doorway issue to be a small one- I could dive into the tent in seconds. But a doorway that allows no water to enter is certainly preferable. Of course the vestibule elminates this concern.

The flat roof is a non-issue in high winds. I've never used a shelter that performed better in high winds.

Yeah, my single walls always had condensation on the poles, too. Part of the fun. I think I was in my techie-retentive-literal state… "See, there is some…" Doesn't sound as though you felt the condensation on the blue was an issue. I'm guessing the wet spots on the canopy in lower pics was just the outer material wetting out, not inside moisture.

Glad to know someone's making a bombproof boulder-ish tent!

If you mean vestibule when you say "canopy" then yes- there was absolutely condensation on the silnylon vestibule. This is stated in the review.

Water on the floor could either be from condensation or from snow carried on on clothing.

Have a good one!
Doug

As I look at this design, I wonder, why not a single full side entry, with an extended length, stake-out side canopy to shield the door and be a vestibule, at the same time?

I imagine for this reason :

Franco
Photo : Jennifer Caye

Good one Franco. It looks very easy to get into and out of given the shape of the door. I think side entry on this would be more difficult. You would have to roll in and roll out….

>>But what it's good at, it's REALLY good at.

Bingo here – highly specialized gear that fits a certain niche better do its niche better than everything else.

For a specialised mountain shelter, designed for stormy weather, i still think a door that opened from the base would be better. You could slide in and plant the crossing poles without having the shelter open to whatever the sky is hosing down on you. The door on this starts in the middle of the roof.
For non-stormy, stormy weather it looks perfect. Apart from the stormy weather i'm used to. :)

I live Ecuador and camp alone in wet, rainy, windy highlands known as paramos. My preferred overnight spot is just under 14000 feet with some protection from wind but I want to camp as high as 15000 feet in exposed areas.

This e-vent bivy/tent plus vestibule for an extended stay seems to fit what I need. I actually like the way the door is set up because I usually find myself scrambling up the volcanoes on full moons and clear nights so being able to view the moon and stars while hunkered down appeals to me.

More often than not my stargazing aspirations turn into a mountain storm so having a storm shelter is necessary. For one nighters I wouldn't bother with the vestibule but for longer stays the added room of the vestibule would be a welcome addition.

I like the small footprint and low profile for the exposed peaks I want to camp on. The breathability of e-vent will be a nice break from wind whipped condensation in the face.

Does anybody have any more insights to this bivy/tent before I pull the trigger and buy it? Murphy's UL Law says something roomier, lighter and more appropriate will come out as soon as I buy it.

Thanks.

slept 3 nights in wedge in southern colorado, 10k feet, 0-10 degrees
little condensation on the first night, remaining two nights frost coated walls (i kept the door closed all 3 nights)

i liked the door design (could sit up, look around, talk with only head and shoulders sticking up)

Based upon the above comments, I’m assuming that the Wedge does not have double zipper sliders that would enable the door to zip down from the top or up from the bottom in storm conditions? The zipper would then run down both sides and across the bottom, the ends and pulls meeting in the bottom center and at the top as it is now. Or, perhaps a tunnel entry addition to the zippered door would be helpful when raining.

The door hinges at the bottom  a couple of inches up from the ground.There are two zippers that meet at the top so you can vent in different ways.It has that little vent tube window you can look out of in bad weather.I have the Vestibule which will cover your pack and allow dry entry.Most of the time i just have a siltarp over top .I tried to post pics of mine in green on the wedge for sale thread but it is kinda weird it says i posted but i can not see it.