Which bivy?

[William Zila]

I am looking for a bivy to use under my echo 1 tarp I want it light with a mesh panel for the upper body if not a whole mesh top I would like it under 8 ounces as well what's out there ? Smd meteor what else?

[J-L]

Check out these bivies from Oware – they seem to be what you are looking for:

Simple bivy and Hot weather bivy

There is a sale going on that ends today – you get 15% off and free shipping. My two-person bivy from Oware just arrived yesterday and came in 1.7 oz under the specified weight.

[Ben Smith]

There is also the TiGoat Bug Bivy.

[William Zila]

I like the ti goat but I think the meteor fits my needs best it looks like you can attach the bug netting to your tarp to get head room with the little d loop on the mesh is that right ?

[Heath Pitts]

The MLD Superlight bivy can be purchased with an optional all mesh head area. Might be less mesh than you are looking for though

[Justin Nelson]

Hi Will. The TiGOat Bivy I have has an attachment on it on it for attaching the bug netting to the tarp etc. just like your looking for. Although I have the Ptarmigan with the full mesh hood rather then just the bug bivy. Weighs in on my scale at 7.25 oz with the stuff sack.

[Steven McAllister]

Most bug bivys have a loop to hang the bugnet from. I find the Meteor most comfortable in warmish weather as there is more mesh than other bivys. Having the lower half water resistant means you still get protection under a tarp.

I actually often use the Meteor in the winter, it does reduce drafts, holding in a good amount of warmth and does an OK job of holding back spray and spindrift.

I also have the Oware drawstring bivy. It is not as easy to get in and out of, but offers more protection in bad weather. I use the Oware mostly as an emergency shelter for day hikes and long kayak day trips.

[Link .]

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[William Zila]

Oo I like that bear paw too but I like the bottom half of the meteor being nylon instead of mesh keep the suggestions coming

[Link .]

I'm sorry I thought you said in your original post you were also interested in an all mesh top also.

[Shane Reed]

I'd contact John at Bearpaw, he can most likely make exactly what you want, rather quickly too. Good luck

[John Devitt]

John has done custom work for me, and the results exceeded expectations. He is a first rate professional and has a quick turn time.

Regards,
John

[Mike Knapp]

Nobody has mentioned Katabatic Gear bivys. I am shopping bivys as well right now and this is the top of my list. I have a Katabatic Gear quilt, and I love it. Excellent workmanship. I like the Bristlecone bivy with the bug mesh window and half zipper at 6.8 oz. I don't own it yet….anyone have experience using a Katabatic bivy?

[Samuel Kau]

I love my ptarmigan bivy. I find bivies so useful and i ordered the one with a net hood. I don't have the katabatic bivy but i chose the ptarmigan one because of the hooded version so in a real downpour i wanted to make sure the mesh wasn't touching the floor since i don't use a groundsheet.

[Keith Craigs]

I'm also shopping for a head netted bivy – Can people who comment on what they own also say what fits? I'm 6 even and would like to use my neoair and down to a 20F down bag. I've read elsewhere that with this combination (tall/winter bag/thick pad) it's difficult to find a large enough bivy. I was dead set on a ptarmigan until I read it would be a tight fit, especially in the foot area.

[Samuel Kau]

I have also heard that a ptarmigan bivy will not fit a neoair well. I use a 3/4 foam pad so that does not affect me. Titanium goat also has a raven bivy which is suppose to be bigger and if you are concerned about fit maybe thats the one you need. I think the katabatic bivy is also bigger than the ptarmigan bivy as well.

[Keith Craigs]

I'm a side sleeper – thin pads don't do my shoulders any favors… I've looked at the Katabatic bivys awhile ago and decided that they were cut specifically for their quilts

[jim jessop]

Yes the Katabatic Bristlecone Bivy is superb.

It's wide enough for me as a restless side sleeper and the side zip makes loads of difference to usability, allowing you to sit up easily in the bivy if you use your pad inside it.

[Mark Roberts]

I have a Katabatic Bivy and love it. The net is large, the design is great, the quality is excellent. Aaron responded to a minor complaint and improved the zip stop design.

A brief review is here:
http://backpackingnorth.blogspot.com/2010/09/katabatic-gear-bristlecone-bivy.html

And the updated zip stop here:
http://backpackingnorth.blogspot.com/2010/10/katabatic-bristlecone-update.html

There is plenty of room for a NeoAir or POE pad inside, and the corner stake out points are very useful.

Incidentally, I had a problem with the TiGoat bivy – the tie out point is attached directly to the mesh, and is more prone to ripping than the Bristlecone, where the tie is attached to stronger material near the zipper.

[Roger B]

I have used a neo air and a poe Peak Elite AC without any problems ( I am a side sleeper)

[Keith Craigs]

Thanks – do you use a full sleeping bag or one of their quilts? Did you end up getting a wider version to fit the larger pad?

[Mark Roberts]

Both – I use a full WM bag in winter, and a GoLite quilt the rest of the time. I got the 6'6" one – they didn't offer a wide when I got mine. I'm a side sleeper also, and I find it's fine, but if I was buying one new I'd probably get the wide, just for the sake of added flexibility.

[Joseph Reeves]

We've been using our 6 ounce Oware drawcord bivies for a few years. Although the top entry drawcord does make it a bit more difficult to get into the bivy, its simplicity and weight more than compensates. I think they still cost around $100.

[William Zila]

Can the mld bug bivy fit a medium neoair ?

[William Zila]

I spent last night at a 10,000 peak feet due to a knee injury and the fact I couldn't safely get down the trail due to high winds and a bad trail I didnt pitch my tarp due to the fact it was windy 50-60 mile per hour gusts so I just layed my ground cloth pad and bag down in attempt to get some sleep temps were in the high 30s i was in a bag that is comfortable to freezing but with every gust I could feel the wind pulling the heat out of the bag I know a biivy would have helped a ton but how much good does a bug bivy do? Does it block any wind? I am torn between bivys like the montbell bag cover and others for the great protection from wind and spray I currently own a marmot Alpinist but it's just to heavy so I want something simpler and lighter but on the other spectrum I would like the head room and lack of condensation a bug bivy would provide " and obviously bug protection" is there any bivys that have a mesh upper panel as well as a solid panel that can roll out of the way or zip shut for wind and spray protection? Maybe a myog project

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