I started with Mr. Bell’s standard Epic Bivy (NOT the SuperLight Bivy made with an Epic top). The Epic Bivy is the one with the wire hoop over the face – configured like a classic mountaineer’s bivy according to the website write-up.
I’m old & have a bad back, and am none too flexible, so I don’t like “wriggling” into most bivies from the top-end.
I had Mr. Bell make the following mods:
1) shorten it – my sleeping bag is only 5′ 6″ long.
2) Make a continuous ‘L’ or ‘J’ shaped zipper ~50″ long going from the upper left shoulder, across the chest, and down to the right knee with double sliders. My sleeping bags all open on the right side, hence my choice of zipper cfg.
3). fully back this entire opening with double-slider zippered bug/no-see-um netting on its own zipper track. This way I could use it on 88 deg summer nights with 70+% rel. humidity. We also have lots of “skeeters” in the Northeast.
[Mr. Bell selected a #5 zipper for the Epic & a #3 zipper for the mesh (i think it was #3 – he told me, i forgot – “old-timers” is actin’ up). He told me b/f making it so that i could change anything i wanted. i didn’t change anything – i went with all of his wise choices. I’ll have to check again, but maybe both were #5’s. All I know is that these sliders operate extremely easy & also seem to stay in place when zipped fully/nearly-fully (which is how one typically uses them to keep rain/bugs out). Both the Epic & Mesh zippers operate with similar ease. These are the easiest pulling zips I have ever used in a tent or bivy. Zipping them does NOT put hardly any stress on the fabric – they & the fabric the zips are attached should last a long time b/c of this.]
I haven’t weighed the bivy yet, but initially, b/f making it, Mr. Bell thought that the zippers would add a bit of weight over his std. Epic bivy (even though I had him shortened mine significantly) – 11oz was an estimated target weight. I’ll weigh it after work today & update the post after doing so. 11oz for a primary shelter (I rarely pitch my poncho-tarp over my bivies) that is highly rain resistant is quite good.
There are standard tie-out loops all over to secure the bivy to the ground or the face to a tarp/branch/trekking pole(s) if you want to leave the wire hoop at home. He’s made a shock-corded opening at the bottom & provides a bungee & two-clips so that you can open the bottom, unzip a bit to get the arms out & loop the bungee across your shoulders & neck, secure the bottom around your waist, and wear it around the camp. This was NOT a mod I specified. He does all of his Epic Bivies this way now he told me in a reply to the email i sent him (the one posted to start this thread).
I would tell you to be patient with him. His initial estimate of time was ~1 mo. It took him just under 2 mos. to deliver (and this at peak season?). This is quite reasonable, IMHO, and should be no cause for concern on anyone’s part. Besides being a skilled craftsman, He’s very honest. I “bugged” him with several emails & 2 or 3 phone calls over the first 4-5 weeks. He never minded & always called/wrote back within 1-2 days typically. Mountain Laurel Designs & many other of the very excellent ‘cottage industry’ mfrs are NOT mass producers. Each item is painstakingly hand crafted & is flawless. I, for one, can live with a FLEXIBLE delivery schedule to get such excellent gear.
I would say that you should give him your mods via email FIRST so he can read them & have them in front of him when you CALL him on the phone & discuss the mods with him. I did it the other way around & wasn’t quite sure if my written instructions were clear. Mr. Bell, however, understood exactly what I wanted & needed – perhaps even better than I did !!!
hope this info helps.
