Bivy Advice?

I'd guess that you have the TiGoat (I have one). Size wouldn't change the seam location that much, but do make sure you seam seal it. I use the GG NightLight Torso pad inside… plenty of room for that or most other pads in the large.

I put my (non-inflatable) pad on the outside—-it helps to prevent the slick sil-nylon bottom from sliding around and provides some protection from abrasion of your expensive bivy. Pads are relatively cheap.

If your bivy is not waterproof, and is used in conjunction w/ a tarp why worry about side seams? Just practice good site selection so you're not in a natural drainage. If your bvy is a W/B gre-tex or eVent type and is your primary weather pro,the side seams are probably taped, so no worries there. I'd opt for an oversized over a tight bivy any day–more comfortable, easier to get in and out, perhaps use additional room for storage of items.

If you bivy is equipped with them you can stake out the corner loops like you would a tent floor. This will keep the bag stationary while you toss and turn inside. Loops would be easy to attach if your bivy doesn't have them pre-sewn as well.

Thanks for the advice guys and yes its a Ti.Goat Epic in a large and I plan to use it under tarps both large and small(mainly small)and under the stars as well?

It is very easy to get into as well. Their regular size bivy has a 60" girth versus 70" girth for a large, which I have.

What do you use to seal the seams,(Silnet?) being that half the seam is Epic and the other half is silnylon?
I assume, you seal the seams on the inside of the bivy as well?

Nope no loops either, this is one of the reasons that their bivys are less expensive than many of the other brands.

I do wish for a loop on the hood though, but it will be easy to add a piece of 1/2" grossgrain.

I put my pad inside to keep everything contained, but my bivy has a pretty durable 1.9? oz PU-coated nylon floor.

I think you would want the pad inside with a quilt especially, but I have no personnal experience since I use a full mummy bag.

I would seam seal on the inside before the outside, but nothing wrong with both I suppose. I think silnet would stick to epic – what doesn't silicon stick too? I've got some epic coated nylon and silnet at home, so maybe I'll do a little test application next week for you.

I sealed mine on the inside only… that's where the thread portion of the seam is. I used the standard 3 parts mineral spirits (odorless) to 1 part SilNet.

I figured silnet would be best. You could also then use, Silicone glue/sealer cut with mineral spirits as well.

I still haven't decided yet, if I'll keep the large or send it back for a regular size.

The shoulder/hip room is fine, its the foot-box thats HUGE, there is probably 4"-5" of excess fabric at either side of my sleeping bag at the foot-box.

Michael,

I have a TiGoat bivy also. I generally sleep with my feet in the bivy, but the bivy only pulled up to around the knees. If the weather turns bad I can arch my back and get it up to just above the waist, then set up and pull it over my head. I use a 60" long ccf pad and a TorsoLite pad under the bivy. It is easier to "put the bivy on" with the pads outside. The TorsoLite goes inside if I know I will be sleeping inside the bivy.

Good site selection eliminates the need for seam sealing the bathtub floor.

The guys at Titanium Goat are great, they're sending me a regular size bivy to try and then I can send back the one I don't like.

They even offered to alter my large, by me placing my largest bag inside the bivy and marking the bivy with chalk, then send it back for them to re-sew!

Seems they run even a little larger than their stated spec's as well?

Large is actually 76" at the chest and 56" at the foot. Stated spec's list 70" at the chest and 45" at the foot.

Richard, what size bivy do you have? and how tall are you?

I do a little winter camping and my winter bag does fit ok in the large, but with my 3 season bag, there is A LOT of extra room.

I need more long term bivy users to chime in here and help me decide what size would be best? I'll save 2 oz by going with the regular size bivy as well!

You need specific advice from a Ti Goat bivy user. My bivy is custom sized from MLD. I've heard that Ti Goat initially ran small and narrow—perhaps that's changed. FYI, I've never bothered to seal the seams on my Epic top bivy.

Well can you tell me how your bivy fits?

Do you have enough room along the sides, inside to place loose clothing etc.

The main issue for me with the Ti.Goat Bivy in the large size, is the excessive amount of material at the sides near the bottom of the foot box, other than placing a pair of boots down there, I don't see the benefit of the bivy being over-sized along this area?

Its like the taper is way off and doesn't match the taper of my bag, even close.

There is 3" of excess fabric per side even, with my winter bag. (at the foot)

I like the bivy overall, the workmen-ship is top notch!

I prefer a taper towards the foot to save on material and weight. The MLD has a gentle taper beginning about at the hips to the narrow point at the foot area.
You can best see it here:
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=37&osCsid=aab22f0e321558a8d0740da20c882981
I believe that my bivy is narrower than the current production model in the foot section ( about a 45" girth). I think that Ti Goat and MLD may measure their bivy dimensions differently. I'm 6'2 and 178 # and my bivy is not too roomy or too tight —it's a Goldilocks Bivy! :-)>

From the pictures on the Ti Goat site, the large is much more rectangular.
My MLD Soul Bivy also has a drawstring closed foot section which is great for ventilation. The new models use eVent at the bottom of the foot box, instead. This is a problem area for condensation in Bivys—-particularly those with a W/B top.

Hope some of this is useful.
KD

Yes you're right in a way, the Ti. Goat large bivy is somewhat more rectangular.

Another thing that clicked in my head concerning the fit of a bivy, is the reason you buy one in the first place which is to shed water.

So, with a snug fitting bivy that forms more to the shape of ones bag, it will allow water to roll off and away and not pool as easily as it would on a loose fitting bivy, especially one with excess fabric along its sides?

I plan to mostly be under a tarp, but I do intend to camp beneath the stars on occasion too.

I am 5'10" but wear a 48 regular jacket.

Side sleepers need extra room to bend our legs. On the rare buggy nights I like to have enough room to read. The extra storage room for gear is handy. Even if there is a lot of extra room it will be less drafty than the same quilt in a tent.

I am happy with my large, but there is a market for both sizes.

I'm glad you started this thread, Michael. I've sent quite a few e-mails to Josh and Doug about their Basic Bivy design over the last couple of months, and they've been very helpful. I'll be especially interested in your thoughts on how the regular and large compare — I'm smaller than you, but I was still considering buying a large so I'd have ample room for a winter bag. Also, if you've given any thought to adding stake loops, they seem happy to add them at the buyer's request. My experience with an MLD bivy that didn't have stake loops quickly convinced me of their value. One question — did you get the optional bug hood? If so, what do you think of it? I know they've changed the design recently.

Ernie,

I haven't received the reg. size bivy yet, as they just shipped it out today!

I wish, I would have know about the loops, I would like to have at least one placed at the top center of the hood opening. I'll probably just sew one in myself?

Personally, I haven't had enough exp. with a bivy to know whether I'd want 4 stake out loops or not.
I plan to use a tarp along with the bivy, so I'll already be carrying enough stakes as it is with (6).

My winter bag is a -5 deg bag and fairly large, but not the largest of winter bags that are available.

I think Ti. Goat designed the large size bivy to fit the biggest bags on the market, which it would.

I like the amount of room at the head and chest area, but there is too much excess material down near the foot of the bag, approx. 3" per side at approx. a 7-10 deg angle tapering up to and meeting with the zipper could be removed for me anyway?

I'm starting to feel like I'm making a big deal about buying something as simple as a bivy sack? But never having really used one that much, I'd like to get a fit that will perform the best under most conditions?

Like I mentioned earlier it makes more sense to me, having the bivy fit slightly snug,rather than very loose, so if you use it without a tarp, it should shed and bead water better than it being loose and having excess fabric down on the ground?

Just my 2 cents worth anyway?

I will place my largest bag in both bivies and take some pictures and try and post them here, within a few days, if I get the chance.

As for the workmen-ship, with bivy that I received from them, it is top notch and sewn very well, with nice clean lines.

Sorry, Michael — I realize that you're still waiting on the regular to arrive, but my wording implied the opposite. "I look forward to your thoughts…" would have been more accurate.

I think you're right about a snugger bivy shedding water better, but I'm more inclined to want some extra room to move around. Add to that the fact that I don't plan on weathering a storm without a tarp over my head, and I'm inclined to go with the large. I found my original MLD bivy to be a bit constricting, even though I'm on the small side. I don't remember the measurements (it's been a couple of years), but it was probably in the same size class as the Ti Goat regular.

I'm curious about the absence of a tie-out loop on the hood. The Ti Goat product description implies that one is provided (the standard features include a "loop to keep fabric off your face"). Nonetheless, it should be easy enough to add one — I think it would be well worth the trouble. It's good to hear that you're happy with the quality of construction. I think Ti Goat is definitely filling an important niche with their no-frills, bargain-priced bivy options.

Hey no problem Ernie, It was just my way of letting you know that I hadn't received it yet.

I know what you mean with a larger size as well, I side/stomach sleep and toss and turn a bit, sometimes?

The large is very, very easy to get in and out of. Who knows after all this is said and done, I might keep the large?

Although, if I did, I'd probably take them up on their offer to alter the foot area and reduce the size.

Thanks to everyone for their insight and advice. After receiveing the Ti. Goat Reg. size bivy in the mail the other day and trying both of my bags in it, I've found that the large is much nicer than the regular.

There is plenty of room inside for my winter bag, my Isul-Mat, blow-up pad and a closed cell pad too.

The hood is very large and gives good coverage, like was mentioned, where you could read under it, with it tied-up.

I can turn over from side to side and the bivy stays put and doesn't roll with me, which is very nice for a side/stomach sleeper.

I specifically bought a larger sized bivy (not TiGoat or MLD) for my 6'4" and large frame. It fits great – big enough to not compress any of my bags, but not a lot of extra fabric either. I've never put anything like boots inside mine – they just go under the tarp, covered by a stuff sack in bad weather.

Sounds like TiGoat has very generously offered to customize the oversized footbox for you. Why not take them up on their offer? It doesn't get any better than that!

I've decided that the foot area being oversized is no big deal.

I still need to send the bivy back anyway, as I thought the optional bug hood was a zip-in, but its not and has to be sewn-in.

So back she goes.

I hope to get a BMW Vapr Pro Bivy to use in conjuction with a silylon tarp. Have you thought of this option to cut weight?
Happy Trails,
Kevin "Fresh Step" Pope

I plan to do the same, using my Ti.Goat Epic bivy as a stand alone shelter and under a tarp.

Bivy and tarp together, will be about 17oz. Ti.Goat also makes a DWR top bivy, which weighs approx. 4.5 oz for the reg. and 6oz for the large. Reg. is $40.00 and 50.00 for the large. Add another $20.00 for the full bug hood.