Any Reveiws On The Ti Goat Ptarmigan Bivy?

do you need to reapply your bivy's DWR coating?

Do you bring a tarp/shelter with you when you use a light bivy? If so, something like Ti Goat’s Bug Bivy might work well for you. It still has a “bathtub” floor to mitigate ground level moisture and with the full net top I really doubt condensation would ever be a problem.

I do bring a tarp, but only use it in bad weather.

I still want breathable material over my sleeping bag to avoid frost/dew on my sleeping bag and help with any splash up when under a tarp.

"I still want breathable material over my sleeping bag to avoid frost/dew on my sleeping bag and help with any splash up when under a tarp."

Does your sleeping bag have a DWR shell? I've slept out just on a ground cloth in my Marmot Hydrogen and Moonstone Lucid bags many times, in the high Sierra, and any morning wetness on the top of the bag is simply wiped/shaken off and dry by the time the sun hits my eyes. Anyways, if you want an extra layer of of protection you're probably always going to deal with condensation. Good luck.

Thanks Alex! I have a new Z Packs 20 degree bag I'll be trying out this summer.
"any morning wetness on the top of the bag is simply wiped/shaken off and dry by the time the sun hits my eyes".

The only problem on using the sun to dry my bag, is I'm usually hiking by 6:00AM and don't hang out long in camp before moving on. I stop for a long break mid-day, and could air dry my bag then, but any moisture would have soaked in by then.

Anyone out there that has the Ptarmigan with info on condensation?

The hot-rodded Borah bivy in this video might be interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBCXVLbBysM

Floor curls up into a tub when you lie in it, ends are solid water resistant fabric to help out a small tarp, rest is mesh for ventilation.

I use Bearpaw Wilderness bug bivy in warmer months. In cooler and winter months I have been using Katabatic Bristlecone bivy..I do love them both. I looked at the ti goat bivy but I believe the zipper across the chest would be more of a Hassel to get in and out of.

Thanks guys! The Katabatic looks very similar to my MLD Superlight bivy now. I will look into the bug bivies as well. Thanks again!

Bump. Anyone have a Ptarmigan out there?

I have had two Ptarmigans. The original purple, and the newer, all black model.

Don't know what to say as I don't have a point of comparison…

It works for what I use it for, namely wind protection and protection from spindrift. For those jobs, it works well. Either too windy for condensation or too cold.

I used my original purple one for spray protection (I think they've switched the fabric since then) in conjunction with a small tarp. It wet out pretty good, mostly from condensation from what I could tell. But from what I understand, most bivies fail and get condensation in that situation. No matter, I don't do tiny tarps and bivies for spray protection anymore.

It fits my winter bag (WM Antelope) and two pads (ridgerest and a 3/4 thermarest prolite) just fine.

Thanks Craig!

Also, Thank you Christopher for the PM.That is very good info! I already have the MLD Superlight Bivy, so I will probably just stick with it. I may just peel the top off and, like you mentioned, use the DWR of my sleeping bag to fend off any moisture from sleeping in the open. I don't get any condensation when I'm under my tarp, as it has the last layer facing the cooler outside air and warmer inside air. Thanks again!

I have both the Ti Goat Ptarmigan and Ti Goat Bug bivys. I use both in either standalone, aka Cowboy camping, or in combination with my Zpacks 8.5 x 8.5 flat tarp. I also use the Ptarmigan for snow camping, in combination with my Rab Summit Mountain tent, to add a few degrees of warmth to my sleep system and to deflect moisture brought into the tent thru the front door.

Although I have never had any serious moisture issues with the Ptarmigan, I prefer the Bug bivy as it provides more ventilation which allows me to better regulate my body heat. If the weather forecast is sketchy then I'll take the Ptarmigan. Otherwise, I prefer the Bug bivy. I should note that the vast majority of my trips are in the West (CA, ID, MT), which tends to have predictable, dry weather.

I've used several other bivys, including several Goretex models, and I do not find the Ptarmigan to offer any greater or less breath-ability. I purchased the Ti Goat's bivys several years ago and I have been extremely satisfied.

Thanks again to all who replied! It sounds like my MLD Superlight is just a good, if not better than the Ptarmigan for breathability, so the hunt will continue! I am trying to contact the makers of the SOL Escape bivy to make a bigger size. I like everything I have heard on its moisture management, but it's just too darned small to fit a pad and bag into!

Have you read this article – http://40yearsofwalking.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/the-bivy-condensation-conundrum/ ?

"I have scoured the internet and there is no miracle fabric, all bivies have condensation/frost from time to time but the ones with the least mentions of condensation are made of all eVENT… The ones with a breathable nylon top with a good DWR and minimal silnylon floors, but without high bathtub floors, are the next best."

It also outlines techniques you can use to minimize condensation in your bivy. For three season use I have a Superlight bivy with the full head net for improved breathability vs the half moon version. In winter I switch to an eVent Soul bivy, when condensation tends to be more of a challenge in Colorado. Both have worked flawlessly for me, in part perhaps because I tend to use them under a tarp, and try as I can, I never find a breeze-free site in the Rockies.