Freestyle BivyPack – The backpack that turns into a tent

[Noel Tavan]

What do you guys think for this backpack which turns into a bivy?

EDIT: Noel assures me he has no connection to whoever is promoting this product. It’s just FYI.  Roger Caffin, Online Community Monitor, BPL

Specs
Usable Backpack Capacity: 50L

Total weight (backpack + bivy + frame/poles): 25oz

Materials: 300 denier polyester diamond weave ripstop (backpack body), SilNylon (bivy roof), SilPoly (bivy floor)

Frame material: Carbon fiber

Bivy length (head to toe): 7.5 feet (Accommodates people up to 6’6″)

Bivy width (shoulders): 30 inches
Sizing
We’ll ask everyone their torso size before we ship and send you your appropriately sized pack. Each pack can then be adjusted several inches in either direction as well by tightening the frame yourself, so once you get your pack you can dial it in to perfection.
Rewards
We appreciate you helping us get this project off the ground! Contribute what you’d like and check out the rewards, here are some of the highlights:

 

[Ken Thompson]

How do you mitigate the inevitable condensation issues with a non breathable top? Footbox looks tiny. Have you actually used it in prolonged rain and wind? How large of a pad will it accommodate, and with how big a sleeping bag? Ugh, Kickstarter…

[Ryan Smith]

“The pack material is waterproof so no need for a pack cover or anything.”

Riiiiight.

[JCH]

If your backpack becomes your (rather small) bivy, where do the contents of your backpack go? Do you have to unload all your gear out into the weather to set up the bivy?

[Matthew / BPL]

Yes. That^

[Ken Thompson]

I applaud the lack of a link to the Kickfrauder page.

Putting on a freezing cold, soaking wet pack in the morning. Unpacking a still soaking wet bivy at bedtime. Wear a hole in your bottom of the pack and get wet feet. Hikes from camp. It just seems like such an unpractical idea.

[Bob Moulder]

>>It just seems like such an unpractical idea.

Especially when — for about 6 oz total weight increase — you could have an actual pack and an actual tent in the form of an Arc Blast and a Solplex.

 

[JCH]

Yes. That ^ too :)

I have to wonder if the people attempting to sell this have actually used it in anything other than perfect weather? I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is an improvement over a UL pack and shelter.

[Ken Thompson]

I know we are crushing someone’s dream. Sorry for that, but…   Like the Snakey guy back in April with the snakeskin kinda thing to pack your sleeping bag..snake posts midway down  There was that jacket that turned into a bivy marketed to the homeless before that. jakpak People can do better with much more field research in all kinds of weather.

[Bob Moulder]

Would you rather listen to this guy, or the New York Philharmonic?

[Noel Tavan]

Yeah, I saw that pack on gearjunkie.com. I am always keen on new innovative ideas. And I wanted to share the gear to see if the community had constructive criticism about it. I have noticed that most people on this site like to bash people’s idea in trying to make new gears for the community. Whether it is someone making a tarp, a lightweight tent, a hammock or in this case a bivy as part of a backpack. I just got an email from the creator here is what he told me as he couldn’t post a message. Try to provide positive critism. It is christmas after all.

Kenny F sent you a new message:

Subject: Freestyle BivyPack

“Hey there, googling around I found this post, I’m the creator of this pack. I couldn’t respond in the forum, so I figured I’d send you a message, you can pass it on to the others if you’d like.

I’ve been using this pack and previous versions of this pack since February exclusively, traveling and hiking this entire time (I don’t have a home base, so this pack is literally it for me). I’ll try to answer everyone’s critiques:

I’ve used it extensively in the rain in wind, particularly in Ireland I went stretches of several days with non-stop rain. Since I use my jacket as a fly I have several options to pitch, it wasn’t long before I dialed in a way to get really nice airflow and because the bug netting area is pretty big around my head, condensation was not much of an issue, especially being a side sleeper (breathing directly out of the tent).

Full sized pads do not fit well. I designed this mostly for myself and others like me who travel light, so the assumption is 3/4 length pads. While eventually we will make a larger version, this one’s for the ultralight crowd. The footbox is however plenty big for a sleeping bag and comfort (a previous version not so much, compressed the down and heat was lost, we fixed that quick).

It’s basically a dry bag with straps in terms of being waterproof, so a pack cover would be redundant. I have my laptop in there and have walked miles through the rain without worrying.

You can set up the bivy without taking anything out initially. Once you get inside things will be as cluttered or neat as you make it, with a little organization things work great, here’s how I pack:

My main compartment has just three items: A stuff sack with sleeping bag that I’m inside. Second is a bag of clothes which becomes my pillow. Last is a fitted dry bag for my food, cookset and odds and ends. This can sit next to me outside the bivy or hung up in a tree if bears are at play.

Lastly I have my rain jacket in the exterior stretchy pocket it’s pockets usually have my water filter or other things in there. I keep that outside the tent or I’m using it as my fly.

With the right packing the “what do I do with my stuff?” question is easily answered, but again this pack is just for people packing light and may require a change in packing philosophy.

The material drys pretty quick in general, and the foot bed / backpack bottom is double layered to prevent holes from being an issue like KT mentioned. We’re also updating the design so the straps side will be towards the ground with a flap ground cover, so it’ll be staying dry and clean so at least you won’t be putting a cold and wet panel against your back come morning.

Hope that’s somewhat helpful! Again, the pack isn’t for everyone, but packing light and in a certain way it works great and has been saving me weight, clutter, setup time and volume.

Happy Holidays! Kenny [email protected]“

[todd]

Noel,

I respect the way you responded to a few somewhat cold (I’m being nice since it’s Christmas :) ) comments.

It is sadly true that many people here respond rudely and harshly to ideas and opinions.  However there are many here who are kind as well.  I believe many have seen a lot of ideas over the years and have our own ideas of what works – then rule out what doesn’t or won’t work for us.  It shouldn’t come with rudeness though.

I hope you stick around.

[Ken Thompson]

Beautiful response Kenny. Thank you and best of luck in your endeavor.

[Wild Exped]

I was just looking at his pack and found this thread. It’s great to see such innovation. I’m sure this has been considered and even tried but here he has done it. Well done. It’s a natural progression to have multiple use and this forum is the very place such ideas should be brought forward.. not stomped on.

I personally like bivies but they mostly all ‘heavy’ so thumbs up for keeping the weight in mind. I doubt i’ll buy one but I can see how honing a system he makes this work, and quite well, especially for travel and mixed camping opportunities. I certainly like the concept better than poncho tarps in their various configurations. Existing there is nothing actually heavy enough to handle much scrub/wacking.. and to make it so adds an awful amount of weight. This would be good for places where you actually need a proper jacket to stay dry/ be durable.

 

 

 

[HkNewman]

There’s a website up with more “live” photos.  Nice measurements which seem to have changed since the original 2015 posts,  but wonder about real life reviews.  In terms of other gear, there’s no separate shelter while the sleeping pad and sleeping quilt/bag are in use.  Leaving the stove and ditty bag with headlamp, etc..

[Author]

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