Black Packing Light
  • Sections
  • Today’s Features
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • Email Newsletter
  • Membership Info
  • Articles
    • Recent Features
    • Gear Reviews
    • State of the Market Reports
    • Gear Guides
    • Gear Lists
    • Skills & Techniques
    • MYOG
    • Science, Technology & Testing
    • Stories
    • Calendar
  • Education
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Masterclasses
    • Online Courses
    • Guided Treks
    • Education Portal
  • Forums
    • Forum Index
    • Recent Forum Posts
    • Gear Forums
    • Gear Swap (Buy/Sell)
  • Gear Recommendations
  • Gear Deals

Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Gear Reviews / Performance Gear Reviews / Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Soul Bivy Review

Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Soul Bivy Review

by Ryan Jordan on May 6, 2014 Performance Gear Reviews

Enjoy this free preview of Members-only content.
Login or Subscribe to see it all.

My own passion for camping with a bivy sack has less to do with saving weight and much more to do with its aesthetic appeal. Camping in a bivy sack seems to allow me to more deeply engage with the backcountry experience with simpler gear, greater mindfulness and intentionality in choosing and using my campsite, and the feeling that I'm closer to the natural world rather than separated from it by opaque layers of nylon.

In the old days, before there were many options for lightweight shelters, the bivy sack might have been considered an essential component of a lightweight backpacker's kit. A waterproof bivy sack can be used as a standalone shelter (especially when you pay attention to naturally-available overhead shelter options), or in combination with a small tarp.

The tarp-bivy combo in particular grew in popularity in the lightweight movement as lighter and more breathable materials became available. A small tarp made with Cuben Fiber and ultralight bivy sacks (i.e., those that are water-resistant and highly-breathable and not necessarily appropriate for standalone shelter in inclement conditions) comprise a combination that can easily weigh less than a pound.

When camping with a bivy sack, I prefer to do so without a tarp. In inclement conditions, of course, this requires a bivy sack that is fully waterproof. Many options exist, and are distinguished primarily by the type of floor and upper fabrics, whether or not they have taped seams, and the amount and type of pole structure used to increase livability and interior comfort.

Examples of luxury bivy sacks include the Integral Designs Nestor Bivy and the Nemo GoGo Elite Bivy. These types of bivy sacks include pole structure at both the head and foot end and are more like tiny tents than conventional bivy sacks. They typically weigh in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.

At the other end of the spectrum are bivy sacks with minimal or no pole structure, such as the Integral Designs eVENT Micro Bivy and the REI Minimalist Bivy. Such minimalist bivy sacks weigh in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 lbs.

It is in this context that we must now consider the Mountain Laurel Designs ("MLD") eVENT Soul Bivy. At 13 oz, the Soul Bivy is not the lightest waterproof bivy sack on the market (e.g., check out the Terra Nova Ultra Bivi which weighs a remarkable 50 g), but to my knowledge, it's the lightest bivy sack available today that provides some important features to the serious bivy sack camper:

  • Fully Enclosed - a waterproof zipper system that prevents water entry into the bivy in inclement conditions;
  • Highly Breathable - the use of highly-breathable eVENT fabric to minimize condensation (a common challenge with bivy sack camping);

I'll address both weather protection and breathability in this review, but first, let's start with a more detailed description of its feature set.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Introduction
  • Features and Specifications
  • Field Use
  • Weather Protection
  • Breathability
  • Options
  • Value
  • Summary
    • Product Strengths
    • Opportunities for Improvement

# WORDS: 2160
# PHOTOS: 6

--- end of free preview ---

To read the rest of the article, please Login or Subscribe.

Access to the rest of the content on this page
requires either a Premium or Unlimited Membership.

Subscribe

Your membership fees have helped sustain the creation and curation of quality information, education, and community at backpackinglight.com since 2001.


Get ultralight backpacking skills, gear info, philosophy, news, and more.


Want outdoor gear and skills info you can really trust?

Get our Handbook - the resource you need to make intelligent decisions about gear, safety, comfort, and pack weight.


Today's Gear Deals

Guide’s Gear Recommendations

Find out what gear our guides recommend if you want lightweight gear that is durable and versatile.

guide's gear logo

Gear Recommendations

  • Publisher’s Gear Guide
  • Staff Picks
  • Guide’s Gear Recommendations
  • Our Lightweight Gear Recommendations for REI Members
  • Today’s Gear Deals
  • Search for Gear on Sale

Subscribe Right Now

Receive new Members-only content, gain access to 2,000+ articles in the archives, and become a part of the most passionate community of backpacking experts in the world.
Subscribe Now
  • Backpacking Gear Reviews
  • Backpacking Skills
  • Backpacking Trips
  • Backpacking & Outdoor News
  • Outdoor Recreation Science & Technology
  • Backpacking Courses, Webinars & Other Events

Follow Us

Get outdoor skills and gear info you can trust.

Download the Backpacking Light Handbook to help you make intelligent decisions about gear, skills, ultralight philosophy, and reducing your pack weight.

Join Now: Support fair and objective product reviews.

Something for everyone: Basic, Premium, and Unlimited Membership options available.

View Subscription Options

More @ Backpacking Light

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise with Us
  • Write for Us
  • Submit a Product for Review
  • Diversity Grants
  • Help / Support / Contact
  • Terms & Policies

Call Us

Membership Sales & Support: 406-640-HIKE (406-640-4453) | About

© Copyright 2001-2021 BEARTOOTH MEDIA GROUP, INC. | U.S. Library of Congress Serial Registration ISSN 1537-0364
BACKPACKING LIGHT® and the FEATHER/MOUNTAIN icon are registered trademarks granted for exclusive use to Beartooth Media Group, Inc. Subscribe here.

  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • My Account
  • Forum Profile
  • Private Messages
  • Newsletters
  • My Course Enrollments
  • Unlimited Membership Portal
  • Help / Support / Contact