I may get a bivvy, for next winter - sug gestions?

“I want to get a Bivvy sack for next winter. I'll probably start looking for one on ebay. Not in a rush and low on dough. Any suggestions for a good bivvy that'll keep ya warm, dry and is light weight?”

“I have always heard good things about OR's bivies, but I haven't owned one.”

“

I heard good things about BD Bivys 1lb 4oz.”

“Integral Designs is the cream of the crop, but they charge like they know that too.”

“i have the one backslacker posted. i'm pretty happy with it - though it's only 1 lb 4oz without the poles.”

“Get one of those Canadian Forces bivies like Onca Gremlin has.”

“http://www.backcountry.com/store/BLD0253/c3/s28/Black-Diamond-Winter-Bivy-Sack.html


”

“I have the OR Advance and love it.
Love it for Spring, Summer, Fall that is.
Winter, think of it snowing, the snow on top of your bivy, pressing down on your sleeping bag, no loft, no insulation.
I'll take a tent for Winter.”

“thanks Ewker - I like the looks of that one. Hopefully it will be around for a while so I can get it.”

“Depends to some extent upon your geography / terrain you want to use it in & your expectations. There's no "perfect" prduct for everyone in all situations.

Having said that, I have an OR Advanced that I wouldn't give up for anything else I've seen. I mostly BP the Sierra, have used it in high wind, sleet, snow, rain, etc., it's never failed me in any respect & still is one of my favorite pieces of gear. I'd buy another in a minute!”

“This is my bivy and I love it:
Integral Designs eVent Unishelter



Lots of head room for a bivy. I like the eVent fabric. I breathes well and does a nice job of managing condensation.

by the way, LtHiker has BOTH of the bivies that Ewker and Backslacker posted. And they call ME the gear slut.
last edited: 3/15/05 10:40:26 PM”

“thanks everyone for the info - Wanderer - that OR advanced sounds really good too.

Gremlins Canuck sack was cool too.”

“ENS - you mentioned warmth. Since you were on both these trips with me, you can probably relate. This past weekend, I slept in the lean-to with just a sleeping bag. The low temp was probably in the low 20's and although I was comfortable, I wasn't toasty.

Remember the last Catskills trip? It was in the low teens that night. Same sleeping bag, but I was in the bivy. I was toasty warm.”

“yeah, being toasty warm is key and then weight. The tent I have been using is just too heavy for winter trips.”

“Pennsy, that is really nice too, a bit pricy, but very nice. Have you used it in other seasons besides winter?”

“So, do you guys put your pad inside the bivy or on the ground? :))

I have the OR bivy and it's fine, but I don't like the amount of condensation I get inside. One time I actually turned it upside down and let the condensation run out.”

“I've looked around at bivys, but I'd have to choose one like the BD or the ID that keep the cover up off your face.”

“In summer I put my sleeping pad inside the Bivy, most of the time I've carried some type of ground sheet that I put outside, between the Bivy & ground, just to protect the flooring of my Bivy. Lately though (maybe I'm getting lazy?) I haven't even carried a ground sheet, Bivy seems to be holding up just fine, and I've saved myself about 9 oz!

In Winter I usually take my Bibler I tent, those few times I've taken the Bivy I've also carried a foam pad / ridgerest to provide extra insulation, I put that outside the Bivy, with my Thermarest inside. (The Thermarest was just replaced last week with an insulated Big Agnes, but I haven't had it out yet, but still expect to also carry an extra foam pad in winter, I believe insulation from the ground is very important!

In any case I've never experienced any significant condensation problems, and I'm heading into 5 years of OR Advanced Bivy use!”

“OR Bivy's also have the cross-pole that keeps the material off you face.. in fact I think they had it first & it was copied by others! http://www.orgear.com/home/style/home/shelter/40400”

“I bought an Integral Designs Event Unishelter too, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I have an Integral Designs Salthe Bivy but it's all worn out - I got lots of good use out of it.”

“Ok Pennsy so maybe I am approaching your level of gear sluttiness.
ENS the BD winter Bivy is great for inside shelters, I have used it just thrown out on the ground with a ground cloth under it. You can't beat the weight at 9 ounces. The fact that it has no hoops is a bit if a pain if you sleep on your back, since the fabric will rest on your face.

The BD Lightsabre is like a small tent. I can fit all of my gear inside on a light weight trip, and even sit up and read. I have never had a condensation problem, or a waterproof problem. I even puddled water in it overnight to test it.”

“http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00058

It weighs only 10 oz.
last edited: 3/16/05 7:27:33 AM”

“I got the Canadian Army bivy sack when they bought him a tent. Unless I were doing a serious expedition thingy I wouldn't go back to a tent for winter camping.

JohnnyWlkr has the Integral Designs sack and one of those is definitely in my future.”

“Oh and yeah I put the pad inside both bivies, if I didn't I would squirm off of it during the night. At least if it is in the Bivy I can find it again.
One thing that I did notice with the BD Winter Bivy is that it doesn't have a stake loop so if you are on a slight hill you end up at the bottom.”

“a dual purpose bivy..a sled and a place to sleep”

“I use an OR bivy and a Betamid for a shelter. This allows cooking, etc out of the elements.
I place my Thermarest inside the bivy sack.
Only problem with a Betamid is snow can blow under the edge in heavy wind.”

“I have the REI Minimalist bivy. Its not as nice as the OR or BD ones, but it is light, cheap and waterproof. My only problem with it is keeping the mesh off my face if I zip it closed, as it has no poles.”

“BTW, a VBL is absolutely essential in cold conditions in a bivy.

Some people put the mattress underneath the bivy sack?”

“BTW, never sleep with the sack zipped completely closed. Someone suffocated in his sleep (after drinking far too much) in a simple ID sack. This is why I would only buy the one with a hoop system (FYAOers would understand).”

“OMG! Now you can't even drink too much in the woods. Where will it end?”

“Actually Gremlin, your snoring would probably keep the fabric at least a foot or decameter off your face.”

“Ok, Navi and LT, now we're getting somewhere! All that actual gear talk was starting to get on my nerves. :)”

“Care for a drink, Fritz?”

“earthnsky, i have one like pennsy's but it isn't the event. it's their other waterproof material whatever its called. i'll be sleeping in it this weekend if you want to check it out.”

“Practice getting in and out of it.
How long does it take to cover up while you're inside it?
Can you sleep with material on your face? Or do you need one with poles?
Can the poles stay up without stakes?

Just a few thoughts.”

“I'll stick with my mh trilight1. If I went with a bivy, I'd still bring other crap with me in place of the tent. I dunno...about them bivy's. A friend used one on the past 2 outings to Big Bend...seems more of a PITA to me, but what do I know...some would say, "nothing". So get what you like and don't worry about the fuss...oh yeah....

I was thinking about getting some new backpacking socks...mine are a bit worn down...should I get grey ones or tan ones? thanks.”

“If you're going to Big Bend, I'd say tan ones.”

“ENS - I'll have mine with me this weekend if you want to check it out. You asked earlier if I've used it in other seasons. Yes, I used it last summer when we did the Pinnacle trip. It rained but I also used a 5x8 siltarp, and it worked out great.
last edited: 3/16/05 6:16:01 PM”

“A bivy sounds good until it rains for two days straight.”

“That is why I usually carry a tarp also. ENS there should be several designs down there this weekend, I'll have mine also.”

“I always thought I’d like a bivy. I had a ground cloth that was water proof underneath and really thin polyester on top. Even just this just soaked the bag inside the thing. I can’t imagine how bad it’d be in a bivy.”

“Nigal you must be a really heavy sweater!”

“Yes. I'm also a moaner too.”

“I've been trying to find a MH tri light 1, as I'm sure you know they don't make them anymore. I really like the front door entry as opposed to the side. Any ideas were to find one?
last edited: 3/16/05 6:59:57 PM”

“think of the bivy-tarp setup as a small tent with a huge vestibule.”

“Hey Nigal what you do in the privacy of your sleeping bag is none of my bussiness.”

“A bivy and a tarp is not bad, but I prefer a tarp-tent. Same weight, less hassle.”

“The tarp tents are nice too. One advantage that I have noticed with the bivy is that it is much easier to find a flat spot since the foot print is so small.”

“The Black Diamond Megamid does not have a floor. You can put it over anything. I have put it over small trees. Hung my socks on the tree to dry.

A tarp tent or a tarp that is battened down will have more condensation problems than a tent with a floor. A tarp tent works a little like a solar still.”

“cool, looks like I will get to see all three of the types that I am interested in getting.”