bivy sacks?

[skeletor]

Looking for advice on a bivy sack. What's worked for you? What features should I look for? Better to go with a pole set up or one without?

 

Thanks!

[Dru]

Poles are heavy to carry on climbs especially where you might sit up to bivy and have no use for a pole anyway. Just my thoughts but I prefer the simple pole-less design.

 

Get bug mesh and a flap that will fully close for staying dry during thunderstorms, heavy mist etc.

 

There are tossups to both vertical and horizontal zippers. The clamshell type with the zip along the seam seem annoying to me.

[Billygoat]

Bibler big wall bivy.

 

lite, packs small, flexible wire hoop to create headroom, clip in point to keep you safe and dry.

[fenderfour]

Bibler big wall bivy.

 

lite, packs small, flexible wire hoop to create headroom, clip in point to keep you safe and dry.

 

The Bibler is a really nice bivy unless you are big. It's a real bitch for me to slide in and out of it. Once I'm in, it's golden.

 

If I were to buy a new bivy it would be the Integral Designs Salathe. It has a flap opening instead of a slit like the Bibler. It seems to be made out of the same fabric.

[blue_morph]

I got one of the nice and light gore-tex sleeping bag covers. No zippers or poles but at something like 14oz you won't ever leave it behind either. Just buy one of those mesh bug things that goes over your head for bug country.

 

I used to have the OR advanced bivy and though nice, I found it to be a bit much and slightly complicated.

[K_Y_L_E]

I have the OR advanced, and I like it alot. Works for my needs. On alpine trips I put my down bag in it and then stuff it into a compression sack (football sized when done). I leave the poles and net at home. When going on extended lightweight backpacking trips I do the same but throw the bug net and poles back in. Never had a problem with getting wet or sweaty.

 

edit: I do agree with dru, the clamshell can be a little fidgity. Whatever you decide just make sure you try it out at the store with a bag. try to simulate things you may do in the bag like shedding layers or (obviously) getting completely in/out. (Yes, yes you sick little monkeys....many jokes could have ben inserted there.)

Edited April 28, 2005 by K_Y_L_E

[Bill_Simpkins]

I have the Marmot Alpine Bivy.

It weighs 1 pound and is very spacious.

I have slept in the rain and kept dry.

It is a very simple sac. I usually just keep my bag in it and stuff it all in the bottom of my pack.

There is enough head space inside to keep some gear in it while sleeping, and I'm 6'2". I usually can keep my shoes, rope and clothes in the thing comfortably above my head inside.

[fgw]

Integral Designs. Not sure what the model name is anymore but it was one of their high end ones. Probably not the lightest but never had ANY condensation issues and if the whole thing is too heavy, you can leave the one support pole at home.

[Matt_Anderson]

I like the little silver space blanket bags. I have a bivy sac, but never bring it, just keeping those silver bags in the pack in case it rains. Course - I rarely bivy in the snow - YUsually just on long rock routes.

[iain]

That bibler winter bivy is a nice material for balancing the breathability/weatherproof tradeoff. It is very light. However, it is also somewhat flimsy and is quite small. I wouldn't want to endure a major storm in one, but then again, if you are in a bivy sack in weather, you're going to be miserable no matter the material. Might as well be a bit breathable and light, I say. I have found this plus some kind of siltarp is a nice combination. Bivying w/o some kind of overhead cover like a tarp in the rain/snow sucks!

[chris_w]

I have a bibler with the single loop pole. I like it a lot. 20oz. The pole is flexable so you can really bend it up to cram it in it's bag. It keeps it away from your face which is nice. It's long, something like 6'10 so there is plenty of room in there. I am able to read inside when it's crappy outside. It has netting so no bugs. I do get condensation inside but I usually have my whole head shoved inside and not exhaling towards the opening. If you are big or have broad shoulders, the opening is a tight squeeze. If I was to get a new one, I would also look at the integral designs, just because of the tight opening on the bibler.

[kenp]

I have a TNF gore-tex 'trekers bivy'. altho it's closer to a single tent with two poles, I have found it's great in snow/rain with plenty of room for gear inside. works just as well without the poles. I do wish I could remove the bug net. with poles, it's about 1 1/2 pounds

[JoshK]

get the 1lb MEC basic bivy. It is cheap and made out of the bibler/integral designs fabric. It has no mesh, but you could sew that on pretty easily.

[rbw1966]

I have an epic bivy modeled after the Bibler Winter bivvy I like alot. It has a bug screen and one pole that I use when weight isn't a big issue. Otherwise I leave the pole at home. I wouldn't use it in a downpour but in the snow it works fine. I spent a week in one in Bolivia, a couple days of which we were snowed on and I was fine.

[skeletor]

Thanks for the advice. I made the rounds of outdoor stores in town and came across only one model, the Bibler Basic Bivy. It has a single zipper across the chest, so it didn't seem like a very convenient way to get inside it. I'm thinking a side zip might make life a lot easier on a planned bivy. Leaning towards the Integral Designs Salathe now...

[sean_beanntan]

wild things make one of the lightest bags sacs around. have had the bibler before and think that wild things is much better.

[undermind]

I got one of the nice and light gore-tex sleeping bag covers. No zippers or poles but at something like 14oz you won't ever leave it behind either. Just buy one of those mesh bug things that goes over your head for bug country.

 

blue_morph, who makes that sleeping bag cover?

[Dr_Crash]

Lightweight bivys rock. Home made ones even more. A friend of mine made me a Gore-Tex upper / silnylon under bag with full-size waterproof zipper. 9.1 oz stuff bag included (and a lot of that has to be the messy seam sealing job I did ).

 

drC

[Alex_Mineev]

Any opinions/experience with Black Diamond Lightsabre Bivy?

[Dirtyleaf]

I have the OR Basic Bivy. (20oz.) It has no poles and bug mesh double zipper. It is wide enough and long enough for most sleeping bag sizes and people. I've used it year round in all conditions. The upper part is 3-layer Gore-tex while the lower is waterproof coated nylon. I have stayed warm and dry in it. Keep your head outside of the bag otherwise condensation will soak the foot end of your sleeping bag/bivy sack. The price is $180-$200.

[John Frieh]

wild things make one of the lightest bags sacs around. have had the bibler before and think that wild things is much better.

 

Second that. I've had OR and Bibler and they don't measure up to wild things IMO (though I heard the mroe recent design is crappy... the one I have is from 99).

[thelawgoddess]

Thanks for the advice. I made the rounds of outdoor stores in town and came across only one model, the Bibler Basic Bivy. It has a single zipper across the chest, so it didn't seem like a very convenient way to get inside it. I'm thinking a side zip might make life a lot easier on a planned bivy. Leaning towards the Integral Designs Salathe now...

did you ever get the salathe? use it yet? comments? i was thinking about the salathe or the unishelter for myself ...

[Alpinfox]

I've got the Salathe and it's a good one. Easy to get into, bug netting, a little wire stiffener to keep the bag/mesh off your face, and the Tegratex fabric is great. However, at 2lbs 2oz, it's pretty freakin' heavy for a bivy. That said, I've slept soundly and comfortably in pouring rain in the thing a couple of times. The stuff sack is too small.

 

I'm interested in getting a lighterweight bivy and am interested in the integral designs "endurance" bivy; 12.5oz! A friend of mine was using one of those while we slept in the rain yesterday up at Mt. Stuart and it seemed to do the trick for him and he saved ~1.5lbs over mine. A little tricky to get into it without a zipper though. Claustrophobia chamber? ID Bivys

 

Or how about a BD Winter Bivy (9oz)

 

 

[thelawgoddess]

i've used the endurance in good weather in late spring/early summer. they call it the "endurance bag cover" because that's basically what it is. no zippers or mesh or anything. but yeah, it is LIGHT and SMALL. also, the endurance is not going to breathe very well but just depends what you want/need it for in the end. i'm looking for something a little beefier that i wouldn't mind being cooped up in on top of rainier but will also be useful for just about anything else i could possibly want to do with it. (and hey, why are stuff sacks *always* too small for the stuff they're supposed to get stuffed with anyway?)

[Alpinfox]

 

In that case, ID makes an eVent overbag at 18oz that might be a better choice than the "Endurance". Add 2oz if you want a zipper. Anyone used the ID eVent "South Col" bivy?

 

My bivy is the only thing I have which doesn't fit it's stuff sack easily ; patagonia micropuff jacket, rei tent, golite tarp, ultralight thermarest... all that stuff fits in its stuff sack.