Integral Design E-vent bivy/sleeping bag pairing

[penumbra]

Hi,

 

New to Oregon and trying to find a suitable bivy/sleeping bag combo. My yearly goal is to do 3-4 day backpacking trip about twice a month, with a few Mt. Hood trips thrown in for fun. However, coming from sunny southern california, my gear is targeted for the mild and dry weather and maybe woefully underprepared for the infamous moisture-laden/drenched areas of the PacNorWest.

 

I want to first make sure my shelter is adequate.

 

I have a Integral Design Unishelter EXP E-vent bivy/tarp setup and want to pair that to a synthetic bag. While I have down bags (Mountain Hardware Ghost SL -40F bag, and a Sierra Design +32F 600 fill bag), I want a workhorse syn-bag that can withstand the condensation of a bivy, the moisture intrusion of heavy rain while setting up bag and bivy or midnight bathroom trips, or even just jamming my wet clothes (excluding shell) into my bag to dry.

 

I have never gotten my down bags wet, and don't think I will with careful planning. However I like the additional insurance just in case I did screw up in PNW. Such as day hikes away from camp and returning to a drenched bivy/sleeping bag because I forgot to zip it up completely in heavy rain, or setting up camp not realizing my bivy has a puncture and letting in rain/runoff, etc.

 

That said, what will be a general purpose synthetic bags that I can use for Hood and surroundings during fall/winter/spring? -20F to +15F bags? I'm currently looking at TNF Tundra -20F syn-bag with Polar Guard Delta for $150. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Frank

[woodchips]

Hi,

 

New to Oregon and trying to find a suitable bivy/sleeping bag combo. My yearly goal is to do 3-4 day backpacking trip about twice a month, with a few Mt. Hood trips thrown in for fun. However, coming from sunny southern california, my gear is targeted for the mild and dry weather and maybe woefully underprepared for the infamous moisture-laden/drenched areas of the PacNorWest.

 

I want to first make sure my shelter is adequate.

 

I have a Integral Design Unishelter EXP E-vent bivy/tarp setup and want to pair that to a synthetic bag. While I have down bags (Mountain Hardware Ghost SL -40F bag, and a Sierra Design +32F 600 fill bag), I want a workhorse syn-bag that can withstand the condensation of a bivy, the moisture intrusion of heavy rain while setting up bag and bivy or midnight bathroom trips, or even just jamming my wet clothes (excluding shell) into my bag to dry.

 

I've had really good luck around here with a tarp/lightweight bivy/down bag combo. It really solves most of the condensation issues you usually get around here, and probably is substantially lighter than the setup you're describing. I've got the ID Micro Bivy (eVent) and it's treated me well.

 

In conditions not suited to a tarp (winter on Hood, etc, a small tent or your Unishelter would be great.)

I have never gotten my down bags wet, and don't think I will with careful planning. However I like the additional insurance just in case I did screw up in PNW. Such as day hikes away from camp and returning to a drenched bivy/sleeping bag because I forgot to zip it up completely in heavy rain, or setting up camp not realizing my bivy has a puncture and letting in rain/runoff, etc.

 

That said, what will be a general purpose synthetic bags that I can use for Hood and surroundings during fall/winter/spring? -20F to +15F bags? I'm currently looking at TNF Tundra -20F syn-bag with Polar Guard Delta for $150. Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Frank

 

I don't have any synthetic bags, but if I did, it would be a warm weather bag. If it's cold enough to need a -20 deg bag, I'm usually not getting wet. Also, a synthetic bag that warm is going to be huge . Of course the down vs. synthetic debate will continue to rage on no matter what you or I say.

 

I've also had good luck with my feathered friends bag (epic shell) being pretty water resistant.

[Wastral]

3-4 trips means 2-4 day weekends. Which means you could sleep outside in the rain on most of your trips without your bivy sack/tarp and be just fine especially in Oregon where everything is pretty low except where u go up on a volcano for a morning jaunt. I did that for years here in the north cascades on 2-3 day trips. Had Dryloft on my down bag though.

 

Otherwise if you can stomach the fuel prices, drive about 4 hours north to Glacier Peak wilderness area or North Cascades for some real mountains and then you will be at most 2 days(pickets only) from a road.

 

In short Down + Epic Bivy is perfectly fine. If you really want Synthetic, it is 1/3rd the price! I wouldn't get larger/warmer than 20degree synthetic. Spend the money on a another jacket to compensate for the warmth if you need it. Lightest weight is the Montbell Jackets $140 warmer than 200 weight polartec fleece and weighs half as much 8.8oz medium size. You can order them online from ProMountainSports.com here in Seattle or probably from Montbell themselves.

 

Brian