Sierra Designs Bivy?

[JeffreyR]

Any thoughts on the Sierra Designs Baffin bivy? The price is excellent, but does anyone have experience with the quality? Such a low price is kind of making me nervous... I am looking for a bivy to be used with a light tarp if wet weather or alone if the forecast is good.

[A_Little_Off_Route]

No experience with it myself but here are some reviews:

Amazon reviews

Campmor reviews

Trailspace review

 

Looks interesting. REI has one called the minimalist that looks similar though it has a face mesh and no ability to totally seal it off like the baffin.

REI minimalist bivy

 

Another idea if you don't mind the extra weight is to get a new/surplus or used US-ARMY 3-layer Gore-Tex bivy. They're about 2lbs (maybe more) if I recall correctly but they can be had new on ebay cheap and they are REAL Gore-Tex. Search for "ECWS bivy" and you'll find them on Ebay for $50 shipped. They do need to be seam sealed though.

ECWS bivy

 

 

My question about the Sierra bag is "Is it waterproof, and is it breathable." Because if it isn't both, it's not much good. If you get one, post a review. It looks promising, especially for the weight.

 

Off_Route

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Haven't used one but I'd guess it would work just fine. Neither the weight or the price is unreasonable and Sierra Designs has been making tents and stuff for a long time with some good gear. Try it out and let us know!

[JeffreyR]

I have seen the rei minimalist bivy and it seems to be pretty much the same thing except it costs more and lacks a face cover (probably not a huge deal). The army surplus bivys are intriguing, but kind of bulky. I have found directions for re-sewing them to be a better fit, which I may try.