FEATURES
- Frameless construction to minimize weight
- Proprietary NanoShield single-wall fabric
- Year-round performance
TECH SPECS
Weight
302
Dimensions
208 x 84 cm
Material
NanoShield fabric
Season
4
Average packed weight
302g
Area
1.75 m2
Min. weight
302g
Worthless
A bivy is supposed to be able to save your life by keeping you dry. This bivy is not water resistant. Water goes right through it. I was on a thru hike and got caught in a rain storm. My sleeping bag and I both got soaked. I spent the night freezing in the rain wondering if I was going to die of hypothermia.
Small, tight footbox
First the good bits: it's warm (probably adds ~10°F to a sleeping system) and semi-breathable. It should be fairly drip resistant, but I wouldn't trust it alone in a downpour. The floor seams are taped (and the floor feels quite durable; should prevent most punctures to a sleeping pad). The dual-pull zipper for the hood is very nicely engineered. Now, the bad: if you're taller than 5'8", and plan to use this with a sleeping pad (e.g. as part of a quilt system), you'll find it to be too small! For shorter people, a mummy sleeping pad that's <2" thick is probably going to work. As I'm 6' tall, even with a thin klymit pad, I think it's tight in the footbox; with a Big Agnes, it crushes my feet, and it's impossible to side sleep. I plan to enlarge it by about 6" in height; the side/top seams are done in such a way this should be an easy modification.
Packs small, waterproof, not very breathable
Title says it all. First are the cons: Sleeping bag was soaked every morning. I would have liked a vertical zipper so I could sit up and adjust my bag without being in the bivy which makes it hard to move around. I had my sleeping pad inside the bivy which made it stiff and hard to sit up at all. Pros!!: However it is great as far as simplicity and super light and small to pack! This is my first bivy..
Seam seal
Haven't used it yet but I need to know if I need to put the seam sealer outside the bivy or inside and what is the best seam sealer for it.
This sack is excellent for
This sack is excellent for adding warmth to a sleeping bag inside a tent or as a stand alone shelter. I keep one in my disaster kit, in case of an unexpected opportunity to sleep in the wilderness.