Outdoor Research Interstellar Bivy Discussions | Drop

Feb 12, 2019

If you’re thinking that a bivvy is a good idea and want to try it, don’t. Sorry Massdrop, i hate to “yuck your yum” (as my kids like to say) but I want to warn people about what a waste of money bivvy sacs are in general. For the same money you can get an actual 1P tent. there are no situations where a bivvy is a better option. Fair weather? Sleep under the stars or use a silpoly tarp. Bad weather, don’t even think about it. When you crawl into this tube, you’ll steam in your own condensation if you seal it up or get soaked while sleeping if you don't. When its raining. you’ll get wet getting into your bag and getting out. Your gear will also be all soaked, including your boots. Proponents of bivvies say “string a tarp over it during rain storms”. Yea? Well at that point you might as well have brought a proper 1P tent with an actual vestibule and the ability to sit upright to read and change clothes. I just can’t imagine anyone is ever happy in one of these things without being partially (or completely) delusional.... Here's a great quote from Steve Rinella's book (and web site):

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Feb 12, 2019

bpchristensenBivy or Camper Burrito? Depends on your point of view!

Feb 12, 2019

RayFHAHA - especially after a couple of nights of braising in the steam bath of those things! :D

Feb 12, 2019

bpchristensenBears call it: "Secret-Sauce."

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A community member

Feb 12, 2019

bpchristensenTo be fair, bivy bags are great tolerable for their intended purpose - mountaineering and soldiering.

Vote

Feb 12, 2019

Why settle for "tolerable" when for another pound (or a few ounces) one can have a double-walled tent with vestibule and room to sit up in and stow gear out of the weather... Take the $199 Durston X-Mid 1P, for example. Or in a 1P tent that is even slightly cheaper than this bivvy, here's one I tried recently: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H64JGTK In "lightweight" mode (eliminating extra stakes and the ground fly) it weighs 48 oz which while 24oz more than this bivvy, is a heckuva lot more comfortable to actually use, especially if the weather is snotty. When its pouring rain or snowing, or the wind is blowing 30knots, you won't care about that 24 oz, trust me. As you can tell, I really despise bivvy sacks! :-)

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A community member

Feb 13, 2019

bpchristensenI have already ordered the x-mid, and have considerable experience in both bivy bags, tarps and tents, but that wasn't my point. My point is that bivy is the best, albeit imperfect, solution for some narrow purposes. Both soldiers and mountaineers may have to seek shelter fully clothed in hostile environments where tent or tarp erection is impossible or at least very inconvenient.

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Feb 13, 2019

Makes sense. In those situations where being miserable is better than being dead. :-) Love the handle, btw.

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Feb 13, 2019

I prefer mine...

My wife can usually manage it alone, but my eight-year old is always there to help.

kangster

Feb 13, 2019

RayFwheres the 8 yo bed?

Feb 13, 2019

kangsterOut back--in his Outdoor Research Interstellar Bivy!

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Feb 13, 2019

RayFhah! In all seriousness I was at a hunting base camp this past season and saw two couples with these setups (they were tourists, not hunting). It took them HOURS to set up but they had flowers on their camp table and LED string lights. If i’d been in South America I would have thought it was a restaurant! (Or a brothel). There’s a place near me that rents “tent cabins” for like $300 a night and they book up a year in advance. To each his own. :-)

quihgon

Feb 14, 2019

bpchristensenI have several years of camping with a bivy sack, and they have their uses. They shine amazingly well in really cold dry conditions, anything above 30 degrees or so then condensation becomes a big issue, some bivys are good at addressing this as they have ample ventilation but really you wouldn't want to use them outside of dry cold weather conditions(Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado rocky mountain camping, Alaska, Italian alps, Ural mountains Spain, Dawson yukon, Tibetan plateau) . Another one of the primary reasons you go for a bivy over a tent is for "Low profile" camping, quite often when i'm doing distance hikes or wondering about in the backcountry (especially in the US and not on approved trails like pct/at) then the legality of camping can be a bit on the grey side and its quite nice to be able to slip 40-50 yards off the trail and set up in a place where no one will have any idea your there for a quick kip. I actually did this is Seattle last year as I had to go for a week and was not going to spend 500$ a night on hotels so I just camped out in North Bend and took the bus in for my conference every day. Anything outside of those sorts of situations I tend to pack a hammock and tarp, or a 1 person ultra light.