Bivy Recommendation

[mww982]

What would you recommend for early September? Considering the MLD Superlight Solo


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[Poser]

What would you recommend for early September? Considering the MLD Superlight Solo


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With that particular design, I assume you intend to use it in conjunction with a tarp?
For that purpose, it should work well.

 

[BBob]

Most around here seem to recommend the Borah first with the MLD second. I'm not sure there's much difference at all and I looked at both before I bought. I bought the MLD SL with full mesh at the head and have no complaints or wish it was anything different than what it is.

 

[mww982]

With that particular design, I assume you intend to use it in conjunction with a tarp?
For that purpose, it should work well.

Yes, plan on using it with a tarp. Was going to initially go with a light weight tent. We plan on run and gunning it and stopping wherever we land for the night. Don’t want to set up a spike camp necessarily


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[ridgefire]

I really like my Ti Goat Raven Omni bivy.

 

[dturbin22]

What would you recommend for early September? Considering the MLD Superlight Solo


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Hammock with a tarp is my go to in September. It is never really that cold to carry a full tent.

 

[mmac]

Why a bivy and tarp? A tarp alone would be better so you won’t have to deal with condensation and pitch it low if weather gets wet.

 

[KnuckleChild]

I’ve got a borah I ordered with a custom length a little longer than the long (I’m tall and wanted to have more space to store stuff above my head). I like it. The customer service was great. I haven’t used it much outside of a late spring trip AT section hike, more because I don’t love the tarp I had to go with it. I’ve since learned I’m more of a floored shelter guy.

 

[FlyGuy]

I use the OR stargazer and love it


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[WMag338]

Borah. Great bivy and great customer service. Highly recommend.

 

[mtwarden]

Yes, plan on using it with a tarp. Was going to initially go with a light weight tent. We plan on run and gunning it and stopping wherever we land for the night. Don’t want to set up a spike camp necessarily


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I can tell you with certainty that setting up a tarp is going going to take longer and require a larger footprint than a lightweight tent. The exception would be if it's a bright starlit night and no chance of rain and then you could just lay the bivy out.

Tent + bivy was the way to go to save weight, the last 7-8 years with the introduction of dcf has changed that. Solo dcf tents (with guys and stakes) are at or around the 1 pound mark. They prove more storm worthy, have full bathtub floors and netting.

If I bivy anymore it's w/ a waterproof bivy and no tarp. This means a clear forecast (which in the mountains can change). If it turns out rainy, then the fun factor goes way down

 

[mww982]

I can tell you with certainty that setting up a tarp is going going to take longer and require a larger footprint than a lightweight tent. The exception would be if it's a bright starlit night and no chance of rain and then you could just lay the bivy out.

Tent + bivy was the way to go to save weight, the last 7-8 years with the introduction of dcf has changed that. Solo dcf tents (with guys and stakes) are at or around the 1 pound mark. They prove more storm worthy, have full bathtub floors and netting.

If I bivy anymore it's w/ a waterproof bivy and no tarp. This means a clear forecast (which in the mountains can change). If it turns out rainy, then the fun factor goes way down

Right now I have the new mountain star 2p tent. So I am probably better off sticking with this my pad and quilts. Went with your recommendations on the quilts based off a previous post I made.


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[rclouse79]

Have Borah gear make you a custom one with a three inch wide strip of bug netting running down the center if you are using it under a tarp. It was surprisingly affordable and you won’t wake up wet like you will with a regular bivy.

 

[mtwarden]

Right now I have the new mountain star 2p tent. So I am probably better off sticking with this my pad and quilts. Went with your recommendations on the quilts based off a previous post I made.


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if you encounter much of any weather, you'll be thoroughly digging the mountains star

there is nothing wrong with a tarp/bivy combo, but with the advances in lightweight dcf tents- not much of an advantage

 

[KnuckleChild]

I can tell you with certainty that setting up a tarp is going going to take longer and require a larger footprint than a lightweight tent. The exception would be if it's a bright starlit night and no chance of rain and then you could just lay the bivy out.

Tent + bivy was the way to go to save weight, the last 7-8 years with the introduction of dcf has changed that. Solo dcf tents (with guys and stakes) are at or around the 1 pound mark. They prove more storm worthy, have full bathtub floors and netting.

If I bivy anymore it's w/ a waterproof bivy and no tarp. This means a clear forecast (which in the mountains can change). If it turns out rainy, then the fun factor goes way down

I agree, my SMD lunar solo (not even DCF) is actually a touch lighter than my bivy + 9x9 tarp, much quicker to set up, less footprint, and completely enclosed.
The lunar solo has its downsides, but I don’t really have much reason to take the bivy out of the gear closet anymore. Sure I could switch to a smaller, DCF tarp and lighten the setup some more, but honestly I’d be more inclined to get a DCF tent that’s larger and weighs the same as the lunar solo. I’m happy with my shelter weight.

 

[FlyGuy]

mtwarden has way more experience than me, so I’d listen to him. (I don’t even know what “dcf” is?). But I’ll tell you why I love my bivy + Tarp set up… speed.

I started with a kifaru tut, great shelter for two guys but now it’s more regulated to a “truck camp” shelter. Then I downsized to a kifaru supertarp for a few years. Works great, no real complaints, but it was way more than I needed and took a while to set up. Then I downsized even more to the stone glacier skyair. That was the perfect size for one person, and had great options for a tub floor, bug net, liner, etc. really nice piece of kit.

But I had two issues with all of these systems…. #1 once I had them set up I found myself not wanted to go thru the trouble of tearing them down in the morning and setting them back up that night. Instead, I’d end up “day hunting” from that camp location. Nothing wrong with that, but I prefer to stay 100% mobile and this effort/time of pitching these was steering me in a different direction.

#2 I drew the archery Ibex tag in NM a few years back. I Had the supertarp at the time but I would have had the same issue with any of these. The Floridas are crazy steep. There were some “deer beds” up near the Ridgeline that I could have used if I’d had a bivy sack, but there was just no possible way to pitch the super up there. Wind was way to strong and space was way too tight. So, instead I had to pitch much lower where I could find a flat spot and climb 600’ of rockslide every morning and decend it every evening. That pushed me to buy a bivy.

With this bivy I can be up and gone in minutes. I just pop the plugs on my air mattress and pillow, then I roll everything up (deflated pad, pillow & quilt stay inside the bivy sack). This all fits nicely into a kifaru compression sack. I always have a Sheep tarp in my pack for rain squalls, and I’ll pitch that over the bivy most of the time to avoid dew on my gear and allow me to keep the bivy unzipped. It’s an awesome system for anyone who wants to carry camp and stay mobile.


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[mtwarden]

^ What you've described is what I still use a bivy for, but it's a waterproof bivy (MLD eVent) not the ultralight breathable water resistant ones most folks are utilizing w/ a tarp; it'a standalone shelter- about 12 oz

Like you- the pad/bag and pillow all fit in it, haven't tried rolling it into one ball though

This was a little shelf where I found elk had been watering below (the only water within about a 2 mile radius)- it was a small shelf that only a bivy would fit on- it was on a very steep (not quite a cliff, but close) incline. From that spot I could watch that water while eating supper that evening and ditto drinking coffee and eating breakfast the next morning- a tent or tarp and would have put me at least a 1/4 mile away w/ no view

dcf = dyneema cuben fiber

 

[KnuckleChild]

^ What you've described is what I still use a bivy for, but it's a waterproof bivy (MLD eVent) not the ultralight breathable water resistant ones most folks are utilizing w/ a tarp; it'a standalone shelter- about 12 oz

Like you- the pad/bag and pillow all fit in it, haven't tried rolling it into one ball though

This was a little shelf where I found elk had been watering below (the only water within about a 2 mile radius)- it was a small shelf that only a bivy would fit on- it was on a very steep (not quite a cliff, but close) incline. From that spot I could watch that water while eating supper that evening and ditto drinking coffee and eating breakfast the next morning- a tent or tarp and would have put me at least a 1/4 mile away w/ no view

dcf = dyneema cuben fiber

That’s slick. What’s the condensation situation like in those?

 

[mtwarden]

That’s slick. What’s the condensation situation like in those?

My experience has been pretty good with the eVent. Part of I'm sure that our climate is typically lower humidity. But even in snow shelters/caves (which are pretty humid) it's done pretty well with condensation.

If rain is in the forecast, I would definitely go a different route- the bivy would keep you dry, but trying to eat, get dressed, load up your pack, etc would suck

 

[mww982]

^ What you've described is what I still use a bivy for, but it's a waterproof bivy (MLD eVent) not the ultralight breathable water resistant ones most folks are utilizing w/ a tarp; it'a standalone shelter- about 12 oz

Like you- the pad/bag and pillow all fit in it, haven't tried rolling it into one ball though

This was a little shelf where I found elk had been watering below (the only water within about a 2 mile radius)- it was a small shelf that only a bivy would fit on- it was on a very steep (not quite a cliff, but close) incline. From that spot I could watch that water while eating supper that evening and ditto drinking coffee and eating breakfast the next morning- a tent or tarp and would have put me at least a 1/4 mile away w/ no view

dcf = dyneema cuben fiber

Are you using the one with the bug net window or without?