Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I do virtually all of my backpacking in the Sierra and purchased this bivy 14 years ago in order to lighten my load on long trips. It was one of the best gear decisions I have ever made. Originally, I viewed it as an "emergency shelter" to use only in inclement weather. However, I now use it every night. As a sleeping bag shell, it adds warmth to my bag, and any dew that falls ends up on the bivy (which dries quickly once the sun comes up), rather than on my down bag (which is slower to dry).

As a shelter from the elements, this bivy is rock solid. I have endured several nights of heavy rain and stayed bone dry with virtually no condensation. On one trip, four inches of snow fell on me overnight in the bivy and temperatures dropped into the teens. Again, I remained warm and dry inside. On that occasion, a small amount of condensation did occur in the hood area from my breath, but that was due to the fact that I had to zip the bivy completely closed to keep snow from blowing laterally into the bivy. Fortunately, it was cold enough that the condensation froze on the hood, so I remained quite dry and simply flaked the ice off in the morning.

My only complaint with the bivy (remember this is the 1999 version) is that the hood design is not quite perfect. There are nights when I use the bivy for mosquito protection. In its natural configuration, when the bivy is unzipped and the mosquito net deployed, the bivy is not open enough to allow as much circulation as I would like. I get around this by tying the bivy poles in a more open position using a cord threaded through some loops that are provided. It is workable, but not ideal.

The bivy does have a finite lifetime. After 14 years of use, the floor in the head area has developed some tiny holes that, during a recent heavy downpour, did allow water to seep through the bottom. That was mostly my fault, as I chose to sleep in a slight depression on a slab of granite (there were no clouds when I went to sleep...the storm came up suddenly in the middle of the night), and I was literally sleeping in a puddle. For that reason, I have retired the bivy and ordered a new "OR advanced bivy." I did notice that the specs on the new model indicate it weighs 2 lbs 7 oz, and so is a little heavier than my 1999 model, which weighed slightly under 2 lbs. I am curious to see if the added weght has to do with a change in floor materials.

All in all, I highly recommend this product. Indeed three friends have all purchased this bivy based on my recommendations, and all are happy with the outcome.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

lightened my pack by 7 lbs for when I go solo (with out family). and tough enough to set up in the living room and play peek a boo with a infant that puts all my gear to the tough test.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I have used this Bivy in the snow, in the summer, and all climates between. I have had nothing but good experience with it, and I would recomend it to anyone. Levels of condinsation that I have experienced have varied from moderate, to none. I have seen reviews that complain about the moisture, but if you are a serious backpacker, you should be able to live with a little moisture from condensation. That means you were breathing, all through the night. at the maximum amount of moisture, it wasn't anywhere near enough to soak my sleeping bag. It was the same as would build on the inside of your tent. Bottom line, this is a great product, and it has changed the way I pack my bag, and has given me more space. I love that if we hike in and it is raining or snowing, I can throw this out, and be out of the elements in a minute or less.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I have used this many years all over the Eastern USA and in Belize for 6 Months.I have an earlier version of this and for some reason after about 15+ years the interior of it seems to be breaking down.Its sticky,very even and there is like a white sticky substance peeling off of the inside of it.Not sure why or whats causing it but it is getting to the point of replacement and i am not sure if i will choose this Bivy again due to that factor.Also i am not much of a fan of the front entrance and would like one with a side entrance.Bottom line i do love this bivy and i would continue to use it if not for the break down problem.Well built has made it through some rough times in Belize and here on the East Coast of the USA and never let me down.I just dont like the fact that all this white stuff is coming off and gets all over me my Sleeping Bag and anything else i bring into it.Mabye the newer design has addressed this issue, but for the price i dont want to find out it didnt.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I use this in conjunction with an ultralight tarp- the tarp preferably being
shared by a group to save weight. It is pretty darned good but has a
few flaws (that said, it still the best I've found).
The upper bug net zipper needs a 2 sided pull. If I'm at a base camp mostly under a group tarp I like to leave the hood open unless it's monsoon season while I go off working. Opening and closing the bug net with a zipper that only has a pull on the inside is annoying if you are on the outside. The pole system
needs a bit of explanation. In hot/dry weather and/or under a tarp leave off the pole by your feet and attach a new grommet to the area by the center of the pole area closest to your head so you can tie the system FULLY open
with a rope and 2 stakes (V formation). The original grommets by the pole closest to your feet just don't cut it in 80+ degree weather. The lower pole jambs into your body and the bug net/hood is not fully open (there were no grommets on the upper pole on my bivvy as it was sold). In
cold/very wet weather use the pole closest to your feet and leave out the one by your head and just let it flop or seal it- makes sealing the setup in really lousy conditions easier and still keeps the fabric off your face. Trying to use both poles is an exercise in frustration. It also works great with groups in
hot weather- just bring a shared tarp and lighter
sleeping bag. +45 works to +35 for me if I seal the hood- you will appreciate the extra grommet/rope and 2 stakes in even warmer weather.
At 2.1 lbs and a shared tarp this is a joy to use
if you take the time to learn to use a bivvy sack in a range of conditions. The GoreTex top and bathtub base has performed quite well.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I love this bivy. I used it throughout 5 years in the army (and 4 since I got out) in the field (no pup tents these days, they issue bivy bags that are okay, a lot of guys buy their own if their units allow using non standard stuff.) I have used it all over the east coast, Sierras, Rockies, Afghanistan, Nepal, and many other places and really love it.
What surprises me is that after so many years of using the 2000 version, it still looks pretty new, thats after probably 1000 nights in it. Granted I take really good care of it but seriously, it should be worn out by now.
I have used a lot of Outdoor Research gear over the years and I have found that the stuff may not be the most advertised gear on the market, but if you base value on durability and quality they cannot be beat. They redirect what they would spend on marketing towards the product R&D, the product price, and quality control and as a buyer you get more for your money.
I am not connected to the company in any way, just a long time satisfied customer.
This bag rocks, but the one drawback is condensation and lack of ventilation. You have to leave the zipper an inch or two open to get good ventilation when you have the bag otherwise all sealed up in bad weather. You won't get any leaks thanks to a good storm flap, and no creepy crawleys will get in since you have a bug net, but I do like feeling all sealed in.
I am a big fan of bivy bags and have looked at everything on the market, and for the things I like (durability, weatherproofness, durability, lightness, durability, ease of setting up, and again, durability) this is the best I have seen. There are a few (Integral Designs and Black Diamond) that have some interesting bivys but they are more like tents than bivys.
If you like using bivys, in my opinion this is the best you can get.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I used this bivvy as a primary shelter for several weeks in South America, including both high-altitude camping and lowland camping. Overall I really liked it, and would use it again without hesitation, but there are some things to be aware of.

The most frustrating thing for me is the pole design. The bivvy comes with two poles, and five end pieces (two per pole with one extra). The end pieces have snaps on them, which is how the poles are attached to the bivvy. The problem is once you snap the poles into place, if you move around at all, the poles come out of the snap pieces, and the hood collapses. I'm not sure why the snap ends aren't just permanently attached to the poles. I tried it out, and the snaps easily slide through the material into place. So I think I might just glue the snap ends onto the poles and make it permanent. That way I can't lose the snaps, and they won't come unattached while I sleep.

Another potential problem is that the screen gets snagged in the zipper very easily. I'm not sure how to improve on this, but it was very frustrating when, on the first night I spent in the bivvy, I snagged the screen in the zipper, resulting in a 1-inch tear in the mesh.

Condensation was definitely an issue, but I'm pretty sure that's always an issue. I didn't have any pooling, but the entire inside of the bivvy became wet every night. It wasn't enough to soak through my sleeping bag, and it didn't adversely effect me at all, but it was something to be aware of. Every morning I would empty out the bivvy and let it dry out.

One other issue to be aware of is that for people who are on the large size like me (5'11", 220 lbs) there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room. It's big enough for me to get into and lay comfortably, but if I lay on my side, my shoulder is against the roof of the bivvy. So a person much larger than me would definitely be tight.

Also, one other small issue. The stuff sack that comes with the bivvy is exactly the right size, so there is no room for error, it has to pack very tightly into the stuff sack. Which means stiff fingers on a cold morning will probably have a hard time getting everything back into the sack. I just used a slightly larger stuff sack and it was fine.

Those are all complaints, but I don't want to make it sound like I dislike the product. I still like it, and look forward to using it on all of my future solo trips. The material is very durable and lightweight. It sets up quickly and easily. It kept me warm. There was plenty of room for my large (77" x 25") rectangular sleeping pad. It's definitely a cool little solo shelter.

Oh, also the product image shows the hood arranged in several positions. That is slightly misleading, as there is no way to keep the hood partially open. Gravity pulls it back down. You can open it all the way open, or let it rest in the closed position. It won't stay 30% or 50% open unless you rig up some way to hold it open.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

Excellent product for a hard core outdoor adventure or to keep in your car on a road trip... "just in case". I never go anywhere without this bivy.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I've slept in this bivy on the beach in GA through gale force wind and rain and stayed dry in a down bag. Because I have it I can bring a down bag in a high moisture environment. The two together weigh less and pack smaller than any synthetic bag of comparable thermal rating. I've used it in AK as an emergency shelter when the big tent is in someone else's kayak, and in the low mountains with a tarp in winter when I just can't carry a tent. It even gets me by when the bugs are really bad, and when bugs and rain are not an issue, it lets me see the stars like no tent ever does.

Comments about Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack:

I found this bivy cumbersome to set up,the adjustable hood would not stay up and would fall closed in a slight wind. The zippers on the mesh were a pain. When sleeping on my side the upper pole was resting on my ribs. Not a product for me especially for the price!
The material seems very durable and I believe it would hold up for quite some time. Its just not for me so I returned it.