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DUSTY OLIVE

REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular

$99.50

(34)

Item # 794292

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Leave the heavy tent behind! With its waterproof, breathable design and meticulous details, the REI Minimalist Bivy sack is perfect for use in snow caves and as an ultralight shelter .

Breathable REI Elements® laminate adds waterproof, windproof qualities to the tough ripstop nylon shell; features a durable nylon taffeta floor and factory-sealed seams
6 zipper sliders let you configure mesh panel and arm openings a variety of ways
Differentiated zipper pulls (1 round and 1 flat) let you easily adjust hood and arm openings in the dark without confusion
Mesh bug panel extends from shoulders to top of head; can be rolled up and secured via toggle and loop when not in use
Internal sleeping bag attachment clips to the hang loop at the head of your sleeping bag to keep it from shifting around
Built-in rain-gutter flap below shoulders keeps dew and rain from rolling over mesh panel
Roomy configuration provides 64 in. girth at shoulders
Includes stuff sack

Imported.

Item 794292

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REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular

3.6

(based on 34 reviews)

74%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (29)
Packs small (29)
Waterproof (24)
Easy to set up (14)
Comfortable (13)

Cons

Not breathable (4)
Too cramped (4)

Best Uses

Backpacking (26)
Hiking (17)
Mountaineering (7)
Car camping (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (24), Casual/ recreational (9)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (18)

Reviewed by 34 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Apr

2010

(37 of 38 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Good for the price

By Tanner ultralight

from Southern California

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Packs Small
Sturdy

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Hiking
Mountaineering

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

my sleeping setup:
-rei regular size bivy
-mountain hardwear phantom 32 long bag
- zlite pad cut down to 40''

yes, very little condensation is there when you wake up in the morning, but dont be a city slicker and complain about it. just turn it inside out and let it dry while you're eating breakfast.

this bivy is great ,though. it competes with the higher end lightweight boutique bivy sacks that are 3 times the price. various zippers make getting in and out easy. im 6'1'' and i use the regular size, and there is plenty of room inside the bivy for stuff i might need in the middle of the night such as a flashlight, water, gloves, beanie etc...

one thing rei could change for the better would be to make the included stuff sack a little smaller.

to sum it up, its a great bivy for under a bill. if you want try out bivy sleeping, then this is the one to get.

Dec

2010

(17 of 17 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Perfect for exactly what it says

By ntigerhawk

from Colorado

About Me Avid Adventurer, Military/Law Enforcement

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Snow Shelters

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

I bought this as an ultralight shelter for weekend backpack trips and to use in the winter inside snow shelters. I was a little worried about the condensation problem several people said they had, so I decided to try it out in the back yard before heading into the back-country. There was a light snow through the night and it dropped into the upper teens. In the morning the only condensation I found was in the upper right corner that had slipped off my pad onto the frosted ground. I was able to dry it up with the back of my glove.

The second time I used it was for two nights in a snow trench during a short snowshoe trip. There was more condensation than when I tested it in the backyard, but it wasn't any where near the sopping wet sleeping bag described in some of the reviews.

In summary, this bivy sack is great for the price and works perfectly for what the description says its good for ("for use in snow caves and as an ultralight shelter"). Don't zip it closed all the way, because like most minimalist style bivy sacks, if you do you'll create a steam bath. It might not be as breathable as a bivy sack that cost a whole lot more, but the six zippers make it really easy to create a couple 2-4" openings for the moisture from your breath to escape; which pretty much solves the condensation problem.

Jun

2010

(17 of 24 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Comfortable - Pleanty of Room - But...

By Rei-ch

from San Jose, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Set Up
Packs Small

Cons

Sleeping Bag Was Wet

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Hiking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

OK, I'm not a city slicker, but I expected that this thing would breath and keep my down bag dry. After all, that is why I purchased it. I woke up the first moning and my bag was wet the complete length on one side and my feet. Had to pack my bag wet and then hang it to dry at next camp. Next morning I woke up and my sleeping bag was wet again. Had time to hang it to dry this time... Just doesn't seem to breath out moisture that your body is giving off during the night.... Sorry, but it is going back. I'll have to try another model... I purchased this to keep my bag dry...

Aug

2010

(15 of 15 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Excellent for what its designed for

By blaine the bearded

from Austin tx

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Packs Small
Sturdy
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

This thign is fantastic! for about four month I beat around the southern states camping out underneath my jeep many mights in this bivy. Obviously, if its raining rain will get in through mesh, as mesh isnt watdrproof. thankfully rei sells a six dollar coghlans' brand tube tent, which is a perfect compliment with this. tube tent is cheap plastic tube about four feet in diameter and six or so ft long, you run a rope through middle and tie off. works good with this bivy. If you wear a ball cap when you sleep it keeps the mesh off your face.

Apr

2010

(9 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Worth the money

By Outdoorpunk

from Roanoke, VA

About Me Professional/Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Lightweight
Packs Small
Waterproof

Cons

Lacks breathability
Zipper Snags

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

This bivy works great as a back up on trips when we are using tarps on some extended trips. It protects well from heavy rain blowing in under a tarp and adds a couple of extra degrees on chilly nights. The cost and weight make it almost make it silly not to have it. It does not breathe as well some higher end more costly fabrics but it serves its purpose well.

The design make it easy to get in and out of and its nice to fold downif it gets to warm.

Aug

2010

(7 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Cheap but not great

By Aka_the_devil

from Portland, OR

About Me Avid Adventurer, Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Packs Small
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

The minimalist is cheap, lightweight, waterproof, has a very nice netting and is very easy to open and close. HOWEVER, the material does not breathe well, every morning, you wake up all wet from the condensation of your body which makes it very uncomfortable since the droplets are freezing cold and your sleeping bag also gets wet as a result. Used it thrice, including a week long trip. I am deciding to return this item.

Jun

2010

(5 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Usable

By goneclimbing

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Waterproof

Cons

Not breathable

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

Doesn't breathes good enough, sleeping bag was damp. It's not great, but usable and worth money.

Dec

2010

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Excellent bevy in fair weather

By Gardner from Texas

from Plano, TX

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Packs Small

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

It's more important how the sleeping system works, rather than just a component of it. So I'll try to focus on the system.

I'm 5'8", 150lbs. I tried two system configurations under various weathers.

(1) REI minimalist regular size bevy, Big Agnes (BA) Lost Dog 50°F sleeping bag, BA 20x72" air pad. Best temperature for me is 40-65°F. No problem in gusty wind and light rain. Had been too wet in a heavy rain because of the permanent openning of the bevy. Survived 37°F with long johns and a hoody. Too hot when it's over 65°F and I couldn't open the bevy to cool down because of the bugs. And I wouldn't fully open the sleeping bag either because the bevy fabric feels funny. Excellent under fair weather -- set up the first night and roll up everything the next morning. No need to re-setup because I can blow the air pad while it's in the system. Very light. Also a nice place to stuff extra clothing when traveling in rain -- backpack got wet but everything in the rolled-up bevy was dry. No problem sleeping in high wind -- except I couldn't leave because the bevy does not have a strong-enough tied-down loop to secure it to a tree or stake down on the ground. No problem with the screen openning touching my face because I could always find a spot under a tree branch and tie the loop on top of the bevy to the branch to raise the screen openning up a few inches.

(2) REI minimalist, BA Encampment 15°F sleeping bag, BA 20x72" air pad. Temperature went down to 22°F and I was OK in long john but started to feel the coolness. But it was not because the Encampment is not warm -- it is because the bevy's girdle at the shoulder-hip range is not big enough it started compressing the sleeping bag. In other word, in cold nights with a fluffy sleeping bag, the bag wouldn't fluff up completely and thus did not insulate fully.

In summary: Great light weight sleeping sysmte in 40-65°F nights without heavy rain. No condensation issues for me.

Wish it had a strong tie-down loop to secure it in high wind while I take a night potty. Wish it is a bit smaller at the foot (I do not need that extra space down there) and a bit bigger at shoulder-hip (so the cold-weather sleeping bag won't get compressed.) The permanent screen opening is OK, just wished it have three (rather than one) tie-loops: One on the top and two at the bottom. So when it rains heavily I can tie my rain jacket over the screen.

Jul

2010

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

good stuff

By Vino Vampire!

from Vermont

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Set Up
Lightweight
Packs Small
Sturdy
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about REI Minimalist Bivy Sack - Regular:

I really like this bivy sack. I've used it for 3-season backpacking in the Green and White Mountains. It works perfectly for me in conjunction with a small tarp. It works great keeping bugs at bay and for solid rain protection when used with a tarp. On nice nights, I've used it when cowboy camping.

I can't think on a single negative at this point. I'm planning on buying another one for my GF.