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Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy

Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy description

Outdoor Research made the two-pound Alpine Bivy with waterproof breathable Gore-Tex Respiration+ fabric, which makes it an excellent lightweight shelter for camping, climbing, and mountaineering.

Bottom Line: The waterproof, lightweight Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy is the only shelter you need in the backcountry.

Travelled through the French Pyrenees for 23 days with it, absolutely great, it held fast through thunderstorms and extreme winds. Takes 2 minutes to put up and to pack away. Also, because it doesn't matter how lousy you put it up, you can put it on any piece of stony cramped swampy more-or-less flat two-square-meter piece of land, which is fantastic when bivouacing. One drawback is the moisture, some wetness forms on the inside but it's very managable if you sleep with your head as close to the opening as possible. Second slight drawback is that rain forms puddles on your fabric if you don't lie with your legs stretched, though probably the gore-tex won't leak anyway. Two suggestions: first one is to use tape and some rope to make a system that keeps the closed netting standing up by tying it to the little loop on top of the pole. Otherwise the head cover keeps falling down. Second suggestion is to keep some air-space open by putting your shoes (if they are water-proof) with the toes out of the tent and with the tent cover over the opening of the shoes. Otherwise the air space is difficult to keep open and you get moisture inside.If the next version could have an easier way to fasten the netting and to keep an air-space open, it would be perfect!

Light and compact, I also like the straps that hold a sleeping pad in place.be sure you have the opening pointing away from the wind or your heat will just be sucked out!