well, i finished the Meteor bivy today. (http://sixmoondesigns.com/ultralight/myo_Meteor.asp)
overall a very satisfying project, no big problems, even the #3 zipper coil was very easy to manage, so dont be afraid of this project. i would deffinitly recomend making paper patterns first because some of the arc's etc can be tough. I'm 6'1 and find the dimensions to be very good, the girth is nice and roomy with my 30 degree bag. i got all of my materials from Thru-hiker.com except for the microporus polypropalene top which is the weather shield from jacksrbetter.com. i did make a small mistake, but dont know if its a real mistake... currently i have the lighter kahki color on the outside (this is the way it's shown in the pictures) can i just turn the bivy inside out exposing the other darker color? will the other darker side be just as effective? as you can see in the picture, i forgot to sew it inside out. :x i will report on the duribility and weather abilities when time allows.
thanks!
mike! (p.s. hah first time posting pictures... and for some reason the pics have some artistic flair... eh you get the point ;)

Awesome project!

Any difficulty sewing the nylon to the MP? Did you seamseal it around the bottom?

I think the MP is waterproof on both sides - the wp/b comes from molecule-to-pore size and isn't directional. Should be easy to test with a bowl of water and a paper towel, though.

Very well done. I do have a couple questions/observations/comments.

1. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost to procure the materials needed. I've been thinking of getting into camping/hiking seriously this year and have been looking to get all my gear and seriously thinking of making my own. I imagine making it yourself is MUCH cheaper than buying it.

2. Is the bug netting just held up by tying a string to a branch or something of that nature? It looks like it but I'm not sure.

3. The tarp to cover it when it's raining. I was just curious of how you would set that up. Would you have to forego the bug netting, if not how would you get the tarp above it?

4. I've always thought that a bivy would be a great way to save on weight and keep things simple while out on the trail. What are the main disadvantages to using them as compared to a tent? Is it just people liking the tent for the familiarity/mental comfort it provides?

5. Where do you store your gear in a bivy, how do you keep it dry?


Again I want to say good job. Looks good from the pictures and looks like there is a ton of room in there. Well done.

Reference to the MP:

In our tests it is waterproof and breathes either way.... Dri Ducks and JRB considers the light tan side the outside or top in your case.... Its smoothness will help in the sheding process,,, the darker side is nappier and nicer to touch...it is also marginally more retaining of warmth, in our opinion.

What does it weigh ? Have you tested the seam? How did you chose to finish the seams?

Nice project...congrats.

Pan

1. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost to procure the materials needed. I've been thinking of getting into camping/hiking seriously this year and have been looking to get all my gear and seriously thinking of making my own. I imagine making it yourself is MUCH cheaper than buying it.
----My total came out to 31 dollars. so as you can imagine a lot cheaper, but also a lot more satisfying! (that is... if it comes out right ;) also i got my Sil-nylon real cheap from Dave at Owareusa.com.

2. Is the bug netting just held up by tying a string to a branch or something of that nature? It looks like it but I'm not sure.
----- yeah the bug net is held up with a peice of nylon loop. im going to tie the bug net off to something in nature, to the peak of my tarp, or to nails/pegs anything in a shelter. for netting i used thru-hiker.com's nanoseemum netting which is much lighter then traditional noseeum. (i would recomend it!)
3. The tarp to cover it when it's raining. I was just curious of how you would set that up. Would you have to forego the bug netting, if not how would you get the tarp above it?
----- I will be connecting the bug netting from the bivy to the tarp, so just the same ol pitch as normal, A-frame, lean-to or what have you.

4. I've always thought that a bivy would be a great way to save on weight and keep things simple while out on the trail. What are the main disadvantages to using them as compared to a tent? Is it just people liking the tent for the familiarity/mental comfort it provides?
-------Im going for the bivy/poncho tarp combination, because of the weight savings and versatility. the poncho tarp will be my rain protection for me and my backpack. The bivy,in addition to protecting me from the weather +bugs under the tarp, i can use the bivy inside the shelters to protect me from bugs, clumbsy mice, and windblown rain from the front and increase my warmth a little bit. another reason i went to the bivy, was because sometimes i would roll around a little bit, and roll off my ground mat and have my footbox of my sleeping bag on the wet ground or something. I think the disadvantages of using a system like this is, your not fully protected, you also dont have quite the interor room as you would in full bug mode. i think you are right about the mental comfort it gives people, but if you spend enough time outside, you get used to it.
5. Where do you store your gear in a bivy, how do you keep it dry?
----- this is actually my first bivy, so some trial and error will come into play, i will probably keep the shoes outside the bivy, and keep everything soft and dry in the bivy (there sure is enough room)
Good luck with your project, whatever it may be!
mike!

Reference to the MP:

In our tests it is waterproof and breathes either way.... Dri Ducks and JRB considers the light tan side the outside or top in your case.... Its smoothness will help in the sheding process,,, the darker side is nappier and nicer to touch...it is also marginally more retaining of warmth, in our opinion.

What does it weigh ? Have you tested the seam? How did you chose to finish the seams?

Nice project...congrats.

Pan
-----------------
Hey Pan,
The bivy comes in at around 8.71 onces according to the postal service, so im very happy. hah yeah... i got a little antsy when assembling the bivy in the end... and forgot that i should sew the thing inside out. oops! ya... so i ended up sewing it the wrong way, im thinking about just keeping the darker side out and just resewing the 4 grosgrain stake attatchments, it looks a lot nicer, and shouldnt make a big difference. for the seam... i just sewed it, then sewed it again. :rolleyes: i've tugged on the seam and formed a bowl with a seam running down the middle, poured some water in it, and it didnt drip. so i dont see a lot of water entering the bivy from there.
but hey, for a first sewing project i cant complain!
mike!

Mike,

Good job on the bivy!

If you want to dress up the seams, you can get some bias tape from Outdoor Wilderness Fabric (http://www.owfinc.com/Hardware/Shardware/cords.asp#Twill%20Tape). For prototypes I use the 1/2" Double Fold tape.

It'll create that sharp professional look and not add as much weight as using Grosgrain webbing for binding.

Ron

Thank you for the quick reply. I amazed it came to so little, I'm very excited to make one of these now. My friend and I were thinking of getting into the outdoors more often now, and as he is still playing his way through college this will be easily affordable for him. Thanks for the tips, and when I get my own done I'll make sure to let you know how it turned out.