View Full Version : Bivy care
DocHolliday
03-16-2010, 09:37
I'm about to spend a considerable amount of coinage on either a TIgoat or ML bivy sack, and wanted to ask a couple newbie questions.
1) I move a lot when I sleep, and I'm concerned mostly about abrasive durability. I'm afraid roots/rough dirt/small rocks etc. might scrape through the silnylon bottom of both of these bags. Has anyone ever had an issue with something like that? How long should I expect to keep the bivy before it eventually destroys itself? =P
2) Also, I'm using a down bag, and have tendency to sweat a fair amount while I sleep. Is that accumulated sweat going to significantly dampen my bag and lower my insulation factor?
Lemme know!
Thanks,
-Holliday:D
1) If you get a bivy with a silnylon floor, you can coat it with a silicon sealant to toughen the floor and make it more waterproof. After doing this, I use my MLD bivy without a ground cloth with no problems. Read all about treating silnylon here (http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html).
2) Even a bivy with a breathable top will still trap some moisture, especially on warm, humid, or windless nights. I try to dry my down bag in the sun every day on the trail. On a sunny day this only takes 15 minutes or so. If you get a few straight days of rain or your bag starts to lose loft, toss it in a dryer with some tennis balls when you get to town.
DocHolliday
03-16-2010, 10:54
Thanks!
Just got done reading through it. Sounds similar to what Mountain Laurel advertises as their 3x Shield silnylon.
Do you (or anyone) have any personal experience with this method? Just curious.
Yeah, the MLD shield silnylon sounds just like the treatment I used. I treated the floor of my tarptent and the floor of my bivy, and they both came out great--it's easy to do, but if you're worried about it, pick up some scrap silnylon at walmart or someplace and practice on it.
Oh, and make sure you get the non-smelly mineral spirits.
I'm about to spend a considerable amount of coinage on either a TIgoat or ML bivy sack, and wanted to ask a couple newbie questions.
Why spend the coinage.
Get a qortex mil-spec bivi from ebay. I’ve used mine for years, never put a hole in it, never retreated the qortex. Always keeps me dry and the damn thing is next to bullet proof and not heaver then aftermarket bivi’s. plus you can score them for under $50 bucks.
I have a military goretex bivy, and while it's nice, it's also heavy (2.3 lbs) and bulky. A TiGoat bivy is less than 1/4th the weight, still has a side zip (optional) and it has netting.
I think a TiGoat bivy is actually a bargain compared to other brands, especially MLD.
brooklynkayak
03-17-2010, 10:32
Why spend the coinage.
Get a qortex mil-spec bivi from ebay.
They are heavy and they don't breath as well as the ultrulight bivies.
But they are good if you don't want to carry a tarp.
brooklynkayak
03-17-2010, 10:36
I think a TiGoat bivy is actually a bargain compared to other brands, especially MLD.
You pay for what you get. The MLD bivies have some nice features that the Ti-Goat bivies don't have. The MLD bivies are bigger and use more expensive material(better?). The waterproof foot on the MLD's is a nice feature.
I lean both ways though.
I suppose. I didn't need the breathability, so the TiGoat was a good option for me.
brooklynkayak
03-17-2010, 10:39
I suppose. I didn't need the breathability, so the TiGoat was a good option for me.
I have heard that the Ti-Goat was very breathable? It is highly rated.
Some don't like the fact that they aren't big enough to put a blow-up sleeping pad inside, but if you don't need that, why spend the money.
I'm not saying it is or isn't, it's just that I don't need the breathability, so that's not something I paid much attention to. Also, I saw the thing about the pad. Fortunately my pad tapers at the bottom, so that shouldn't be an issue. I think the bivy was slightly redesigned too...not sure at all about that though. Hopefully I have mine at the end of the week so I can start testing it out. I've only ever used a military bivy, so that's what I'll be comparing it to.
brooklynkayak
03-17-2010, 11:03
I think the bivy was slightly redesigned too...not sure at all about that though. Hopefully I have mine at the end of the week so I can start testing it out.
I think you are gonna like it. More comfortable than a heavy Gortex bivy and much lighter.
You will want a tarp over you(or some other cover) in heavy rain/snow as it isn't as waterproof as a Gortex bivy,
DocHolliday
03-17-2010, 12:35
Yeah, I think I'm going to go with the Tigoat, although I may wait a bit though since that new Sil-Cordura just came out. My thru isnt for another 3 years, so there's a good chance i'll be able to get something stronger/lighter down the line.
Oh yeah, if your hike is 3 years away, definitely wait to buy. If anyway, use that time to start making (sewing) your own gear. With that much time, I think you could be very happy with the gear you end up bringing on the trail.