Epic Bivy Question...

[Passionphish]

I have a bivy that has an Epic top. I know that this is not the best to have in a cold climate. Can I was it a few times or something to get the coating off and make the bivy less of a problem? I will be using it under a tarp.

Thanks!

[take-a-knee]

Epic should be ideal for use under a top, just go use it. That is what Oware reccomends for a bivy used with a tarp.

[Passionphish]

hmmm.....

I hope your right! I have heard that near freezing temperatures will ruin an epic bivy's breathabilty... I don't know. Was wondering what everyone else thought.

[take-a-knee]

hmmm.....

I hope your right! I have heard that near freezing temperatures will ruin an epic bivy's breathabilty... I don't know. Was wondering what everyone else thought.

The first I've heard of that was on Mountain Laurel Designs' website. It could happen to any fabric under the right conditions, but it would be more likely to happen with ANY of the waterproof/breathables. Feathered Friends sells more down bags made of Epic than anything else, that should say a lot.

[Passionphish]

Here's to hoping you guys are right! My Thru hike starts in March!

[take-a-knee]

Here's to hoping you guys are right! My Thru hike starts in March!

I hope you are changing out the tarp for a tarptent or something with netting not too long after your start.

[wrongway_08]

I hope you are changing out the tarp for a tarptent or something with netting not too long after your start.

Yea, tarp tent is nice, I like mine. In the cold (0-15 degress) I would like a double wall tent for more wind protection and heat retention. But its a light set up with more then enough room.

You still have a month left, sleep in the yard a few times while its cold and see what you think of your bivy.

Happy hiking.

[take-a-knee]

Yea, tarp tent is nice, I like mine. In the cold (0-15 degress) I would like a double wall tent for more wind protection and heat retention. But its a light set up with more then enough room.

You still have a month left, sleep in the yard a few times while its cold and see what you think of your bivy.

Happy hiking.

I've only spent a couple of nights in my tarp tent, I just got it. One of those nights was pretty windy, 15-20mph or so, it was still warmer than cowboy camping. There was a thread here awhile back about staking the canopy portion of your tarptent directly to the ground in a high wind situation. You lose ventilation but gain warmth and stability. Others have said slingshot tarp tensioners are a must for a tarptent, I just ordered some theraband material to make some.

[wrongway_08]

I just peg the sides down, works pretty good.

The tarptent Contrail is able to have the sides drawn down without extra stakes but I cant seem get it to work right.

[Passionphish]

I don't think I will be "cowboy" camping... I have a 15 degree bag, the bivy, a tarp, a poncho tarp for a beak on the tarp and a closed cell sleeping pad. I don't expect to see temps in the 0-15 range. This is Georgia baby! We get temps like that maybe twice a decade and only in the moments before dawn...

But then again, it is only a couple of weeks worth of the trail... I have tarptent if it is more than I can take...

[take-a-knee]

I don't think I will be "cowboy" camping... I have a 15 degree bag, the bivy, a tarp, a poncho tarp for a beak on the tarp and a closed cell sleeping pad. I don't expect to see temps in the 0-15 range. This is Georgia baby! We get temps like that maybe twice a decade and only in the moments before dawn...

But then again, it is only a couple of weeks worth of the trail... I have tarptent if it is more than I can take...

Yeah, in hotlanta, it gets that cold on Tray Mountain a BUNCH of nights every winter, and it happens in March also. It sounds to me like the rig you described is heavier than a tarptent, so what is the point?

[Dogwood]

Don't try to fix something that's not broken. Unless U have specific problems with how U use the Epic bivy U should be able to use it quite satisfactorily on an AT thru-hike as part of a shelter system as U describe. If U have any doubts /questions about using it they should mostly have been resolved with some use before setting off on the AT. Enjoy the journey!