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p
Mountain climber
ny
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 10, 2008 - 11:16am PT
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I mean i can get the manufacturer info online. But who actually tested it in a storm? I'm looking for a bivy under 1 lb? The set up is with 2 lb down bag. I assume it would be raining , not snowing.
black diamond winter bivy?
montbell?
mountain hardwear conduit?
event?
thanks a lot
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Feb 10, 2008 - 12:44pm PT
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If you wanna be storm proof, ditch the down. Even the best bivy bag won't keep your body moisture from making our down bag damp and nasty after a period. Get a good bivy, and get a good synthetic bag.
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Dutch
Trad climber
Truckee
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Feb 10, 2008 - 12:47pm PT
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Here is the deal. I've spent a lot of nights in bivy sacks a majority of them were perfect, however, some quite misrable. These are constant and do not change no matter the material used for the shell construction of your bivy or sleeping bag. I currently have a Gore-Tex sack by Western Mountaineering, my friends have the Bibbler ones and I used to have one I made out of Tyvek, all these bags suffer from the same downfall. It is a function of temperature. If its cold (30F and lower)and stormy you will want zip up your bivy almost all the way. When it is that cold, your moisture from exhalation will freeze to the inside wall of your bivy. Your down will stay dry and in the morning when your packing up just turn your bivy inside out and shake it, this should get rid of most of the frost layer. When its warm and storming (30F or higher)you need to keep the bivy zipped up to prevent precip from coming in which means things get clammy inside because of your exhalation is not freezing, which in turn is bad for down(no matter what the shell material is). The worst is when it is snowing but not quite freezing. The snow will stick to your bivy and turn to a slushy mix that penetrates your shell fabric. If there is no precipitation(of any kind) bivvies are the cats meow. 9 times out of 10 I still choose to use my bivy over a tent. I think its the best system. Good luck.
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p
Mountain climber
ny
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2008 - 01:48pm PT
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I do not want to ditch down. I want to keep it as light as I can. Let's say i do a 2 day route (free climbing) or a very long day that can become 2. There are ledges. I need a bivy that would survive heavy rain for let's say 3 hours. I don't expect to be absolutely dry. Just dry enough.
I know that I am going to sound like a little prick but I do not need "global" advice about bivying. I would greatly appreciate the coments from people who actualy spend a rainy night in one of these ultralight bivys.
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John Moosie
climber
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Feb 10, 2008 - 01:52pm PT
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Are you certain you will only need to bivy one night ? After getting your down bag wet.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Feb 10, 2008 - 02:24pm PT
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"I need a bivy that would survive rain for let's say 3 hours."
Well SH!T man, 3 hours ain't a storm, that just a rogue cloud. For three hours just put on your fricking rain gear and chill till it passes!
Anyway, since your REAL question was how to I blow $200+ so I can be a panzy on a ledge while waiting for it to stop misting, then that is a whole other ball of wax. Get an OR epic sleeping bag cover, the kind that work well inside a tent in a REAL storm, or for snow caves. It'll keep you dry enough to keep your mascara from running too badly.
Sheesh.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Feb 10, 2008 - 02:24pm PT
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I have a prototype bivy I bought from e.c., Bibbler like? I seamed sealed that puppy very well.
I use a relatively light Sierra Design synthetic mummy.
When going light, I sleep on a 3/4 thin Thermarest, stuffing as much of my shell under the other 1/4 of my legs.
I usually sleep warm, but lately the bag is just a bit light for being out in the winter. I just purchased a light fleece bag liner after Gary lent me his to use when we were down at JT in late December. That made a dramatic effect warming...
I figure that in the summer, I can use the fleece liner without the bag, or at least use the bag as a light cover.
You will be always fighting to get comfortable. The main thing I learned is that while you aren't getting the rest you would back home, in your bed with the comforter pulled over you and your sweat mama lying next to you, you are getting rest. My biggest problem early in my bivy life was getting all upset that I wasn't comfortable and not getting quality sleep. Once I realized that I was getting good rest and chilled out about that, I could relax, and once I relaxed I could sleep.
Funny how that works.
You just got to be comfortable enough and not worry about it.
And eKat, I usually have my 3 climber, 4 season Hyperspace nuclear-bomb proof tent along for most things... but it is a load to carry at 10 lbs.
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John Moosie
climber
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Feb 10, 2008 - 03:26pm PT
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"I need a bivy that would survive rain for let's say 3 hours."
I would go with Hefty brand. Glad trash bags fall apart too quickly. Get the 50 gallon size. More room..... and lightweight.
Just messing with you man, but 3 hours is absurd. What if you are injured? What if your partner is injured? What if it dumps and the creek you crossed to get to the climb becomes a torrent? Too many what ifs.
You are probably better off asking this question on that other rock climbing forum. Otherwise you got good advice here.
I have bivied in a trash bag. It worked well enough, but the wind wasn't howling. Thank God.
Plus it rained for 10 hours, so that might be overkill for what you need.
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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Feb 10, 2008 - 03:51pm PT
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I still stand by my ole Integral Design "Salathe Bivy." Kept me dry (until I would stick my head out of it) during a downpour on Half Dome. I am sure there are many out there that are similar. Best yet, go climb on a good weather pattern.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 10, 2008 - 03:52pm PT
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If you haven't used a bivouac bag before, you may want to borrow one before buying, and try it in something like the conditions you expect. Some people find them very claustrophobic, and almost everyone finds there's a lot of condensation inside. In eight hours, your breathing and body will give off 1 - 2 litres of water. Most of that, plus whatever the weather inflicts on you, ends up in the sleeping bag. Some people simply can't tolerate using a bivouac sack - although Riley's sleeping pill solution has some merit.
If you don't have a synthetic sleeping bag (?!), you should have a good variety of synthetic clothes. The article below has lots of cheerful information on surviving friendly Yosemite, and the limitations of down equipment.
http://supertopo.com/topos/yosemite/stayalive.pdf
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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Feb 10, 2008 - 04:10pm PT
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I like my Bibler, but you've got to consider the problems mentioned above. These days, going lite means a tarp and a down bag. If I'm going to be above tree line, I make sure I have trekking poles. There are very few configurations you can't guard against with this set up (mind you, don't forget plenty of cordage). As long as your bag is warm enough, a simple tarp (golite makes a good one) will take care of the rest. If there's going to be snow on the ground, make sure to bring plenty of padding. And if there's going to be lots of snow, dig a cave already. If you've got the tarp, the bag, and the digging skills, you'll probably be fine most anywhere below 3,500 meters.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Feb 10, 2008 - 06:20pm PT
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I have tried many bivy sacks, but the Wild Things Gore-tex bivy is BY FAR the best. Very roomy, tough, light, and well designed. It's got a unique pattern and zipper system that just works.
I've many a stormy night in nothing but the Wild Things bivy and a light sleeping bag, rain and snow and ice and mush.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Feb 10, 2008 - 07:40pm PT
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I've had great luck with my Black Diamond LightSabre. I slept all night in a Kentucky thunderstorm in it... pouring down rain outside, completely dry inside. It is single-wall though, so there'll be quite a bit of condensation if it's below freezing but not really that cold (between 20 and 30F is when I get annoying amounts of condensation). I slept in the Valley for two weeks straight with it last July and had no condensation problems.
For a few ounces more, you can get the BD Lighthouse (Litehouse, maybe?); it's a two-person tent roughing it or a comfortable one-person tent and it'll be big enough to keep condensation off in the winter.
As a point, Bibler has been bought out by BD...
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Feb 10, 2008 - 08:27pm PT
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I got a mountain hardware conduit bivy at cost last year. The first time I used it up in the cascades last fall, I tore one of the inside seams at the shoulder trying to get out in the morning. It is so narrow at the shoulder that even a regular sized person in a sleeping bag will struggle to get out. No zippers to leak and it is light. It seems like it would be good for saving your fanny in an emergency. Hope I never find out.
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Falling
Trad climber
Splat
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Feb 10, 2008 - 11:44pm PT
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Integral Designs Salathe, wonderful bivy. Skip the down if doing the bivy deal for bad storms. The longest have used the bivy for foul weather is 3 days of consecutive rain...stayed dry, but my sanity didn't.
That cagoule idea looks awesome!!!
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Feb 11, 2008 - 01:35pm PT
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Another thing to consider is how the opening on the bivy sack works and how you like to sleep.
I usually sleep on my side. The bivy I have has a double zip around the top and it opens like an alligator's mouth. Even in heavy rain (or colder conditions), I can position a small opening (with the double zippers) in front of my mouth (so vapor from my breath makes it outside), but I can keep rain (or snow) from coming into the opening and minimize how much cold air comes in. When I role over to my other side, I then move the opening over to the other side.
My old wild things has a diagonal zipper across the front, I hated that design.
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