Nicely done!

By Brian Hopkins Ranked #730 - Sleeping Bags July 20, 2009

I live i the mountains of SW Colorado and go out for an overnight hike once a week in the summer and fall. I love bivy sacks because they are light and the weather here is variable -- many nights it won't rain, but a storm can roll in suddenly. When it's not raining, I leave the bivy sack open and sleep under the stars. If it starts the rain, it couldn't be simpler -- zip it up and fall back to sleep.

I recently traded in a Mountain Hardwear bivy for this one. While the weight is the same (plus or minus an ounce), I've found that the head space of the North Face bivy is much bigger, and it ventilates far better. When pitched tightly, air flows up from the mesh at the feet up over me and out the upper vent. Most importantly, though, it kept me exceptionally dry in a big storm that rolled in overnight, high above treeline.

I would recommend only one modification to the makers: the zipper could be longer to unzip all the way from left to right. That would improve the stargazing on clear nights for die-hard bivy lovers like me.

View Details: The North Face Backpacking Bivy 3-Season

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No