The North Face Flight Bivy - 2009 BCS

Functional, light-weight, roomy, rugged... could save your bacon in a storm. Take it anywhere. Wish TNF had designed it to include an optonal zip-out screen panel at the hood zipper entry... would have been perfect.

Since this was the first bivy I’ve ever used, I don’t have much to compare it upon. Conditions used were in the summertime Sierra’s from temp around 25 – 40 lows, no precip. The biggest pro about this bivy over tents is the obvious packed size. Compressed this thing looks like a Coke can. It is very awesome not having to deal with bulky tents, poles, and flys. The weight of this bivy is not even a factor and combined up with other minimalist backpacking equipment – One can travel LIGHT!
Throw down the bivy, place a sleeping pad in it first followed by my sleeping bag, and then jump in. Of course – being a bivy sack one must accept the fact this is not a place to hang out in. I guess this was the only con for me. After a full day hiking all you want is out of the sun and to take a breather. That is not going to happen with this. This is only good to crawl into right as your going lights out – because that’s all the room you have.
I guess my point I want to get across to first time bivy buyers is that you’ll need “other” shelter until its bedtime. Weather that is a rock/tree or whatever, the last thing you want to do is just lay down in this thing with the sun out because you’re really not out of the elements until the bivy is completely closed, and this is just no fun at all unless you’re all tucked up for bed. (That’s not even fun.)
With all that being said, ventilation was poor in my opinion too. I have to dry out my sleeping bag in the morning and that just slowed me down for my day. I still really like the concept of a bivy (packed size & weight), so I’m in the market for something a little bigger.

Simple bivy has some features. It is roomy has space in the hood area for storage above you head. The 4 zipper pulls (that glow in the dark) on the opening give you venting options while keeping it fairly closed up. It also has a double flap over the opening for better weather resistance. It has 4 stake loops you can guy out with to keep it in place on exposed stormy faces, that may ruin your day if it got away. It seems to be on the heavier side for not having any poles but the weight includes the 4 DAC Stakes, small bag that the stakes go in, and the "big" bag that holds the bivy and the stakes. I weighed just the bivy and it came out to 1lb and 4oz. But it seems durable for a bivy and is absolutely water proof. You can also fold and roll it up really tight to be smaller than 11.5x4.5in.

I bought this bivy a month or so ago and have had it out in the Mountains of N. Cal. on some backcountry trips twice so far. The weather has been pretty mild so I can't speak to it's integrity when it's raining or snowing but when you closely look over this sack it is obviously well made, the seams are nicely done and the fabric is light and the color is very cool. It definately adds some warmth to your bag (I'm using the marmot 30+ hydro. bag) so in warm weather just zip down a bit and let the air flow. I also like the way the opening is in a U shape easy egress in and out. Packs down small. Great product.