What are people's favorite bivi sacks and why? I need to get one, primarily for mountaineering use in cold weather. Thanks!

-- Steve Waydo (waydo@u.washington.edu), May 13, 1998

Answers

Steve, I have the Bibler Wall bivy, and it seems to me, at least, to be pretty sweet. It has a full strength runner, coated heavily to prevent wicking of water into the sack. The "toddtex" Fabric is very waterproof, as I have sat in a full downpour with no water coming through. Condensation, however, is a diferent issue. I breath like a lumberjack when I sleep, and have had some condensation on the inside of the sack, while sleeping with it fully zipped, not too bad though. The shape of the biblers is a little boxy, good or bad depending on how much you move, and how big you are. I am 6,5 and have the long model, and it is ROOMY! The head space is square, I guess to give you more head room, especially with the optional"hoop" to cut back on the clostrifobia element. All in all I dig it. My partner has the North Face climbers bivie, and it too, seems pretty nice. The only difference I could see was that he has no clip in, so the rope comes right in around his face, and the way the zippers are aligned up around the head(two of them) has caused him to bitch more than once. Anyway, that is my two cents. Good luck and keep going up!-Tea

-- Mike Tea (mtea@ptc.com), May 13, 1998.

Steve,

Rock & Ice had a review of bivy sacks in the past year, I don't recall which they rated best. I just remember that they weren't too keen on the Bibler, this after I had just bought one. I've been happy with my Bibler, although it hasn't seen any real serious weather. It is expensive (over $200 as I recall).

-George

-- George Bell (bell@advtech.uswest.com), May 14, 1998.

After reading the review of bivi sacks in one of the climbing mags a couple years ago, I was relieved to see that the Integral Designs product (which I had just bought!)got the top ratings. You can buy it through the Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver, which has a site on the www. You Merricans should take advantage of your mighty Yankee bucks and shop in Canada, eh? You can buy LA pitons from the MEC for about nine Hoser dollars, or would you rather spend twelve Real bucks and buy it in the States??????

-- "Pass the Pitons" Pete Zabrok (pzabrok@netcom.ca), September 05, 1999.