Last week, I took my new OR Helium Emergency Bivy out for its inaugural backpack, to North Matthieu Lake in Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range. I'm a big fan of OR and this bivy didn't let me down. Night time temperatures were in the 20s and there was 3-5 inches of snow on the ground, at the campsite. I wanted something that was light and packable. At 9.6 ounces and packing down to the size of a beer can, it didn't let me down. I like to use a bivy sack inside the tent. It will add warmth in the winter, but also has advantages the rest of the year. The key to a good bivy is breathability. Aluminized bivys are becoming popular, but I question the extent of their breathability. OR uses their Helium Pertex which is very breathable. In warm weather you want to release moisture from sweaty heat. In winter, you want to release moisture from condensation. In no event do you want to wake up in a wet sleeping bag because your bivy bag didn't breathe. Another reason to use a bivy bag inside of a tent is to protect your bag from condensation dripping off the tent ceiling. In the summer, you may have camped too close to a lake. In winter, your breath may have condensed on the tent ceiling and walls. The last thing you want is a bag that became soaked from water drops dripping off the inside of the tent. The bivy worked. My bag was dry, it held my pad and air mattress in place, and helped my 15 degree bag stay warm in temperatures approaching it's lower comfort rating. Although it's not a huge big deal, and it might add a little weight and bulk, but, I would suggest an option so as to be able to partially open the side of the bivy. Currently, the bivy has only a drawstring top entrance. Overall, another great OR product.
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