Borah Gear Cuben Bivy 3000 Mile Review

[@fiskz]

I'm glad you linked this from the other video. I've been researching bivys. It's a good idea for winter camping even in the tent.

[@matjobin]

@fiskz It’s been a great bivy and can serve well in all seasons as we’ve both mentioned. Even during the winter in the tent.

[@Hihihi96]

Nice video! I have a Borah cuben bug bivy and love it. I prefer to cowboy camp with just the bivy for optimal star viewing/ outdoor immersion and complete protection from the mosquitos. I love keeping my bag inside the bivy when I stuff it in my pack. Super easy set up when I want to lay down and go to sleep. And super easy way to stuff it back in. I use a light weight plastic painters cloth for a small groundsheet, so all the ground moisture/dirt is on that, and stored in an outside pocket. For anyone who enjoys tarp camping or cowboy camping, I definitely recommend this piece of gear. Cheers!

[@matjobin]

@Hihihi96 Thanks so much! Nice! I enjoy cowboy camping too when I can. In the northeast, it’s usually the tarp though due to the ever-changing weather and the bivy when needed. I’m usually back and forth with either the Tyvek in my video or a sheet of polycro for my groundsheet. Happy to hear your bivy has been treating you well too. Thanks for sharing!

[@Jhollowed25]

Packing the sleeping bag inside the bivvy is genius

[@CrowMagnumMan2024]

Excellent video...Ive searched and watched many tarp bivy videos and this one is the absolute best.....thanks a million....!!!

[@matjobin]

@OldCrow62 Thanks so much! I really appreciate it and I’m happy you enjoyed my video.

[@randyholloway920]

OMG! Too many people are not aware of Borah Gear. I have been using their bivvies for almost 15 years. BG bivy and tarp is my go to set up. Even in high rain trails like the Colorado Trail, I find this set up superior. I can put my pack inside and prop my legs up. Along with my gear, there is plenty of room. Otherwise, everything else is under the tarp and stays dry. The bottom of this tarp is waterproof. I’ve never had any water get inside. Using a bivy instead of a tent means I never have to worry about moisture or water getting inside with me. In saturated ground, I can easily reach out to reset a stake without getting out to do so like with a tent. It seems counterintuitive to use a tarp instead of a tent in rain or storm conditions, but this really works. Best bivy for the weight and price on the market.

[@matjobin]

@randyholloway920 Nice! It’s been one of my favorites over the years and nice to have with my tarp on certain trails or trips.

[@johnminden669]

Underrated and American made 🇺🇸💯🎉

[@matteotamberini2152]

Love it I wish I knew about this last year 🙏👍👍👍

[@emilyoshinskie5087]

Good video with lots of details!

[@wolfeadventures]

Really great video.

[@matjobin]

@wolfeadventures Thanks so much! 👍

[@drytool]

Right on, Bro!

[@matjobin]

@drytool Thanks! 👍

[@prospector14]

I looked at (and really like) the Borah screen bivys, for trips where my hammock doesn't work, but these are just to claustrophobic for me. I'm a bigger guy and I toss and turn at night, so I ended up with the One Tigris solo mesh tent and my tarp. Ultimately, the same concept as this, but in the plus size. The added benefit is I can fit my Helix chair inside during daytime as a bug shelter (for meals, etc.). I do wilderness canoe trips so weight is not a determining factor (my kit weighs in at 35oz.), and as an older guy, I prefer a little bit of luxury.

[@BearTrekAdventures]

Nice video - great product!

[@matjobin]

@BearTrekAdventures Thank you! It is!

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

go video as usual Mat! i was contemplating on a bivy to use with my 7x9 Yama Mt. Gear tarp. but i recently acquired a new 4 legged hiking pard. so i'm looking for other options to accommodate me & her. i'd HATE to have to go back to a tent.

[@matjobin]

@surfandstreamfisher5749 Thank you! Nice! Congrats to you and your new hiking partner. Have you looked into the Yama Mtn Bug Canopy yet? I own one and have used it with the tarps shown in my video. I find it to work best with my 7x9. It provides room to sit up and good bug protection from the waist up. Your lower half would be in your bag or quilt, so that half would be exposed in a way. Another option could be the Sea To Summit Nano Mosquito net which would cover both of you and allow you to use an easily replaceable ground cloth like Tyvek.

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

@@matjobin yes i have Mat but i want something that i can bring her inside with me. i looked at Yama's 2P net tent with the 40D floor after watching your video. it's a bit heavy @ 17oz but i might be worth it for the extra durability.

[@matjobin]

@@surfandstreamfisher5749 I agree, coming from the ultralight minimalism guy. The weight difference would be worth it for the durability. A ccf pad like the GG Thinlight or MLD Goodnight EVA could be worth having too for additional floor protection.

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

@@matjobin always carry the GG thinlight pad as part of my kit. multi purpose piece of gear.

[@maureenmukhlis2934]

Thank you so much for this wonderful video!! I always hear people say that they use a bivy but I never really understood what it was 🤗

[@matjobin]

@maureenmukhlis2934 Thanks for visiting my channel. I'm happy that my video helped! The bivy isn't for everyone, but they can be a game changer on the trail at times. Especially if using a tarp! 😊

[@MoeketsiThebe-fe2bh]

I've been using one for the last 3 years, whether with a tarp or inside my 4 person single skin tipi tent.

[@davef5916]

I know it's much heavier at 370g but I absolutely love my Paria Breeze Mesh. Gives great splash resistance at head and foot, no condensation and has a more solid material (30D silny) on it so you don't need a groundsheet. The thing is a palace in comparison to my MLD Bug bivy. Plenty of room for shoes and gear at head, foot and sides and the mesh stays up off of your body completely.

[@matjobin]

@davefoster9866 Nice! Sounds like you have a pretty sweet setup.

[@Addarraj]

​@@matjobinI was thinking to get the Borah, will I actually need a ground sheet with it?

[@matjobin]

@@Addarraj Nice! It would depend on the trail and location. On a trail like the PCT it could be beneficial, whereas a trail like the AT it might be more possible to get away without one. I've spent nights with mine and no ground sheet but I use one most of the time due to the 0.8 oz/yd2 floor fabric. If anything, abrasion would be its fastest demise without one.

[@phoenix27101]

I may have missed it but how tall and how much do you weigh so I can compare? Thanks... great video.

[@matjobin]

@phoenix27101 I’m 5’10” and around 160 lbs. Thanks!

[@hupo]

Do your backpack straps not disturb your alpha direct fleece?

[@matjobin]

@@hupo I haven't had any issues with that yet and have been wearing my alpha fleeces with my packs for about 4 years now. It definitely requires a little more care, but it is still surprisingly durable. Only trouble I had with my alpha 60 so far has been a rip in the fabric from getting snagged on some vegetation in the White Mountains. I sewed it up and it's been going strong since.

[@tomsitzman3952]

For summer with ticks and mosquitoes now caring a wide variety of diseases from West Nile to Zita For summer bug season I have gone to the REI Flash Air 2 with the sides netting and the top basically a A frame tarp. At two pounds I feel it is the safe light way to go Bike touring. I don't need West Nile or a tick bight that makes me allergic to meat. In winter early spring and late fall, I can dig the tarp out.

[@matjobin]

@tomsitzman3952 Yeah, the tarp and bivy isn't for everyone. Coming from the ultralight tarp guy, sometimes I too find a tent to be the better way to go. It all depends on the variables and type of trip I'm on.

[@georgem8498]

What is the size of the monk tarp?

[@matjobin]

@@georgem8498 9’ long x 4’3” wide.

[@S-WS-lx2hm]

Cool video man, thanks. I'm thinking of getting a bivvy but I'm concerned about condesation. Do you get a lot of it in the borah bivvy with the fabric they use?

[@matjobin]

@StephenWilliams-lx2hm Thanks so much! I’ve always found it to act like a single wall tent. There will be some, especially when the conditions are right. Overall, condensation hasn’t been too much of an issue for me with the bivy though. I have found the fabric to breathe well and dry pretty fast. It’s been a fantastic bivy.

[@4-SeasonNature]

I pair it with ZPacks Tarp with windows. Only once when I didn't use the tarp and camped at about 12,000 feet next to a lake, my sleeping got a wet from the condensation. I have never had this problem when I used the tarp over the bivy.

[@CharmingGecko]

I bought one for tarp camping but haven’t used it yet. Misquotes are just too bad to be laying inside it right now for me.

[@matjobin]

@SoldierCloudStrife Nice! Hope you’re able to get out there and enjoy it soon!