Post Hike Reviews - Borah Gear Side-Zip Bivy Sack Review

[@tylerwingard5411]

I think I was 100. Congrats ;)

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Thank you 100! :)

[@timothyreynolds890]

Dude! What a great informative video. I’ve been backpacking/camping for over 40 years, but have never used a bivy. This video by far has the most useful info I have found. Thanks, subscribed!

[@15more9]

Thank you so much for detailing out the bug/pest issues when camping without being fully enclosed. I’ve always wondered about sleeping in shelters, etc, and especially just sleeping under a tarp with no bug netting with the risk of ticks. Thanks again!

[@songbirdultralight7384]

15more absolutely my pleasure :) being mosquito free in a shelter versus having to run out and set my tent up to get away from all the bug pressure is one of the greatest things about my bivy. Thank you for your comment and sub!

[@hanskirk-hiking9697]

I have been looking for Borah Bivy videos for weeks - first today KZbin recommended you - ha ha - great video - I subscribed instantly - thanks

[@songbirdultralight7384]

very cool that you found me thanks for subscribing! Sorry your search went so long.

[@Backpack4John]

Thanks so much for the video. Your channel has really grown. Congratulations. Love your reviews very in-depth.

[@AndrewWisler]

With silnylon, if you find your pad sliding around annoyingly underneath you, you can paint a few stripes of silicon seam seal on the inside of the floor to provide some friction. Works in silnylon tents, too.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Andrew Wisler Excellent tip. My bivy and pad eventually broke in a little and stopped sledding me downhill on slight slopes :)

[@AndrewWisler]

Borah Gear is pretty cool, and they will happily make you a bivy that’s between this one and the big bivy. They’re making me a bug bivy with 20” of Argon at the foot and 12” above the head to provide some splash protection but still keep most of the top mesh.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Andrew Wisler Sounds like it will be perfect when you tent it out/ lift it up with the shock cord. Agreed, Borah gear is super cool.

[@jeffozimek2178]

How did this modification work out for you? Debating to order the same...

[@AndrewWisler]

Jeff - it worked out great. I’m in the Northeast, and we frequently get torrential rains. This coverage is just enough to keep my sleeping gear dry when using a 7x9 flat tarp pitched in an A frame. When I spoke to Borah Gear while placing my order, it sounded like this was a pretty common modification people requested, and they actually suggested the configuration I listed. Hope you like it.

[@brucesmitham4053]

I have the same bivy. We just camped at the beach in San Diego last weekend and I loved it. Didn’t even need to hang the mesh just used as is on a tyvek bathtub ground cloth I made. Great review. I also recommend this gear.

[@Ujasoncook9267]

I can't count the reviews I watched and comments I read about any bivy before I bought one. I was a skeptic, but it works for my hiking/camp comfort preferences.

[@aaronfuentes5919]

Awesome gear chat, great bivvy recommendation. I just acquired the Big Agnes bivy & it accentuates all the positive features and qualities you discussed, besides cost& maybe some weight, but it works awesome w/out poles or stakes, probably still about twice the weight of this Bora, but I can change clothes & stand my 66liter pack up next to my sleeping pad inside.

[@aaronfuentes5919]

I did a lot of research before finally choosing a one person shelter.

[@johnbaranowski429]

Nice video. Very helpful. Feeling ready to get a bivy!!

[@fayleya3865]

In Western Australia (where I live&hike), the issue is lots and lots of spiders. They are active at night. Also snakes. There aren’t any really aggressive snakes, but if they snuggle up for warmth and I roll over and startle them they will bite and the most common ones are highly venomous (tiger snake and dugite) ... so I’ve given up on the tarp+ground sheet idea. A bug bivy may be the way to go. Thanks for this vid.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Faley A Yikes! It definitely helps to have the psychological benefit of a protective cocoon like a bivy sack. At least you’ll know they aren’t snuggling in your quilt with you. Thank you very much for watching and supporting the channel with your comment! -SB

[@jan_creator]

Great and informative video. Thank you

[@ChrisOUTEC]

Great job -- thank you!

[@jeanward1252]

Great review and much appreciated advice... thank you. JW from Alaska

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Jay Wird thanks for the nice comment and for supporting the channel! :)

[@jibbyjabbatv]

Add a bungee cord loop to your tie out. It might be that the wind is causing damage to the attachment point.

[@coleregulatesplanetearth]

SongBird!! So stoked you're on u tube man, Digging this Bivy series dude super helpful!!

[@songbirdultralight7384]

coleregulates Hey pal :) Thanks for that! You going to trail days this year?

[@jvballatore]

Great review, thanks.

[@seakayaker1470]

Great advice, thanks man.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Sea Kayaker thank you very much.

[@Ujasoncook9267]

2 years later and I pulled the trigger on this bivy and a 9x9 tarp for a flip flop in 2022.

[@RichardBuckerCodes]

OPTIONS OPTIONS OPTIONS -- Borah offers other bivy designs like a full upper mesh or you can change the zipper to be a ridgeline zip and then you'll get a foot box shockcord.

[@backkat9475]

Just catching this. Very detailed vid. Have a Borah Bug Bivy and this was helpful! Did you mention side zip advantage? Looking for the best tarp for it. Thanks!

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Back Kat I probably mentioned it once or twice :) Wiggling in without the sidezip would be annoying after a long day. A house fly style hammock tarp can be awesome for sealing it up in bad weather, but at that point, you’d be better off with a big bivy. I feel very confident with my little tarp and the borah bivy for a little extra protection. A flat 8 by 6 would be a very nice alternative. Thank you for watching!

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

If you are 6 foot tall or longer you may find a poncho is insufficient coverage in heavy rain. I went with a tarp to insure my bug bivy has a chance to keep me dry. I found the 15D tarp by sea to summit interesting but went the extra bucks for a MLD cuben tarp.

[@JustinfromAZ]

Our setups are pretty similar! I use a borah full net in summer and MLD eVent with any weather coming. Looking at getting a 40 or 50° for the times when my down quilt is way too hot, which is often. Like the idea of a multi purpose quilt use with a head slit. Also, marry both of those setups with a MyTrails poncho. Is the poncho your only rain/wind shell? I picked up a Frog Toggs emergency jacket, 4oz.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Hey Justin! Awesome. I looked a the MLD eVent for quite a while online before deciding on a bivy. It seems like an excellent choice for weather. There were still times when my 50 degree ("48*") synthetic was was way too hot. Getting into the really hot nights I was just sleeping in the bivy until around 3-4 AM when it would cool off enough to pull the quilt over me. Where I did get too hot, it was nice to be able to open up the foot box and use the quilt like I would a comforter at home. I'd also open up the head slot to try to cut the warmth rating some. It's nice to know that if your quilt gets a little sweaty it's not the end of the world. I liked not worrying about my insulation as much on this last hike. This summer my poncho was NOT my only rain/wind shell. I carried an Outdoor Research Helium II jacket for a little extra warmth and for use as a 'wind shell'. With the poncho, the dedicated rain jacket was a little overkill, despite it's low(er) weight. Whenever I was on the move, actually exposed to rain, I wore the poncho. It was WAY better to wear on the move except (fairly rarely on the AT) on windy, exposed ridge-lines and bridge crossings where it would flap about a bit. The frog toggs emergency jacket looks awesome for the weight. I may have to get one and wear it as a regular rain jacket during the storm weather coming through the next few days to see how it does. I've decided to replace this rain jacket for summer use with a hooded wind shirt at some point. The rain jacket does a good job, but I think the wind shirt will be a better solution (eliminating some redundancy) for a little extra warmth and light spray/rain protection without the cost of being too clammy (rain jacket breathability) and too hot most of the time. It would be very nice to be able to wear the wind shirt on chilly mornings as I start moving for the day. The rain jacket was often way too hot for this within minutes. I think that the only time I found I really wanted the rain jacket (versus thinking a wind-shirt would be better) was when it was raining on town days. I didn't want to wear my poncho out on the town and opted for a rain jacket like I do at home. Then again, maybe the wind shirt will perform decently in light rain and I can use it like this. If it ends up boiling down to a choice between something like the emergency jacket and an expensive wind shirt, I think I'll go with the emergency jacket. Paired with a poncho that serves as primary rain gear, the potentially low durability of the frog togg jackets is not a concern. Even a little tattered, the extra warmth and rain protection given by it's construction will make it better suited if used more so in a rain-jacket (secondary rain-gear) role. Who knows, maybe it'll even get more comfortable (more wind-shirty) as it gets the heck beat out of it on trail. You can always replace it in one of the next towns down the trail as well. Thank you for your comment and your support of the channel Justin.

[@TC-yx1qt]

Have you been out in much rain with the MLD Event? What temps? How breathable if 100% sealed up?

[@JustinfromAZ]

@@TC-yx1qt I've had it out in a few light showers, 100% dry inside. In a down pour I would still marry it with my GoLite Tarp. Temps down into the 30°, Bivy adds ~ 10°. I had to switch from a down 20° to 50° APEX. NEVER had any condensation, very breathable. I have the XL and it's huge. I'm 6'2" 230ish.

[@thch9033]

@@JustinfromAZ What exact MLD Event bivy do you have? I'm about the same height, how much room length wise do you have extra if any?

[@JustinfromAZ]

@@thch9033 it's the MLD eVent Soul Bivy. 3 layer eVent top, CF bottom, size XL. 428grams seam sealed. With my longest pad (XTerm long) I have ~ 1' of extra space. Was able to bring my OHM 2.0 in with me and never affected my sleep. Best feature is the built in wire hoop along the head!

[@Speakers154]

There are sleeping bags with a bug mesh, so a tarp can work without a bivvy.

[@hodadyou]

excellent job!

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Al B Thank you AI B.

[@jbutzi]

Great information and discussion on the benefits of the bivy! I use a DIY bivy with a DIY small tarp and like it too. I am tempted by the MyTrail poncho though! Wonder if I should make one a little bigger at 5 foot by 9 foot. What do you think. I am 6-1 tall. I have been looking for more info on you quilt with slit and can't find a review - I think I saw it in your poncho vid but I could be wrong. I would like more info please.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

jbutzi Honestly in some shelter configurations you may benefit from the slightly larger diy build you are thinking about. You’ve got three inches on me, so just a little larger, like you say, might be nice. I reviewed the wearable quilt (aka: “poncho-quilt”) here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGLcq2aPfbiFqdk I hope the video helps, I like the quilt very much. Thank you for your nice comment and support of the channel!

[@simontoll8673]

Haha 100 subs And now it’s near 1000🎊🎉

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Woohoo. :) Still surprised the raffle never got any excitement! Haha maybe at a million people will want to.

[@PHARRAOH]

after using if for some time, would you rather have the ALL net borah net tent shelter or this one? OH, if you do the 100 drawing, count me in. just subbed. cheers

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Hello Pharraoh. If I could only have one bivvy, I’d stick with this one as it’s nice to have in bad weather. I will say if I was primarily camping in the hotter part of the year (night time temperatures consistently 62+), then I’d want the all mesh top to a bivvy. Around 65+ I start to get pretty hot in a quilt or sleeping bag. Unfortunately there was little or no interest in the 100 sub drawing at the time. Next up we’re coming up on a thousand! So, I’ll count it as interest in a 1000 sub drawing :). If enough people are interested I think I’d like to try to give out a side zip bivvy for the drawing. Thank you for your question and for supporting the channel. SB

[@ArmandoRodriguez-pu6pr]

Great vid. Do the corners peg out?

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Thank you. I have never pegged them out. I don’t think it has peg loops. Borah will let you add them though I’m sure

[@andrewyi6671]

Awesome video! Do you think the borah gear bivy would work for summertime (ie nice weather) alpine climbing and mountaineering where there is little to no chance of precipitation on the forecast? I'm mainly looking for an ultralight bivy where I can place an ultralight inflatable pad (thermarest neoair uberlite), a half sleeping bag (feathered friends vireo UL),boots and maybe food to keep the critters away. Was considered the wide version. Do you think this bivy would work for my intended purposes?

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Andrew Yi I’m sure there’s significant overlap with backpacking, but Mountaineering and alpine climbing are currently outside of my skill set/ knowledge base. I would encourage you to check out communities/forums dedicated to those subjects like www.reddit.com/r/Mountaineering/ I would think you might want a waterproof-breathable top fabric instead of the water resistant/ dwr argon this bivy uses if you know you’re going to be at elevation consistently. Again, I’d probably start on the mountaineering forums. Generally speaking, the bivy did really well for me even in colder/more exposed/higher altitude (for the east coast) summer conditions in the Northeast USA. I’ve been in it for some serious thunderstorms under my tarp and it did a good job. I would probably go with my “winter” bivy for prolonged high alpine/ more exposed conditions. And yes, the wide cut has been great and I really appreciate the extra room when I have my sleeping pad inside the bivy. If you have to pull your boots and/or any significant amount of gear inside, things may get pretty cramped. I usually have small gear/personal items in the bivy with me, and I’ll bring in my water bottles if it’s cold enough out to freeze them, but I never bring my shoes inside my bivy. Maybe depending on the weather and which pack I brought I might bring the pack in and lay it flat under my pad to keep it from getting soaked from ground water. But about Food storage: Critters will chew right through your gear to get to your food. Backpacks, pockets, stuff sacks, bivies, or anything like that won’t stand up to mice and such. Hanging a food bag, using a bear canister, or using a critter-resistant sack is probably going to be your best bet. Thank you for your nice comment, sorry I don’t have more experience with mountaineering/ high alpine. I hope the link I gave helps.

[@andrewyi6671]

@@songbirdultralight7384 thanks for the tips! i appreciate it! i currently have two shelters: a rab latok mountain 4 season tent and an outdoor research alpine bivy. i love the alpine bivy as it's absolutely bombproof but it's a bit heavy for a bivy at just under 2 lbs (although it is quite luxurious). i've been wanting to get an ultralight setup for cowboy camping in the alpine on nice weather nights in the summer. if there's any precip on the forecast, i could always go with one of the two options that i already have. i've been emailing with john at borah. i'm considering getting the ultralight side zipper bivy with a few custom mods: a burlier silpoly floor material (for better abrasion resistance when bivouacing on rocks) and maybe a flap of the argon90 in the headbox area to cover the mesh area if there is some unexpected precip on the forecast. anyways, i really enjoyed your gear review and your comments. thanks again. hope you continue to make good videos on ultralight gear. although i am primarily an alpine climber, i do quite it is quite useful to "borrow" ideas from the ultralight hiking/backpacking community and also ultra running communities. you guys have the light kit dialed in, even more so than we do!

[@wolfeadventures]

Great video. How is the top of the bivy material(not mesh) in the wind? Will it block most of it?

[@songbirdultralight7384]

The top of the bivy material does a good job with the wind when I’ve cowboy camped in the bivy. I’d say it’s like a good wind breaker jacket. Typically though I’m using it with my tarp, and the tarp is taking the brunt of the wind’s beating when it’s nasty out or I try set up somewhere that’s a little more sheltered. If I was sure I would be facing constant wind for the duration of a trip I might opt for my winter/ waterproof-breathable bivy. Like with a wind breaker jacket , if the wind is really going to be beating on you for a long time you might want the additional protection of a rain jacket even if the wind breaker might do the job. My winter bivy is mummy-shaped, and much tighter around my sleep system so there would be less flapping of material in heavy, sustained winds and a smaller mesh opening to lose body heat from through the night. I was very glad to be in my orange winter bivy sleeping on top of Anthony’s Nose ( an exposed/ rocky overlook) in NY when the wind got crazy up there.

[@wolfeadventures]

@@songbirdultralight7384 thank you.

[@BobPreis]

Just found your channel. Did you review the poncho tarp? Curious how you set it up as a tarp while wearing it in a downpour.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Bob Preis Hey Bob, thanks for stopping by. I did review the poncho tarp here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3jFgaefr9Rpq6c - In a serious downpour I’ll get everything ready to set up the tarp while I’m still wearing it. Tying my 4 guy lines to the corner guy loops and carefully selecting my setup spot and anchor points before taking off the poncho reduces the amount of time that I’m exposed to rain. Waiting for a heavier band of rain to pass by continuing to hike down trail or sitting on a log and eating something under my poncho while wearing it draped over me works well to avoid more than a light rain while setting up. If I really have to set up *right now* and I know I’m going to get soaked, I strip off my shorts and T-shirt and stuff them in my waterproof pack. My underwear are usually damp/wet from sweating while hiking anyway. Then I have the drier T-shirt at least to throw on when I hop in the bivy. I recommend coupling your poncho tarp with a water resistant wind shirt/ or light duty rain jacket ( think 2oz breathable wind shell or ‘emergency rain jacket’) for very nasty weather setups and where you are dealing with colder weather rain. This also affords you a little protection when you have to get out and go to the bathroom, leaving the protection of your tarp shelter while it is set up. Thank you for your comment.

[@bereantrb]

Which Argon did you get, the 67 or the 90?

[@songbirdultralight7384]

bereantrb I got the 90 argon. Good stuff.

[@bereantrb]

@@songbirdultralight7384 Good to know. Thanks.

[@TanukiParis]

hi, does the argon67 is enough for the splash effect or the agon90 could be better ?

[@songbirdultralight7384]

Hello, With my little tarp I chose the argon90. I really don’t know how the 67 would hold up comparatively, but when I ordered I did research and decided the 90 would be significantly more protective. Best, SB

[@TanukiParis]

@@songbirdultralight7384 thanks !

[@DovahBaa]

Would this work in winter? Snowy, cold Norwegian winter.

[@songbirdultralight7384]

J Rogers I think it depends on how dry your winter conditions are going to be. In dry cold conditions I could see myself opting for the additional ventilation and breathability of this bivy and relying more on my lower rated sleeping insulation and winter sleeping pad. For my all-around solution for winter in the Southeastern US (wet cold) I use a bivy with a waterproof fabric on the bottom/sides/ foot box and a waterproof-breathable top fabric. My winter bivy also has a much smaller mesh window over the head end. In the southeast if it gets really nasty out in a winter storm it’s important to be able to button everything up and get behind a layer of more waterproof and wind-proof fabric. I’ve only been down to -11F/-23.889C in my ‘winter’ bivy, but it does a good job. I also find it important to unzip the bivy somewhat for additional ventilation on warmer nights (upper 20’s to lower 30’sF/ -6.667 to -1.11C ). It adds a significant amount of warmth to my sleep system. Either way, definitely pair with a tarp.