Reddit reviews Outdoor Research Highland Bivy, Fossil, 1size
We found 1 Reddit comments about Outdoor Research Highland Bivy, Fossil, 1size. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Ultralight, waterproof/breathable 2.5 layer 20D Pertex Shield DS ripstop fabric, durable hydroseal coated waterproof nylon floor and fully taped seamsSingle overhead shock corded Delrin pole, no-see-um netting covers opening and end opening zipper with wide storm flapSleeping pad straps, sized to fit thicker mats, five stake loops, one guy line loopHigh volume foot section and small internal mesh pocketAvg weight 23.7oz/674g, Packed size: 15 1/4"x 4"x4"/39cm x 10cm x 10cm, Length: 84in/214cm, Max width: 26"/66cm, Peak heigth: 20"/50cm
> higher quality than the walmart sleeping bag and fabric repellant
No way to stay warm with OP's kit if it gets below 50 F or so. You can't build a fire under the hammock, and you can't sit by the fire if it's raining. The only provision for warmth in OP's kit is a thin mylar space blanket. Yes, I've heard before "it's meant to keep you alive, not comfortable." I don't think I've ever met anyone who has actually tested a space blanket all night on a cold night though. I have. As I've talked about on this sub before, I stupidly took a fleece blanket + a space blanket as my only bedding on a weekender backpacking trip a couple years ago. It was about 40 F. I was inside a tent. Shivered in a fetal position all night. Imagine if it had been 20 F or even colder? Many times in summer in the mountains I've woken up with my drinking water partially frozen. Might not have made it if it got that cold. Space blankets aren't magic. You seriously can die wrapped up in one if it gets very cold.
The purpose of the waterproofing on the bottom of the sleeping bag is to keep it dry without having to carry a separate ground cloth, so the whole of the (thicker and heavier) Heatsheet space blanket in the SOL kit can be used for shelter.
Regarding the backpack. It's a central piece of OP's kit, but why? Where are you going such a long distance with such a skimpy kit? Even when I go day hiking and take a small day pack instead of a full size backpack, I take the Ten Essentials, which is not exactly the same as a survival kit. Many of those items are meant to be used all day on the trail.
So what is the rather complicated backpack in OP's kit for exactly? What's the scenario? If you're going to build a kit around a backpack, why not take a more elaborate gear set like this? That's an expensive kit, but here is a much cheaper pack with plenty of room for a good sleeping bag, small dome tent, extra clothing, plenty of water and Power Bars, etc. I'm not just blowing smoke when I say that. My primary survival kit is built around this pack, and it has a -20 F sleeping bag and a bivy. I have a coat pocket size kit in my other non-4WD vehicle that doesn't see as much backcountry travel, but the backpack kit is the one I rely on to get me safely out of remote locations if I need it.
So I didn't spec a pack for the alternative-to-OP's kit that I specced, trying to keep the cost about the same. I think the kit I specced weighs much less than ten pounds. Any old gym bag would do, or just cram everything in the sleeping bag stuff sack and carry it over your shoulder like laundry. It's isn't that much stuff. The sleeping bag (hypothermia protection) is a much higher priority than a comfortable pack, IMHO.