Reviews > Shelters > Tarps and Bivys > Integral Designs South Col Bivy > David Sowards-Emmerd > Initial Report

Initial Report - Integral Designs eVENT South Col Bivy
November 2, 2003

Name: David Sowards-Emmerd
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (1.73 meters)
Weight: 155 pounds (70 kilos)
Email Address: dseATstanfordDOTedu
Location: Los Altos, California, USA
Date: November 2, 2003

Backpacking Background:

Product Specifications:

Product Information:

Manufacturer's Specifications:

As measured by tester:

Initial Impressions:

The bivy was received from Integral Designs via UPS.
Included in the very small box were the bivy in a small
TEGRALTEX/eVENT fabric stuff sack, a product catalog, and a US
price list. In the stuff sack, the bivy was folded in two, lengthwise,
then rolled up, and folded again in the same direction. The design is
simple and seems to minizize the number of seams. Aside from the black
bottom footprint made of TEGRALTEX, the rest of the bivy is constructed
from eVENT fabric. The workmanship is top notch, all of the internal
seams are felled and seam taped, and the zippers are all YKK.

A 22" (56 cm) waterproof zipper on the left side is more than enough
for exit/entry and provides a reasonable vent. There is also a second
zipper - in addition to the waterproof side zipper there is a zipper
(non-waterproof, but has an inch long eVENT flap that covers it) - with
three pull-tabs just below the hoop. This zipper was not visible in the
diagram on the Integral Designs website. It allows venting through two
separate openings with the three pull tabs (one 6" /16 cm opening is
recommended to avoid suffocation). Almost directly above this zipper is
the copper wire hoop, which is removeable/replaceable and folds easily
when rolling up the bivy. This half circle of wire serves to keep the
fabric off of the face and allows better ventilation inside the bivy. It
seems that it could have been slightly longer. Above the 'inside' zipper,
a flap extends 6" (16 cm) from the hoop towards the feet. The bivy
does not seal completely shut, as the two zippers do not intersect
exactly, and leave a tubular opening to the outside, about 3"
(8 cm) in diameter.

The Integral Designs patch/badge on the top is not seam taped, but it is
external to the zippers. The small eVENT tag right next to the ID tag is
effectively a loop for keeping the hoop as high as possible (tying off to
a tree or between snow walls).

Fit and room for basic tasks:

I am able to fit inside the bivy in a down jacket, inside of 0 F /
-18 C down bag, on top of a Therm-a-Rest standard (inside the bivy), with
minimal compression of the down. The ability to use a 'pee bottle'
without getting out of the bivy was an initial concern as bivy sacks can
be tight quarters, and going out in the cold is not an acceptable option
in the middle of the night. I was able to successfully use a 'pee bottle'
inside a 0 F /-18 C down bag in the bivy (Priceless: the look on your
wife's face when you pull a half-full pee bottle out of a bivy sack in
your living room).

Concerns:

• How durable is the eVENT fabric: in the ID catalog which accompanied
  the product the manufacturer warns that the eVENT fabric version of one
  of their tents is somewhat less durable than the TEGRALTEX version. I can
  only assume that the same holds true for the eVENT South Col bivy versus
  the South Col bivy. I will make an effort to ALWAYS carry the bivy in its
  stuff sack to prevent unneccessary wear. I am more interested in seeing
  how long I can maintain the integrity of the fabric than how fast I can
  break it down.

• There are no loops to stake down the bivy which may be needed to keep '
  camp' from blowing away. However, these would not be needed for snow
  cave or tarp use.

• The 22" (56 cm) side zipper should allow for adequate venting in
  cold conditions, but IMHO it won't allow adequate ventilation for my summer
  use where the temperature often drops 40+ F (22 C) during the time I'm
  trying to sleep.

• How flexible is the wire hoop in the cold? The design could have
  incorporated a longer wire to keep the material off of the face - with
  a lofty, cold weather sleeping bag it is not a big problem, but with a
  hoodless bag (3/4 length) the hoop may get annoying.

Test Plan:

First and foremost is verifying that the bivy is weatherproof. If I'm
going to trust my life to a piece of gear, better make sure it works
under controlled conditions first. Once my shower is clean, I will check
the bivy for leaks and general weatherproofing by laying in the bivy (in
a down bag) in the shower for 10 minutes or so (I could probably just put
the down bag in, but where's the adventure in that?) It should be obvious
whether the down bag gets wet or not.

After this basic test, I should be able to trust it for standalone use
in the wilderness. I will try to focus on testing the water
repellancy/breathability (how long before water stops beading up on the
fabric), durability , and overall comfort of the bivy. I plan to carry
the bivy on all snowshoe trips this winter, either for emergency use if
only day hiking, or for shelter if backpacking. It makes a lightweight
winter alternative to a four-season tent, and means I still have adequate
shelter if I decide not to dig/build a snow shelter. It also may find use
in first-come-first-serve camping, where only the miniature sites are left
and there isn't room for a tent. I expect to use it for sleeping in snow
caves (at least one trip this winter, hopefully more), underneath a Golite
Hex 2 when there isn't adequate snow (or time to build a snow shelter),
and at least once as a stand-alone in (very) windy, snowy conditions
(on the Casaval Ridge route of Mount Shasta (CA) if my parteners in crime
don't back out). I will also be visiting family in northern Michigan for
two weeks in December/January, where I will be able to 'camp out' a night
or two (if I survive the first) in the (generally) colder weather.

I don't expect to be able to compare the breathability of the bivy/eVENT
fabric to competitors, as conditions are generally not reproducible.
However, I do expect to use the bivy in a variety of conditions and
configurations (e.g. pads inside vs. outside the bivy sack), and can report
on the amount of condensation in each case. If the fabric is so
breathable, will it keep my down bags dry in wet weather or humid snow
caves? I plan to use it enough over the six month period to test the
durability of the bag to a reasonable degree - I'm a very active sleeper,
just ask the wife. Since it'll inevitably get wet, how fast does eVENT
fabric dry in the cold wind? Does the wire brim work as well as a pole
in keeping the bivy off of the face? How long before it breaks from
metal fatigue? How does the eVENT fabric behave in the cold? The bottom
line is - will it keep me and my down warm and dry in inclement winter
weather?

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Reviews > Shelters > Tarps and Bivys > Integral Designs South Col Bivy > David Sowards-Emmerd > Initial Report