Outdoor Research

Bug Bivy

Did well until major mosquito attach.

The only real problem that I had is that it rested on my toes. When the bugs were really bad, I still got bitten by mosquitos there. Otherwise, it provided the protection I was after.

Hard to get into, very cramped, and fragile.

You can only enter this bivy through the zipper in the top, and for a fully grown man, it's not an easy feat. Once inside, it's very cramped. On top of that, the mesh broke during the first use. Needs a serious redesign. Currently I would only recommend this for a very small and nimble person that would treat it with utmost care.

Worst money I ever spent

I bought this at a local sports store just v hours before sending my daughter off to camp. Spent a fortune on it! Brought it home just to realize it's nothing like the "drawing" and my daughter said it's like sleeping in a prison. She asked why she couldn't have a nice mosquito cover like all the other kids. Those covers are half the price but that store didn't have any left.

Pole issues after 1 night of use

Typically I'm big on OR, but this missed the mark BIGLY for me. I feel the quality is lacking in the poles. The ferrules are either plastic or worthless metal, one had a crack 7/8 its length, another was showing a weak line about 1/2 its length. TBF the bivy itself was quality one would expect from OR, but those ferrules were not. Also note that if one sleeps on a thick pad, best to put it under the bivy not inside or you'll be scraping the roof with your face.

the bivy does what its suppose to. its lightweight and setup in seconds. it is a very tight squeeze and may feel constricting

Bugs be gone

I spent the summer in the Southern Utah desert doing fieldwork. This bivy was great when the bugs got bad. I slept easy knowing I wouldn't wake up snuggling a snake or scorpion. The bivy is easy to set up, super light, and seems to be durable enough...I've spent about 25 or so nights in it with no issues.

Serves well for what it is and needs minimal space to pack. The Pole to keep it off your face is a huge advantage.

I would consider it for staying light when hiking.

hiking and backcountry camping. would love a side entry option. anther pole for the foot area would make this much better. need to use a tapered sleeping pad.

This product has a tag warning of a suffocation hazard that requires the user to leave zipper slightly open. I used it in the bahamas every night for a week and regularly woke up hyperventilating a few times before I read that tag. Eventually got it open enough and subsequently got destroyed by bugs that were getting through the zipper area. 100% do not recommend this product. Needs some sort of framing to keep the netting off the user at the legs

A pretty good desert companion

Guyline locations are a bit funky, don't seem to lift the net off your body unless you are able to attach them to a higher point (rather than in a stake in the ground). Fits my long sleeping bag and long pad with some room at the top for tchotchkes and whatnot. Flimsy poles bend easily, which, if you have wide shoulders means that you could bend some of the net under you, flattening the poles, and bringing the top of the net closer to your head. Worked overall at keeping spiders, mice, snakes, and scorpes off me in the AZ desert, not sure how it would be with mozzies.