Outdoor Research - Alpine Bivy

Category: Tent


The OR Alpine Bivy is nice for a solo backpacker. It does not take much time at all to set-up or take down and the weight is low.


I took the Alpine bivy on the Lost Coast and it kept out the rain, fog and much of the wind superbly. The advantages of not having one's face covered by one's tent are obvious and I definitely appreciated this small comfort. The structure is sturdy enough to stay relatively stable and upright, although I did find that- as usual- I migrated somewhat during the night. Anything waterproof will collect condensation inside and this bivy was no exception. I think traditional bivy sacks are lighter than the Alpine, but it is much lighter than a tent and in my opinion, it is worth the extra ounces.


Overall good bivy. I slept in this bivy so far two nights. I'm a smaller person so there was plenty of room for me without feeling too enclosed in. The bivy sack kept me warm and was super fast to set up. The only thing I wish OR added to the bivy was a way to hold the flap up when you want to have fresh air with the no see um mesh. I added a tarp loop attachment and used a beener to hold it open and everything was really nice afterwards. I can see the stars and sleep comfortably.


I purchased this a month ago and used it once while backpacking in The Cascades. I normally sleep outdoors if Mother Nature cooperates. It rained hard for maybe an hour or so and had quite a bit of water come through the zipper area. It is very cozy and warm when it is all zipped up but that leads to higher condensation on the inside which led to my sleeping bag getting soaked. Set up is easy. Getting in and out of it is difficult. Once inside no room for gear. It would make a great winter emergency shelter but for the 3 other seasons a tent is a much better option.


At 6'5", 200 lbs, I didn't think this thing was going to work for me. It's almost impossible to find a properly fitting sleeping bag, nonetheless a solid bivy. When I first saw the alpine bivy online, I was excited to order it and try it out. My first thoughts were about the massive amount of room in there. My entire body fits, with about a foot to spare in the head of it. I even have enough room to throw my hiking bag(full size and mini pack), boots, and a few other things in there.


Overall happy with this product. Does not pack down as small, or is as light, as older gortex bivies, and still prefer BetaMid if 2 people going out. But very bombproof, handles rain well, assuming that YOU don't mind the psychological water torture of being pounded with rain in a bivy. Need to stake out (3 points) if you want to keep pole taut, and roll back the face flap successfully. Difficult to pack down into its slightly undersized bag. Mosquito netting very delicate, don't let it get caught in zipper.


I've spent parts of the last 6-years hitchhiking and backpacking around the US, Mexico, and Honduras and the Alpine has been a warrior. At around 2#, you can get a solo tent for about the same cost/weight, but you'll never have the flexibility & adaptability the Alpine provides with it's low profile. I've stealth camped everywhere from the sides of interstates, woods, to beneath bushes in cities, and used it for a month combined with an old, floorless Sierra Designs Origami behind a hostel in Mexico. In recent years, I've gone to carrying an ultralight solo tent AND the Alpine. I find 4#'s is worth the infinite shelter flexibility offered in multiple climates.


This product has been around for 20 years and is still the best all round bivy on the market. I purchased this to replace my old one that I lent to a friend who very reluctant to return it after using it for a "few days" on the PCT.


I use my bivy a ton in winter and summer conditions, it works great in the summer and lets me stargaze all night long, in the winter I dig a snow cave and use this bivy and sleep nice and toasty! To make this product even lighter I stopped carrying the poles and instead bring a rope that I tie on the top of the bivy and onto a tree limb to keep my head pocket open. the bug flap helps keep the air flowing too. My breath does condense a little but its not very bad also its not something you want to use in a downpour.


Took a road trip from Bend, Oregon to Bozeman, Montana in December. Not wanting to stay in hotels, we camped out overnight. Set up the bivy out in the open. Snowed on us all night. There was minor condensation inside the bag in the morning (I didn't leave the zipper open at all, due the single-digit temps and falling snow), but nothing that was bothersome. Stayed snug and dry all night long.


This was the best thing I ever did, its very light and packs very small. O.R. says it will ad 10 degrees to your sleeping bag rating and I think that is about right. For what it is it breathes well, I've never had bad condensation problems. The bug mesh is really weird, I may just be dumb but it seems to be more of an after thought, like it wasn't in the original plans. It just doesn't seem to work the way it should try it out in the store you will see what i mean... maybe the advanced is better. All in all... wicked sweet.


I had some reservations about buying this product because of its price and I was worried it would be to cramped and not waterproof.


I got this bivy a couple years ago. First use was in July on the Finger Lakes Trail. It was unusable because of the heat, I ended up laying on top of it until it started raining in the middle of the night, then it was just torturous. Second time I used it in October on the FLT it worked fine, as it was chilly outside and dry. Third (and final) time I used it in WV during a September rain storm, under a tarp and still woke to a puddle of standing water - I promptly returned it for a one person tent. The 'alpine' in the title says it all - this is not a device for summer, or apparently rainy weather, it may have good usage in a snowy environment? I would consider this a one season enclosure... winter.


My favorite bivy. Good in summer and winter, dry and wet. Rolls up very small, and can fit two of you if your partner is so ill prepared. Everything OR makes is top of the line, including this. Get one soon!!


My stats first to give you some idea of the room. I am 5'9 265 lbs and built like a linebacker, so I was worried about how much room I would have. Space was not an issue and I slept like a baby instantly the first night and did not feel claustrophobic. I am a side sleeper also and I had plenty of room to roll around inside this thing. It kept me plenty warm and dry, though I would recommend leaving the outer flap with e few inches open for fresh air. Even in a 25 degree night, I stayed plenty warm inside with the flap open for ventilation.


One of my best companions on my journey around Japan was my bivy sack. This tent, barely larger than a sleeping bag, became my home on mountains, in cityscapes, through the elements and under many conversations.


I have used my "OR Alpine" bivy a couple times now. I've had/used several others in the past and this one far surpasses the others in every way. The ONLY improvement I can see is a need for a way to secure the hood open when only using the netting (I will probably sew on some velcro tabs). Otherwise the is an OUTSTANDING BIVY SACK!!! It was very roomy for me (5'11"--210lb), added noticeable warmth to the sleeping bag, and kept me dry in the rain (wasn't a downpour, but still was a solid shower). All the others I have used had at least some condensation, but I zipped the screen shut and left the gore-tex with stiffening rod hang over the closure and had GREAT ventilation with NO condensation at all (I left it that way even in the rain, and didn't get rain inside either). I would recommend this bivy to ANYONE with no hesitation. This shelter will make packing light seem like car camping!


Don't usually go solo, so got this for a solo trip through bryce canyon. Weathered a pretty solid thunderstorm the 3rd night.


The first time I used this bivy, I was completing my Search and Rescue training. Like an idiot, I accidently left my 15 deg. sleeping bag at home. it was 35 deg, raining, and there was a foot of snow on the ground. We didn't have a tent, just a tarp shelter. However, I did have my bivy and it probably saved me from getting pretty bad hypothermia. I was shivering all night, but i didn't die and i believe i owe it to this bivy.


Bought this almost a year ago and finally doing the write up after using a few times. Pro's are definitely the weight, size, and speed to set-up and tear down. Cons thus far are the condensation issue (especially in low temps and rain) and getting into and out of during wet wx conditions.


I needed to drop weight after a tendon injury. We were heading to the alpine lakes wilderness area near Rosland Washington. It's not a big hike, just 20 miles, but with the tendon injury, I needed to dump weight. I got the bivy bag to replace my tent. The first night, we got DUMPED on. I moved the bivy bag out to the open just to see how well it would keep the water out. There was mild condensation through the night but not bad. Some condensation may have been because the company says to leave the zipper open at least six inches to avoid condensation and suffocation. I had it shut down to about 2 inches to keep the water out as it was bouncing off the ground and into the bag since it was coming down so hard. The second and third nights, I was able to keep the flap open a bit more and I had no condensation problems. Wearing a baseball cap inside kept the gortex off my face. My only complaint about the fly design is there doesn't seem to be a good way to secure the waterproof flap open when the nights are nice enough to just use the mosquito netting. It did increase the warmth of my bag by about 10 degrees easily. There is enough room to put my thermarest inside and to get up on my elbows to read while the rain was dumping on us. With the thermarest inside, I was able to turn over during the night without coming off the pad, something I'm going to enjoy when we camp this winter in snow shelters. I'm a short guy at 5'7" so there was oodles of room in the bottom. I was able to shove all kinds of gear in the bivy bag. Getting out in the middle of the night wasn't as easy as with a tent. I had read a review, prior to going, where someone put down a ground cloth to help with that. So, I put down a ground cloth at the head and it wasn't bad. Getting dressed in the morning also benefitted from the ground cloth. I hear people complain about the space, but it wasn't any different than being in my sleeping bag in my tent. If I were stranded for several days, I can see where that would be a problem. However, since we were hiking, rain or shine, it was never a problem. Overall, I loved it! I will use it again and I would recommend it to anyone trying to drop weight off their pack.


Spring alpine hike/climb. Dad bought bivy, son opted for plastic sheet. Got plowed by rain first night, both of us in our down bags. Son got wet and slept little, Dad felt guilty but slept great. Now we own two of them. Really, they don't get better than these. All the other comments below are pretty spot-on. The only thing you need to tweak is to hold the mesh off your face with a stick or strategic cord to a tree limb, etc. Both of us are 6' and don't mind the fit at all, just like a sleeping bag. Warm and comfy, no problem with condensation that was worth mentioning. Has always kept us bone dry. Great insurance when weather forecast is for no rain, but you are in the mountains where forecast doesn't apply... Sounds strange, but not a bad thing to sleep-in even if you have a tent. With a down bag, I never have to worry about tent leakage or seepage touching the bag, but I confess that I am pretty fanatic about keeping my down bag dry. Why carry a pound for a ground sheet when you can just stuff yourself and bag in this and protect your bag completely? I am still thinking about a one-man tent, but haven't been convinced yet that it would be a whole lot better...and who needs another pound or two to carry at my age? Just remember, it isn't a tent. If you travel in places where there are a lot of folks, you really don't have much privacy to dress...


This is a great bivy, I've had it for about a year and use it for backpacking and car camping. As long as you keep the zipper open far enough you won't deal with condensation. My first time using it I thought it had rained but that was just a lot of condensation. That hasn't happened since I started keeping it open.


I've owned the OR Alpine Bivy for at least a decade, and it is the best all around lightweight option for a single person. This bivy is bombproof, can setup anywhere without requiring a large amount of space or trees in the case of hammocks. You can climb into the bivy in a rainstorm and in total darkness with zero setup time and without staking it out. It packs down smaller than any other option, and weighs less than any tent or hammock when all of their required items are included. The only lighter option would be a lightweight tarp, and those won't protect you from bugs or from blowing rain. You will stay dry in this bivy. It also adds maybe 5-10 degrees to your sleeping setup, which could allow you to drop additional weight and bulk on your bag. A few tip I recommend include: (1) staking out the bivy for maximum comfort, (2) bringing a small binder clip or use your hydration tube clip to keep the fly pinned to the pole when not using it to keep it off your face, and (3) the fly can be left unzipped even in heavy rain to increase breathability.


When I tried it out in the store, I wondered if it was going to be claustrophobic, but at night, that goes away. It doesn't feel any different than being in a regular tent. Loading the pad and the bag is a little like trying to get a pillow into a pillow case, but the overall set up is easy and fast - getting in takes longer. Condensation is slight to moderate (even with the recommended 6" opening) but manageable. It slept just fine and you can't beat the size/wt. Maybe this is obvious to some, but be prepared to adjust your habits. I'd recommend taking whatever you think you are going to need in the night and next morning in with you from the gitgo. Pack cover becomes a must! And bring something you can use as a "floor mat" for getting out.


I just spent two nights in the Colorado back country in this bivy and could not have been happier. It is the first bivy I have ever used, so I was expecting a claustrophobic, uncomfortable night of sleep. But happily surprised was I. The structure provided by the one pole was more than enough to provide a comfortable interior. I slept well all night. Importantly, it rained on us hard all day and night on the second day, and the bivy was completely dry on this inside. The temperatures were in the mid 50's during the night, but I experience zero condensation even with the bivy closed all night to keep out the rain. The material is really sturdy and feels like it will last forever, which is a big point for me. I can unroll this anywhere and be sure that it wont get punctured. Overall an excellent purchase. I definitely appreciate shedding three pounds off my pack by bringing this bivy instead of my tent. My one gripe is that getting in and out of the bivy is a royal pain due to the relatively small opening, but it is a small price to pay for the weight savings and convenience.


Hiked up to the snow line in Olympic National Park. Too much snow and I couldn’t make it to my intended camp site and I ended up here in the snow bank. There wasn’t much room to set up camp so I picked a level spot under this tree. They bivy was awesome; easy set up and enough head room to read. I didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. I’m 5’4” and 125. Like other reviews there was some condensation, but I did not leave an opening in the zipper like I should have and I think that contributed to the moisture. I had the REI Radiant bag which goes to a lower limit of 19 degrees and I was very comfortable. I had enough room left in my backpack for the tarp and backpacking chair so this was an awesome purchase.


I've tested the Alpine Bivy on several multi-day bowhunting trips and it works great. Temperature ranges from 32 to 43 degrees. I have a 15 degree down bag I use in it. Very little condensation. i was very impressed. I kept the vent most of the way open and was very warm. Also had some light rain with no issues.


Now have about 5 nights in this bivy in fall and winter camping. Works great. I have had some condensation issues in temps below 20 degrees, but it is a matter of figuring out how much ventilation to keep through the zippers. My most recent night in the rain had no condensation and kept me dry.


not all that great, i used it for a four day backpacking trip and the weather wasnt bad so i didnt really use it. maybe its really good for like snowy conditions where there is no dry camp spot but other than that its almost useless.


I made tgus purchase for a homeless hitch hiker i picked up and drive him to santa rosa for some jobs his friend had waiting for him. The bivey was for him and his dog .


I use this for mountain rescue and it has served me well in several drenchers and a bit of snow. I wish the zipper came down a bit farther on one side or the other.


Very high quality and perfect design for the lightweight overnight backpacking trips anywhere you go


So far I've just used this on cold and cool overnighters. Living in Utah, I don't have to deal with some of the concerns of a more humid environment. I guess there might be lighter options, but none so sturdy. Come on, it's two pounds, and you can fit it in your My Little Pony backpack.


This is a great bivy but.... Two things i didnt like, there is no way to prop the hood open with the netting closed. And when the hood is up you have all this bunched up material hanging down in your face. The Fix: i use a piece of string and tie it thru the loop placed ontop of where the pole goes thru and sting it thru the netting zipper, then tie this to a treking pole stuck in ground, then take a clip and clip together all the bunched up material in the bag


This Bivy is listed as 4 season. Which is fine if you can hold your breath while you sleep camping in cold temps. I was snow camping a few times and the condensation was pretty bad. The next time I left the bivy unzipped almost half way and still had lots of condensation. It's a great bivy for 3 seasons. But if you use it in winter time get a snorkel or you're gonna get dripped on.


This outdoor bivy is light weight - Compacts to low profile - DURABLE - -- well worth the money.


Great for quick setup and flexible placement. The REI Flash long and wide sleep pad is a perfect fit.


I sleep in this thing two nights a week (to mitigate my crazy commute from Oakland to UCSC) in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz, CA and it has been great so far. It’s a lot warmer in there than a normal tent, but also if you keep the top open with only the screen zipped shut you don’t wake up feeling like you’re in an oven when the sun comes up. Some tips:


This bivvy fits nicely in a modest sized camelback, weighs next to nothing, and couldn't be easier to use. I'm about 6' and 200 lbs, yet this bivvy was roomy and comfortable.


I bought the Alpine as my first bivy last summer and picked this one out for the tenting pole afraid that I'd be claustrophobic with the fabric laying on my face. It is a decent enough bivy, my friend actually bought one because of using mine after much experimentation with the Aurora, Minimalist, and some military ones. I discovered the fabric on my face doesn't bother me one bit, ironically its the pole and wire rim that aggravate me for packing. Whether rolling it, or stuffing it into the bottom pocket of my pack, that darn wire adds an extra complication that I don't get with the Aurora, which is essentially the same thing minus the pole and wire. In short, my friend loves the Alpine because of tenting the pole up for reading, etc. I love the Aurora because it stuffs quickly and easily into the bottom pouch of my pack with the sleeping bag in it. The GoreTex works for keeping the bag dry whether stowed or in use and is quite breathable. You will get condensation if you don't leave the zipper about 6 inches open at least, but you lose little if any heat through that. My only other beef with the wire rim is that I have to make sure its zipped up in the rain since it holds the bottom lip out like a bowl if not checked.


I read the reviews of this and other bivy's before I purchased it. I have used it a few times this fall to try it out - just down to 41 degrees. Even with it closed, just a little condensation in the footbed and where I was breathing on the side directly. Actually, less wet than a small tent for same conditions. It's easy to set up and works best with the stakes. This adds a lot of warmth to a sleeping system. With a good pad and this bivy, I estimate that I can personally subtract 10 degrees from a high-quality temp rating on a sleeping bag. Somehow adds warmth. I found out that I do need a tarp above it since I cannot bring in much overnight. Too hard to put everything back in my pack to stay dry without a tarp. I tried it in the house and felt too small. But, at night, outside, it is not a problem at all since I cannot see what is over me. I am very satisfied with it - wish I had tried it earlier.


I expected much better from OR. The material is solid but:


I bought this thing because I needed a light weight shelter for a gonzo backpack trip down a gorge. It was horrible. Not only is it like sleeping in a cave with no headroom, there is no ventilation at all. The only way to keep the little pole from falling on your face is to have it zipped tight. Which then closes off any fresh air and the condensation builds up. I slept most of the night with it unzipped and the pole laying across my chest. Eventually I got cold and zipped it up. I woke up to ice all over the INSIDE of the thing, which then shattered and dumped on my face (nice cold shower) when I attempted to unzip the thing. This shelter left me cold and wet, which was exactly the reason I bought the shelter (so i wouldn't be cold and wet). It will be returned to REI tomorrow.


I needed a low profile solo set up for some inconspicuous camping. This works great. I place it on top of a $4 tarp from Ace Hardware. I saw a video on Youtube of this bivy being sprayed by a hose and remaining dry inside but I haven't used it in the rain yet. Definitely watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KO4ad9H0ew


This is a great bivy! It's light, super easy to set up and definitely big enough. The one thing I would change is that when it is fully closed, I get some condensation on the inside of the bivy. If there were even a small vent that would be great.


yet to be tested but while researching this product i came across a lot of comments regarding the lack of a way to keep the flap open and the mesh taut (as opposed to being draped over your face). it's in my living room right now, lip folded over the pole, keeping the mesh taut and the neck/chest area clear of material for better ventilation at warmer temperatures. This will lift the head end of the bottom up a little, shortening the length of the bivy, but maybe that's why they made it so long?


This Bivy is one of the best on the market, it has yet to let me down on even the stormiest nights


New sack used on Trans-Catalina 3 night backpack hike in perfect weather. My sleeping bag got moist despite no rain and only minimal marine layer. Mosquito netting only top was impossible to keep in place. Not a happy camper. I returned it.


The clam shell style opening means that if you open for ventilation while it is raining then the bottom is basically just a big rain scoop catching water. If you close it down enough to not get rain in you'll get wet from condensation. And if you're going to bring a tarp to cover it anyway, then there are much cheaper and lighter bivy sacks with openings around the face to use for that. There just isn't really a point to this thing that I can see.


I tried this gear out on my first week long solo backpacking trip through elevations ranging from roughly 4600 to 8900 ft. This was midsummer, things were great temperature wise, even with intermittent rainstorms up until night 5. I struggled up a forgotten trail to a ridge around 8000 ft right in time to watch a big dark cloud creep across the valley and swallow me up. I was ecstatic to put my new gear to the test, and I was loving the sound of the first hailstones smacking against the fabric of this bivy sack..... then a few hit that stung a little bit.....and then it got cold! My sleeping bag was rated for about 45 degrees, I had a sweater and thin pajama pants. I would love to know what temperature it was, but I think one of the reasons I was chilled so quickly was that the fabric of this bivy sack laid right on top of me with no airspace, along with its load of hail and icy water. I've tried this bivy in winter camping twice, the first night it was at most 18 degrees F, I had a zero degree rated sleeping bag, and thermolite sleeping pad, and I slept cold. I would like to think because the fabric of the bivy was caked in frost, inside and out, and this was laying directly on me. The second outing was a little colder, I brought along a second bag rated for -20 F and nested the 0 F bag inside. It was wonderful!! Warm snuggly bliss in a winter wonderland. There was a problem though, somehow how my thermolite and bag soaked up a lot of moisture on the bottom, I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. So I give this shelter a low rating, I've seen designs of a kind of bivy tent I will try out next. Much less expensive and has a pole system to create an airspace around the occupant. I am anxious to try out the cheap model and see how it compares with this beast. Thanks for reading, Adventure On!


encountered various weather temps and this bivy performed great. Small, light, easy to set up, etc. It's no tent, but I expected that. sets up in 1/2 the time of a tent. packs down about 1/4 the size! Did not try it in the rain or falling snow, but I would suspect a backpack cover would be a must to keep your stuff out of the elements. your backpack won't fit in the bivy with you.


USED BIVY IN ALPINE. TURNED IN TO ICE TUBE! Woke up to a thin layer of ice inside the bivy from condensation. Advertised as all weather bivy but did not hold up in the high sierras in late spring. Multiple design flaws created risk of hypothermia and pneumonia and should be addressed in future designs. I would suggest a tent over this bivy

COMMENTS

lucas27

Can you use this Bivy without the pole?

This bivy can be used without the pole.

Retronerd

Would you recommend a ground cloth/foot print for this bivy?

We do not offer a footprint to go along with this bivy, but you can cut down a lightweight tarp to work as a footprint if needed.

SteveN

How do you set up to look like picture? Do you need tent stakes and taught lines?

The bivy will look the picture when zipped closed.

mel34

I have lost my Outdoor Research bivy poles.  Any idea where I can get replacements?

We suggest contacting Outdoor Research.

Triece

What size sleeping pad will fit inside?  I own a Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad and wonder if it will fit.  It has an inflated size of 72 x 23 x 2.5. 

The sleeping pad you have will fit. The bivy dimensions are 84 x 26.

JCreek

Any experience with placing an OR bivy on a roll-a-cot? Considering its use on rafting trips, where 90% time a cot alone is sufficient..but an occasion cloud burst, or a mosquito thicket warrants protection like a comfortable bivy.

This bivy can be used in combination with a cot for extra comfort. It would provide the comfort of a cot and the protection of a bivy in inclement weather.

Lockup

Does this come with a sleeping pad? If not which would be recommended?

​The Alpine Bivy does not come with a sleeping pad. The REI Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad is a fine choice.

Trampster

Does anyone know if there is a designed way to keep the screen open? Maybe I'm just missing something but I am about to just rig something myself.

Yes, the mesh screen on the Alpine Bivy can be left open. You simply unzip the mesh and store it behind your head (which is where the mesh is attached to the bivy).

JustinZ

I'm interested in buying this bivy but I am 6 foot 6 inches tall and not sure if I will fit inside it. Will this item meet my size requirements ?

The Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy is 84 inches long. 84 inches is exactly 7 feet. This bivy will work for you, but there will only be 6 extra inches to move around in.

Uniroyboy

So I just bought this bivy..... i am urious about care and cleaning... and i cant find anything on the topic.... machine wash? does it need treated\sprayed with anything? I'M LOST.....

The Alpine Bivy should never be put in the washing machine. The agitator will more than likely destroy the ripstop nylon.

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