This is a wonderful device for keeping yourself warm and dry, and is wonderful if you camp with others in under a tarp. The Gore-Tex sometimes can't keep up with my sweat if it's hot, but usually you can't go wrong with Gore. The poles and netting make this bivy excellent if you like to read without bugs divebombing your headlamp. Due to its small size though, I would recomend that you use a small tarp over the head of the bag; this way you can cook in the rain, stow you gear out of the rain, or provide a doggy a place to sleep, because who wants a wet mutt in a bivy with you? Excellent for solos, or anything else.

Customer Service

OR makes good stuff, so I haven't had to talkto them.

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This was my first bivy.

I used my OR Advanced Bivy in the mountains last fall and on the desert floor this winter. It was a warmer than usual experience, despite once having to rely on a cheap sleeping bag. This is probably due to the GoreTex and (according to literature and common sense) a smaller volume of air in the bivy that needed warming. I didn't even zip the sleeping bag when the temperatures went into the 20's (note: I sleep warm) and the winds started gusting (bivy so mobile, I hid between two regular tents). When I got up in the cold morning, packing up was a breeze while tent dwellers had to stop packing in order to warm their mitts. Setting up and dressing can be chores due to the limited space. I did not feel clausterphobic even once. In the morning, I noticed some condensation by my mouth where (I assume) the water vapor exceeded the ability of the GoreTex to transfer it. The zippers can be tricky to work in the dark. Overall, an excellent product; this product and I are going to have a long relationship

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Peak 1 Cobra (light tent)

All in all this bivy sac is an excellent piece of shelter. Because it is a bivy though the space is obviously going to be tight. I have owned my bivy for over a year and have used it in every situation imaginable. It has with stood snow, sleet, rain, and high winds at high altitude. There are small loops outside the bag along the bottom so that it can be staked down if desired. It is very light weight essentially being a gortex bag with a zipper and piece of mesh netting which can zip out if you really want to save weight no matter how little. It is ideal for solo trips,if you don't mind being naked in mother nature, or as a shelter when weight is a concern on a summit push. My only complaints deal with the amount of space availabe, but it is a bivy sac so that is the nature of the beast, and are as follows: don't get caught in a storm for more than a day and expect to cook indoors no room, the foot of the bag can't be made to stand up so placing a sleeping bag inside and seeing to the foot of the bag can be difficult. Also since it is a bivy limmited amount of gear can come into the sac so for any one using it I would advise having some sort of pack cover if wet weather is expected. I would recomend this bivy sac to any one looking for a light weight bombproof piece of shelter. But I will also say that I'm only about 5 foot 9 inches and have an issue with space so tall people beware they may want to borrow a freinds or try setting it up in the store and geting in and out wearing what ever gear they expect to have on when using it. I've found this approach works well in determining what gear I will buy.

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Other OR products that I use include: OR Sleeping Bag Cover (made of Dryloft and Gortex)Has save my sleeping bag from spills in the tent on several occasions, OR Stuff Sacs which come in various shapes and sizes, OR Gaiters and,an OR Crampon Case.

This is an incredible product. It weighs nothing and packs very small. I use this with an Marmot Arroyo bag, silk bag liner, and a 3/4 length thermarest self inflaing pad. Setting up and breaking camp can be very fast - leave all 3 pieces together (pad and bag in the bivy), open the pad valve, roll all three pieces up starting from the bottom, close the pad valve and slide that cylinder into your pack. This style eliminates the need to carry individual sacks for each of those three pieces AND the bivy serves as a waterproof bag for the down sleeping bag.
My complaint about this bivy is the difficultly inserting and removing the poles from their sleeves. OR should double the diameter of the sleeves.
On the other hand, this double pole system is great for keeping the fabric off of your face while sleeping (even when the wind is gusting) and it gives you a wide range of air flow for ventilation.

I'vs had it for 6 years and it hasn't failed me yet. Very light and got me through a funnel-cloud producing thunderstorm the dryest one in camp. Can't beat it!

Product Quality if fantastic - but keep in mind it's a bivy - very small, and you'd best be prepared to change outside. Plus side is weight - very little of it !!

Well I guess I am the minority here. I actually hate this product. I have used it in Zion, Canyonlands, Bryce, Shenandoah, and the White Mountains. The only nice thing about this bivy is that its waterproof. That's it. The problems I have: 1) the zippers are the worst piece of construction I have ever seen on a tent. Hard to find in the dark and snags all of the time. 2) the loop system does not work properly; 3) the poles are pathetic, they bend and do not snap in place easily; 4) there is no room whats-so-ever; 5) it is not breathable. If you are not deterred by any of these problems, I am willing to sell it to you at a good price. Which leads me to another issue, its way to expensive.

Customer Service

I am too pissed off to even call them.

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Everything that I own from OR has been excellent, except for the Bivy.