18 Dec 2014, Posted by Adventure Guide Staff in Gear News
Check out our web site for more information concerning everything seen on our Channel including reviews, insight into what is coming up and a chance to vote … Video Rating: 4 / 5
Prefer the old model, anyone with any claustrophobic issues will go nuts in
the new one. A bug net keeps the mosquitoes out of mine easily. A 100%
nylon, how does it breath? I’ve coated the inside of my tent with moisture
in the fall and winter. Good living room review, need to see them in
action next.
Old Model: Proven and versatile. New Improved Model: Not an improvement at
all if you’re out in the roughest stuff Mother Nature can throw at you.
Gortex vs 100% Nylon: A No-Brainer! Find a tailor and have he or she sew a
swath of mosquito netting into the Old Model, and you have the “REAL”
improved model. If Gortex is too expensive, save your money up and buy it
anyway; the only reason the military changed this item, was to save money,
not to protect it’s soldiers or marines from the environment.
I have the older one, the bug issue is a problem, but a $5 bug net for my
head that I keep rolled up inside it fixed that problem.Bugs don’t crawl in
though, using it in the grassy fields in the snow though I had to use the
pull cords to close up the hole by my head a lot to keep the mice from
coming in. I made the hole smaller than a baseball in diameter and kept my
face by it to avoid condensation from breathing from forming inside and to
keep the mice out, which worked great for me. I had to turn around a bit in
it to keep the zipper side up so the hole by my head was not on the ground
so it was not so easy for mice to access it. The other guys in the group
in my group kept it wide open and one of them woke up with a new mouse
friend who was looking to get warm.Haven’t tried the new one but I’d really
like to it looks alright, maybe too small to get your boots in with you
though. I will have to try it and find out if I can pick one up at a decent
price.
As a “bigger” guy is the older model the best bet? I have a camo head net
that I could use for bugs. Would this be the best bet for someone my size
that needs protection from water and light weight? Thanks.
Used the first generation on a hitch hiking trip and I got totally soak the
first night that it rained within a couple of hours. It that normal or was
it just that my bivy bag was used?
I have the gortex bivy. I use it with an equinox mantis bug net and sleep
pad in Florida. Never had a problem. I always carry an all weather space
blanket to fold around me on colder nights, just have to be on lookout for
risk of becoming a soft taco for bears.
I don’t know if Goertex breathes really,really well or well at all.
Condensation will occur on untreated nylon under certain conditions. Gortex
only “breathes” under very certain circumstances and it takes some
experience to know when and how to use a bivy bag, Goretex or other. Just
my experience. I prefer a uncoated top on a bivy and a tarp of some sort.
Water proof bivys can be soggy.
I had the previous version in the Marine Corps and they were just starting
to issue those new ones in 2011 to my unit. I took the older model up
against both rain and bugs and I found the best tip for using it is to zip
yourself as far as you can go and then grab the open area and close it
tight with your hands and tuck them into your bivy sack. So bugs never got
into mine and I remember a bad rain storm came through one day and I zipped
myself inside it and stayed completely dry.
But for the warmer part the only way to stay warm was with the extra
sleeping bags with it, my feet got COLD in the goretex.
I would be interested to learn what your recommendation would be to solve
the lack of insect netting on the woodland camo version. I have a sense it
would involve something that completely covers the ILBE bivy.
Your newer version, which I suspect is your favorite, would be greatly
helped by using flexible tubing that half-moons around the top of you to
create an air space exactly like the OR Alpine bivy. Surprisingly, so many
items, including military surplus, seem to have a half-baked approach. I
scooped up the camo ILBE ’cause they’re flooding the market for some years
now but I wonder if I could even use the Gore-tex bivy only in the heat of
summer.
The new one isn’t nearly as good as the old one. You give up gortex, the
size needed to add a sleeping bag, and quality zipper and snaps for a small
piece of bug netting? No thanks.
The new model protects from mosquitos AND random dogs trying to love on
you.
Prefer the old model, anyone with any claustrophobic issues will go nuts in
the new one. A bug net keeps the mosquitoes out of mine easily. A 100%
nylon, how does it breath? I’ve coated the inside of my tent with moisture
in the fall and winter. Good living room review, need to see them in
action next.
Just a suggestion for the spiders carry a rubber mallet with you. Spiders
suck.
Old Model: Proven and versatile. New Improved Model: Not an improvement at
all if you’re out in the roughest stuff Mother Nature can throw at you.
Gortex vs 100% Nylon: A No-Brainer! Find a tailor and have he or she sew a
swath of mosquito netting into the Old Model, and you have the “REAL”
improved model. If Gortex is too expensive, save your money up and buy it
anyway; the only reason the military changed this item, was to save money,
not to protect it’s soldiers or marines from the environment.
have you ever got snake or mices in your sleeping bag ?
I have the older one, the bug issue is a problem, but a $5 bug net for my
head that I keep rolled up inside it fixed that problem.Bugs don’t crawl in
though, using it in the grassy fields in the snow though I had to use the
pull cords to close up the hole by my head a lot to keep the mice from
coming in. I made the hole smaller than a baseball in diameter and kept my
face by it to avoid condensation from breathing from forming inside and to
keep the mice out, which worked great for me. I had to turn around a bit in
it to keep the zipper side up so the hole by my head was not on the ground
so it was not so easy for mice to access it. The other guys in the group
in my group kept it wide open and one of them woke up with a new mouse
friend who was looking to get warm.Haven’t tried the new one but I’d really
like to it looks alright, maybe too small to get your boots in with you
though. I will have to try it and find out if I can pick one up at a decent
price.
I used the new sleeping system in Afghanistan and froze my ass off during
the winter months.
As a “bigger” guy is the older model the best bet? I have a camo head net
that I could use for bugs. Would this be the best bet for someone my size
that needs protection from water and light weight? Thanks.
Used the first generation on a hitch hiking trip and I got totally soak the
first night that it rained within a couple of hours. It that normal or was
it just that my bivy bag was used?
I’ve used both of them, and personally i like the older one a lot better.
great review keep them coming
Great vid Luke. keep ’em coming.
I have the gortex bivy. I use it with an equinox mantis bug net and sleep
pad in Florida. Never had a problem. I always carry an all weather space
blanket to fold around me on colder nights, just have to be on lookout for
risk of becoming a soft taco for bears.
I don’t know if Goertex breathes really,really well or well at all.
Condensation will occur on untreated nylon under certain conditions. Gortex
only “breathes” under very certain circumstances and it takes some
experience to know when and how to use a bivy bag, Goretex or other. Just
my experience. I prefer a uncoated top on a bivy and a tarp of some sort.
Water proof bivys can be soggy.
Great review brother keep up the vids.
PUPPIES!!!!!
which is the lighter?
I had the previous version in the Marine Corps and they were just starting
to issue those new ones in 2011 to my unit. I took the older model up
against both rain and bugs and I found the best tip for using it is to zip
yourself as far as you can go and then grab the open area and close it
tight with your hands and tuck them into your bivy sack. So bugs never got
into mine and I remember a bad rain storm came through one day and I zipped
myself inside it and stayed completely dry.
But for the warmer part the only way to stay warm was with the extra
sleeping bags with it, my feet got COLD in the goretex.
i need extra room for my big equipment
I just looked at ebay, I can’t believe how cheap a complete MSS system has
gotten! I might have to get myself a 2nd one while I can.
Any recommendations for an appropriate sized dry bag for the older model
MSS?
I would be interested to learn what your recommendation would be to solve
the lack of insect netting on the woodland camo version. I have a sense it
would involve something that completely covers the ILBE bivy.
Your newer version, which I suspect is your favorite, would be greatly
helped by using flexible tubing that half-moons around the top of you to
create an air space exactly like the OR Alpine bivy. Surprisingly, so many
items, including military surplus, seem to have a half-baked approach. I
scooped up the camo ILBE ’cause they’re flooding the market for some years
now but I wonder if I could even use the Gore-tex bivy only in the heat of
summer.
The new one isn’t nearly as good as the old one. You give up gortex, the
size needed to add a sleeping bag, and quality zipper and snaps for a small
piece of bug netting? No thanks.