Pitch ANYWHERE! Outdoor Research Helium Bivy 

This is a great review. Thanks for making it. That bivvy sure does exemplify ultra-light camping.

It’s bad enough getting in & out of a tent when ya getting on so I can’t imagine me getting into a bivvy let alone getting out of it 😂

I had a custom bivy made by Mountain Laurel Designs that has an 87 inch girth, no tapering, with an 85 inch length. Just wanted plenty of wiggle room and be able to put my pack and shoes inside in bad weather. It also has a side zip which makes it much easier to get in. The upper fabric is eVent, about as breathable as you'll find.

I carry this as an emergency shelter during my day hikes. Have never had to use it, but am confident it will help me in a bad situation.

Just got mine, upgrade from the old SOL emerg bivy I have used in the past. Looking forward to using this. Seems pretty useful as a shelter to get a good sleep in for the weight. Bit pricey for what you get but then OR is a good brand.

Well-made video.

❤

Looks like a good option for summer when you are sat outside for most of the evening anyway

I just spent 2 nights in one of these. First day I hiked 6 hours in rain and went to bed in rain. Had a small tarp above me to shield the opening from rain, but of course I crawled in fairly damp. There was considerable condensation. Pretty sure I didn't get any rain coming through, but my bag and I were wet in the morning. Day 2 was dry and sunny, so I hung it up, inside out, to dry out before crawling in. Again, I had massive condensation. The temperature outside dropped probably 25°F (14°C) after I crawled in, so that may have contributed to the condensation. At any rate, I'm disappointed that it doesn't breathe better. It's also so narrow I could not reach my feet. I didn't stake down or use the guy wire, and I liked being able to move around/sit up with the bivvy following me.

Just looking at the Alpkit elan also & I think a hybrid of both would be the perfect bivvy.Guy ropes, a side zip,a roll up toggle point for the hood etc it’d be a bit heavier around 600 grams but would be the game changer I think.Excellent review by the way👍

Having claustrophobia issues the only use this amazing lightweight bivvy bag would have for me is as a very useful emergency shelter as you suggested. Think I'd want to stabilise it with a guy rope or two, definitely fix the entrance flap more efficiently & I wonder how much it'd flatten down with heavy rain falling on it as it's so loose. You made me laugh with the comment about not suffocating in a giant bin bag!! 😸

Thanks for the insight. Considering going more light weight. Think I'll cop the weight and stick with the tent

Just ordered one of these april 2nd its coming the 11th, very excited

I just picked one up for $200, planning to do a traverse route with only a bivvy spot for shelter. We might do it in 1 day, but it was on sale, so might as well just in case.

I just got this bivy because of all the good reviews. I thought the mosquito only mode was weird too. BUT.. you can pull the water proof part over the pole, to the foot side. It makes it look sort of like a sweatshirt hoodie. Then it's exactly how you think it should be. I think those little internal clips keep you from pulling it too far over, since you want the zipper to run along the pole. It's easier to do than explain! You will have covered the guy loop at the top middle of the pole, but you could creative with that. It seems like the hoop will stay up when staked down.

Great review! Thanks for taking the time 😁.

Thanks, interesting bivy. My Tarptent NOTCH Li is small (i.e. narrow) but still far roomier that the OR bevy and about the same weight but requires you have two adjustable hiking poles - and a very "adjustable" budget.. I want a bevy in only one circumstance, sleeping in a snow cave or quinzhee, and it shold have a Gore Tex top.

4:45 I imagined that in rain😮 I think I would pitch a tarp first. Thanks for the review

Love the video, but you're a brave man camping on top of a grave!

This & your later video on why you're selling it are both good. I bought my Helium maybe 6 years ago. Different font makes an older version easy to identify. It has 3 loops at the top, 2 at the bottom, think it's much better than just the 2 on this newer version. Annoying thing: when you roll up the storm flap over your head it still hangs down. My solution: I keep 3 laundry clips in the little zipper pouch to clip the flap higher, off my face. Foam earplugs & an eye mask stay in the pouch also. With 5 stakes mine is 620g. When hiking ultralight / road trip in my car with almost no storage space / bike touring I like the bivy. I like how compact, light it is; fast setup anywhere. Camp by the side of the car in a parking lot. But it has compromises - I sleep just ok, still bring a tarp if rain is in the forecast = added weight, volume . Condensation is always a problem. One chilly night I had it fully zipped, woke in the middle of the night gasping for air. My 1 person (technically 2) tent is a lot more spacious, I sleep better but takes more time to set up, needs staking.

I got a Rab Ridge Raider recently really liking it is far. This looks good as well.

I like the fact that the mesh is bkack, makes it easier to see out. A white mesh inhibits the view out by reflection.

Nice looking graveyard

Definitely a summer bivvy bag mate can't see why you would use this item in winter definitely not an winter gest great video as allways mate 👍👍👍

I'm 71 years old and will definately give this a miss.

I wonder if the single peg points are to reduce the chances of ripping out the loops, for example if you trip over the entrance or are inclined to try and over-tension the whole thing to lift the fabric.

Thanks for dropping my name in. Shame I can't find the link to my channel 🤣😜 I hope you get on well with the bivvy. Mine was a real revelation on my outings last summer, and I'm looking forward to getting out in it again before too long. I think I made the same remark about pegging points - although I'd prefer to have four loops, I suppose they're only really there to stop it blowing away when you're not in it. James.

The downside 9f them is that you dont have a vestibule so when you have to get up tou have to go outside immediately❤ if you have to cook you cook away from the bivy. And you eant to sit same thing. So theyre only if you want to sleep right away. ❤

Those pegging out points are just weird lol

Squezzing in from the Back End can be fun but not in a Bivy.........do the Side Entry thing 👌

Looks like mynydd y lan i still use my rab ridge master bivy no longer made love the side entry easy to get in and out.

Well, a lightweight backpacking 2P tent is usually around 600 EUR. I'd say, getting two of these plus a tarp will still keep you below that hefty price. I am a big fan of tents but this seems to be a very nice alternative.

I hope the new 9ne has the top loop that helpa alit. ❤

Looks nice, weird pegging out only on opposite sides? I’ve never bivy camped but like the look of it.

Great review. Have you tried this with a wide 25” rectangle sleeping pad?

I really wanted to love bivys. But I tried several and the issues with condensation were too much. Even the breathable ones were soaked. Tried setups with my head out and it made little difference. With such lightweight, small footprint tents on the market, I finally gave up on bivys.

Thank you for a very well put together review! I am a tentperson when out and about on my walks, but i am very curious about these bivy´s and thinking about buying one. I do about 3-5 days in the Swedish mountains with varying weather so i always need too keep my backpack safe from the wet. Do you have a solution for the backpack when using a bivy instead of a tent? You can not fit the backpack in the bivy? For context i walk around 15-20 kilometers a day, 20-25 kg on my back in a 75 liter backpack, I’m 184 cm tall and whey in att around105 kg. Could this be an option for someone like me? Please excuse my poor english skills, it’s not my native language. Sincerely, An outdoors nerd.

Looks too much for what it is to me but thanks for sharing ..air flow looks a problem too 👍🏻

You mentioned that it doesn't have an anchor point. I think that is not all that bad because it requires only two stakes.

Thank you for sharing. For me, a bivy makes no sense, I own lifgtweight tarptents with only 200 g more weight but plenty of room to sit up, change clothes, store my gear safe and dry and the footprint take just a little more space. Condensation is just a minor problem compared to a bivy.

Question, would the mesh keep midges out or is it only designed for mosquitoes?

The thing I don’t like about them is that my stuff always get wet if it rains because I don’t really know where to put it I don’t want to bring a plastic bag or something to put my stuff in or over so if anyone has any recommendations please let me know or if anyone knows of a relatively cheap and lightweight tent/bivi that has enough space to comfortably fit one person and hiking bag with shoes

I WATCHED 1 SET UP LEFT OUT IN RAIN BOTTOM COLLECTED WATER AND LEAKED LIKE CRAZY BUT ALSO WATCHED 1 HAD NO TOP RAIL OVERHEAD SO THEY USED A POOL NOODLE INSTEAD OF ROD MAYBE EVEN CUT IN HALF TO FIT BOTTOM OF THIS TO KEEP WATER FROM SETTING ON TOP , 🤔MIGHT JUST WORK OUT FOR YOU BIG OR SMALL GIVE IT A TRY?

Good review. More than enough pegging points especially when they become redundant when you are in. Its all about keeping weight to a minimum and cost. Is that a boundary stone behind you.

What about moisture by breathing the whole night inside?

do you also need a sleeping bag and a mattress? thanks

Can anyone suggest what sleeping pad would fit inside this the best?

I own a Snugpak Ionosphere and I think it's the best bivy ever. Completely waterproof and plenty of room for me and my 65L pack inside. The low profile and olive drab green color, make it a very effective, stealth-camping tent. The Outdoor Research Alpine AscentShell Bivy is also nice but much smaller inside than the Ionosphere yet much easier to get in and out of. I'd like to see a rain test on this bivy to see if it's actually waterproof, how well it ventilates and what it's like in windy storm conditions. There's many 1-person tent alternatives that might make more sense, depending on your needs.

It’s not for me, I like to have my comforts while I’m out wild camping.. I’d feel like I wouldn’t even be able to breath in that tiny space, but then I do suffer a little from claustrophobia. I have however just purchased a new MW Backpacker-1 Lightweight, a deluxe bivvy style tent for only £55 brand new, so really looking forward to trying that out on my next camp! Slept out in the garden in it the other night, feels like a tardis inside - so much space, and also really light and airy with that inner silver foil lining. This also will be great for star-gazing, as the long side entrance door rolls back halfway over the top, so you can see most of the sky while laying on your back with the mesh door closed.. It’s only single skin though. The dimensions on this are a measured L235, W100, H75cm. Only weighs 1030g. (without the pegs) Strangely though it uses more pegs than my 4 other shelters… 16 in total!! 😂

Hi there, nice video review mate. I have one of these bivys, and I am seriously UNDERWHELMED by it's absolute lack of essential items, such as at least x3 more peg loops for the base. Seriously-x2 peg loops ro hold down a lightweight bivy bag in a gale when setting up is crazy. Yes its just a bivy bag, and yes its lightweight..but for the ridiculously high price ($349 NZD) I really don't think its worth it. I only keep mine in my pack as a lightweight emergency bivy now... The one for sale here in NZ doesnt even come with a footend pole or a single guy rope and not even a single peg-which is crazy for a premium priced item like this. Im glad your review highlighted a few deficiencies of this product-because while I realise its a bivy bag, not a tent- I think its seriously overpriced for what it is. And once it starts bunching up on you in the rain...the weatherproof factor starts going down the dunny...at least thats my experience so far... I;m sure there are plenty of people out there who love this bivy....but I'm not one of them.

I can't believe you would use thos over a swag. You guys are nuts.

Not for me, but each to their own. I have a one man tent that has similar size but is side opening option. Good for Stealth camps and weighs nowt.

I got mine brand new, it did not come with tent pegs

Thank you for the review! Looks very roomy. Could a shorter woman (5'4") fit a 40l bag inside this bivy?

Can you have a 100l backpack inside?

Dutch army hopped bivvy all day long over that I'm sorry

Have you had it in heavy rain though, because thats what matters at the end of the day. There is no need for even a bivvy and just use a sleeping bag on its own if there is no rain about. I know they say `waterproof` but even the best gore-tex still lets in water and this i'snt gore-tex. I have a military grade gore-tex bivvy bag (no setup just roll out) and it still lets in water, I use a DD tarp - MC 3 x 3m (The Chris Ryan one) & Berghaus Peak self inflating mattress (wider one) with it now (combined weight of all 2.5kg).

Hi Kev, when is that "send me some sun" draw??

Oh man you pitched on someone grave 😮

It looks like a super light weight sweat bag. Condensation will be a nightmare in this bag in real field conditions. I would avoid.

Hi 👋 . I am from Ukraine, my english is bad. Please say this is Bivy good or bad ? Senks

is it normal to stand on graves when you do you outdoor gear reviews in your country?

U really planning sleeping at night near that scary grave ??! 😂

Looks like a camp in a gravesite

we all heard it lol

Either he's a big tall guy or that tent is small for a midget to sleep in.That thing looked short.

Why are you sleeping on a grave site?...or am I confused and missing something?

Why would he set up that body bag next to a grave head stone? Who in there right mind would set up a body bag in a cemetery next to the dead. 🤔

Pitching a bivvy over a grave??

This looks like a terribly cramped and uncomfortable experience, you can’t even sit up or get changed if the weather is bad. I’m not sure who would use this unless it’s a survival situation or some kind of ultralight challenge

Looks flappy/flimsy and seems like it would blow away in anything above a gentle breeze🙂

Looks terrible.. but top review so far

That bivvy is a hot mess

way too expensive

Nah, don't like it 😊