Re: [pct-l] tents....

[Jeff Eckert <jeeter@cari.net>]

Tom Hopkins wrote:

> A friend of mine bought a Kelty "Jimmy Bivy"[I think I have the name
> right. He said it weighs 2 lbs. I am sure the packed weight is higher.
> It is apparently single wall tent with more room than a Eureka Gossamer.
> Has anyone seen one or have any experience with one? I couldn't find it
> mentioned on the Kelty homepage.
>

Tom,

I posted what follows, to another group a while back......

  "I received one from the Sierra Trading Post yesterday.  2#7oz  tent,
pole, 4 aluminum stakes, sans stuff bag.   I could gain an oz by
subbing titi stakes, and possibly another oz by removing tags, warning
labels, and logo patches.  I'd probably gain the oz back by having to
seal the patch holes.

The bivy is excellent dimensionally.  I'm 6'1", and with myself in a
bag, centered under the hoop, I had a good 3.5 ft. of space above my
head, and a foot below my feet.  This would provide more than enough
space to enclose everything I carry.  If I positioned myself
accurately, I could just sit up with my head brushing the hoop.
However, I'd still have to do some contortions to slip on a pair of
pants, or a jacket, because if my head moved an inch fore or aft, I'd
be fighting the slope of the roof.  The entrance is on a side panel,
and when unzipped, drooped into the bivy space.  In rainy conditions,
one would have to accept some mop up after entering.  However, with
scrunching, this could be accomplished more easily that with other
bivies I've been in.

My primary beef concerns the lack of ventilation.  The bivy has three
vents, all of which are arranged near the hoop.  There are no vents at
the head or foot of the bivy.  There are two smaller vents (maybe 20
square inches each) within a 12" of the floor.  They are hooded, (in
the manner of the Micro Swift door vent) and the hoods are supported
with delrin rods.  One of the two may be zippered closed.  The third
vent is on the top surface, forward of the hoop, running from the hoop
down about eighteen inches, and following the curve of the doorway
zipper.  This vent would of necessity be closed during rain, in that
it is placed directly above the spot occupied by one's head.  The full
door opening is not mosquito netted, just the area covered by the
third vent.  To combat critters, one would have to close the door
completely and rely on the 3 vents for air flow.

Our forecast last night was for scattered drizzles, and a low of 55.
I set up the bivy, and climbed in about 10:30. All three vents were
open.  I am happy to report that there is more than enough room to
prop one's self on an elbow, and comfortably read by flashlight.
Practicing bad science, I did not conform to true camping conditions,
and used the pillow from my bed.  The bivy floor was more than wide
enough to accommodate the pillow without it touching the side walls.

I awoke at 6:30, to a moderate ground fog.  As expected, the outside
surface of the tent was quite wet, and a bit droopy.  (There are no
provisions for guying the roof panels, or tightening the side panels,
shy of pulling on the four corner stakes.)  The inside surfaces of the
bivy were also quite wet.  They felt as if they had been thoroughly
sprayed by water from a Windex bottle.  It probably didn't amount to
any more than a 1/2 a cup of moisture, but if I touched  one of the
surfaces, drops would fly off.  The roof vent occasionally dripped in
my face.

My biggest beef overall, is the bivy's inability to be opened up in
fair weather situations, and still remain bug tight.  Before I send
the bivy back, I will be looking at modifying the netting at the door,
and perhaps replacing some of the side panels with netting and adding
1.1 sylnylon awnings.  Probably, I'll return it.  If anybody out there
wants to play with it, let me know in the next couple of days, and
it's yours for $75.  I'll ship for free."


hope this helps,

Jeff



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