Description Bibler Tripod Bivy Todd Bibler's latest creation. The Tripod Bivy is a larger, more spacious (and more civilized) incarnation of the bivy sack for solo adventures, lightweight trips, or anytime you do...
Summary: This bivy is one of the best I have tried and used. I own an older Bibler tent made of Toddex which for a single walled tent is fantastic, first class and the best. The moto "You get what you pay for" is true here. You will never need to spend any more money than your initial investment. I needed to reduce packing weight and this does it. I use a thermarest minimalist pad, Marmot parka, Mountain Hardware insulated pants and Northface 700 booties all for my sleeping bag. I have previously taken these items climbing anyway in addition to a tent and sleeping bag. Now I use the bivy, insulated outfit and have dropped about 8lbs altogether and stay just a warm, dry, not to mention the weight savings.
I recommend this bivy without reservation
Customer Service: Previously used for my tent and they are great. No problems with supplies or help with information.
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Summary: As an avid backpacker, primarily hiking in the American Southwest in terrain that varies from the Grand Canyon to the 14ers in Colorado, I consider the Tripod one of my "must have" items for it's light weight, excellent constuction and ease of use. It's done well in all conditions that have been thrown it's way. While I've used it in winter and in the snow I have not been extreme cold conditions- but based on my current experiences I would not hesitate to do so.
It took a couple of times setting it up to get the sequence down but since then it is a snap. My other shelters are tents (mostly Mtn Hardwear) and I had an old (really old) Slumberjack biv that gave out many years ago. The important thing to understand is that this is a bivy, not a tent. Given that it is a bivy it is quite spacious- enough head room to read and roll over easily. I love the mesh and have found that when I wake to the feel of raindrops through the mesh I am able to zip up the outer layer quickly. The Tripod is bombproof in bad weather- there is nothing like being warm and dry in a down bag at 11,000 ft in the midst of a all night series of thunderstorms.
As a shorter person (5'4")there are some advantages in getting in and out of the bivy but I don't have any complaints with getting into or out of the bivy.
The only other reality is that it is such a bomber bivy that when the temps are warmer I make sure to downsize the sleeping bag to make sure I don't get too hot.
Overall- it is a light weight, well made biv shelter that delivers.
Customer Service: N/A
Similar Products Used: Slumberjack
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Summary: I'm an avid canoeist and go for 5+ day trips into the back-country of local Ontario (Canada)Provincial parks. I used to pack a two man Mountain Hardwear "Room With a View Tent) which is also a GREAT product (discontinued now) but found I wanted something lighter and more compact due to the extreme portaging that I do. I bought my buddy the OR advanced Bivy as a birthday gift a year prior to purchasing my Bibler tripod and I'm VERY happy I didn't get the OR for myself as well. Not that its a bad product, i just find the Tripod to be the perfect Bivy/Tent crossover, bare bones single person shelter out there. I also got a great deal which included the footprint for the price mentioned above. I haven't seam sealed it yet but you can tell this thing is water tight! The Todd Tex materials are VERY tough and effective. You can tell this is a higher end pcs. of equipment. I love the design and there was much more room in this little guy then I anticipated. I'm 6'1 & 195 Lbs. and I found the room to be quite adequate. Lets remember this is NOT a tent! If you require a lot of room you should be looking at Single man TENTS. I had no issues getting in or out of this as some have suggested. Slide your feet in first all the way down and duck your head under the canopy. Simple as that. I had room at the head to put my 10L dry bag and extra clothes. Set up was a bit tricky at first but once you do it a couple of times its a no-brainer. Head room is great and i can even hang a mini flashlight inside allowing me to read. The bug mesh is great and sleep with it open at night allowing a breeze and a great view of the stars, AWESOME! My only gripes with this Bivy is that it is a 4 SEASON pcs. of equipment and thus due to the tough water tight materials can get pretty warm inside. Not recommended to sleep in on extreme humid hot nights. I did this with the window open and there was some condensation on the polls inside the bivy, felt like i was in an oven! I would recommend adding foot vents and maybe side hidden vents near the head. People say they can't set it up in rain. I don't know about most people but I always bring a tarp in case bad weather. I use a lean-to set up allowing me to keep equipment and part of the Bivy dry. I also use a Sea Line pro pack which keeps all my gear dry regardless. I keep it right near the door in case i need to access it. All in all AWESOME! I would have given it a 5 star rating but after being roasted one night and lack of foot vent(at the least) i had to remove a star. It is a bit pricey, same cost as a descent 2 man tent. For people looking to lighten the load and conserve space, while being able to have a bombproof sleeping system this is the way to go! This is my first Bibler (distributed by Black Diamond) product and I don't think I'll buy a tent from any other manufacturer for quite some time. Their quality and attention to detail as seen on this product is unmatched!
Customer Service: Never had to use
Similar Products Used: OR Advanced Bivy
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Reviewed by: ZiyaDikman(Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
, from Mountain View, CA, USA
Price Paid:
$285.00
at Northern Mountain Su
Summary: I've been quite satisfied with my Bibler Bivy and highly recommend it. I'd strongly encourage anybody considering buying a bivy to try this one out as I've never been dissatisfied with my purchase.
Pros: Very lightweight, roomy (for a bivy), incredibly well built (a brick S#!^house), small footprint, well ventilated (for a bivy), nice color, did I mention light weight, bug screen, inner gear pocket?
Cons: (only two, relatively minor ones) Getting into the thing can be a pain. I'm 6'3" and have the X-long model and need to go through a bit of bending and folding to work my way in to the sack. As noted in other reviews 12 inches more on the zipper would be just right. Setup... the fit of the poles is rather tight. I find it a bit disconcerting to be stretching the poles and fabric so much, but on the other hand once I get them in the thing feels ultra-stable. While I haven't needed it, I get the feeling that Bibler/Black Diamond will stand behind their products and would take care of things if a seam blew out which I find very difficult to believe.
Recommendation to Bibler if they ever read this kinda stuff: I'd love to see a couple of clear, vinyl pannels on the sides of the bivy in future models... it feels a bit claustrophobic only being able to look out in one direction. Oh yeah... and a longer zipper.
Customer Service: None needed
Similar Products Used: None
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Reviewed by: Pete (Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
, from Corner Brook, NL
Price Paid:
$200.00
at Off the Internet
Summary: I bought the Bibler off the Internet to use as a light weight piece of camping equipment for solo excursions. I have a Moss Superdome which is too heavy for solo treking. I'll break it down in Pros and Cons!
Pro: VERY light weight and very well constructed! I find the Todd-Tex fabric super and have used it in all conditions, from sun, rain and snow. Never leaked and I stayed dry. The headroom is great for a bivy, and the mesh "window" makes it quite breathable to cut down condensation. Good for reading, removing contacts etc., and the side pocket is handy too!
Cons: As other people stated, I think there is a small design flaw when it comes to setting the bivy up. The two head poles are VERY tight, and difficult to fit in grommets. Easier getting in the grommets than taking them out though. Feels like the seams may tear at any moment, or may break a pole! In the cold Newfoundland weather this can be a miserable task! I think this situation really needs to be looked at. Also, this is NOT a tent! I'm 6'1" (195 pounds) and it's pretty cramped. No room for anything else but a fleece or two for a pillow. Bit tricky to move around in also. This is fine when the weather is nice, but in foul weather, you have to undress outside and then crawl in. This means getting wet! Pretty hard to crawl into also if you are tall! Zipper should be extended more.
Conclusion: If you are a weight freak looking for a very light, very well constructed piece of equipment, this bivy is for you. I think if you camp in a area where you have 4 seasons (like Canada!) a small light weight solo tent (Moss Outland, MSR 1.5, Walrus 1.5) might be a little better. Durability might be down a little in bad weather, but much more room and you can dress, undress in one.
That said, I will keep the Bibler (excellent bivy for drier days), but look for a solo tent for more "nastier" days!
Customer Service: Never needed to use it!
Similar Products Used: NF and OR bivys
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