The Bivvy Scenario
As I look into finding the best items to put in my Prep Bag, I got in two bivvys. I wanted a bivvy in the bag because it can be used in a multitude of ways.
Most of the bivvys that I have come across seem to be made by a couple of manufactoures and then licensed out to companies. I’m not 100% sure of this, but with all the ones I looked at, there sure were a lot of bivvys that looked EXACTLY the same. So I chose one of those, the Tact Bivvy® 2.0 Emergency Sleeping Bag w/ HeatEcho® Technology, Paratinder, & Whistle by Frog & CO. I also chose one that wasn’t made to look the same. And that was Titan Survival’s EMERGENCY SLEEPING BAG, SAFETY-ORANGE.
Specs: Tact Bivvy
WEIGHT: 7 oz
SIZE: 7ft x 3ft (84” x 36”) - Length x Width
Specs: Titan Survival
SIZE (PACKED): 6” x 3.25” x 3.25” - Length x Width x Depth
SIZE (UNROLLED): 6.5ft x 3ft (78” x 36”) - Length x Width
TOTAL WEIGHT (IN STUFF SACK): 4.3 ounces (120g)
BAG THICKNESS: 35µm - 40µm (vs. 25µm competitor average)
When I look at the specs, the first thing that comes to my eye is the physical length. There’s a half a foot difference between the two. That’s a big difference for someone like me who is over 6 feet tall.
Moving on to the next item that I noticed was the bag thickness. Just feeling the two bivvys, the Titan doesn’t feel as thick or as stout. When I open up both of them, the Tact Bivvy just feels better. You can sort of tell this when you look at the weight. There’s almost 39% more weight with the Tact Bivvy over the Titan Survival. This has a direct correlation to how these items feel in the hand. I’m not saying that weight is making the Tact Bivvy better, but when you pick the two up, it just feels better.
Overall decision:
I have to decide which bivvy is the right bivvy for the Prep Bag. And it’s not a cut and dry answer. Both bivvys have merits. Both are good in their own right. If I was strictly looking for weight savings, then it’s a no brainer. The Titan Survival is the answer. But if I’m going for something that makes me feel that it’s the right thing to have, then that is the Tact Bivvy. It’s the one that I’m going to put in the bag.
Final Decision:
Tact Bivvy® 2.0 Emergency Sleeping Bag w/ HeatEcho® Technology, Paratinder, & Whistle by Frog & CO
Here’s the full version for the song used in the into to Episode 5