First Impressions: Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy

The awesome folks at Altitude-sports.com sent me a brand new Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy to use, abuse, and review!

I’ve only just received the bivy, so a definitive review will have to wait until I’ve had the chance to put it through some truly adverse weather, but I wanted to share my first impressions.

Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy Pros/Cons

Pros

The Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy is waterproof, thanks to its GORE-TEX construction. I expected this to add significant bulk in terms of both weight and size; however, the overall package is still surprisingly light.

It also has a double full-zip closure, so it’s possible either lay and watch the stars through a no-see-um mesh or to zip completely sealed in behind GORETEX. The former is ideal for those nights in the desert when wimps like me are worried about creepy-crawly things sneaking into their sleeping bag. The latter works great for stormy nights, or when the added warmth of the bivy sack is essential to surviving the night.

Although I have spent just a single night in the bivy, I didn’t encounter any condensation issues despite camping in prime conditions. Humidity was high and there was a massive overnight temperature swing, but my sleeping bag stayed nice and dry.

Cons

The Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy is a pretty sweet package, but the only negative I could find is its sizing. It’s shorter than I expected. It’s a real stretch for my 6’3” frame. It’s also far less spacious than my previous bivy sack that included a single loop closure similar to the Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy. As it is, it is a tight fit to have my sleeping pad and sleeping bag inside the Aurora bag.

Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy Overall

Thus far, the Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy seems like a massive upgrade over my previous version. It’s lighter and more waterproof, which is a sweet combination!

It’s definitely going to become a staple on my upcoming bikepacking adventures, at which time I’ll have more to share about its performance.

Thanks you Altitude-Sports.com for the awesome piece of gear!