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First Impressions: Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy

June 10, 2014 by Jeff B. 2 Comments

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
Bivy sacks, like this Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy, make bikepacking and camping super easy. It’s so much less obtrusive than a tent, takes seconds to get ready for bed, and seconds to pack up in the morning.

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.

Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy
The Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy, my sleeping pad and sleeping bag all fit nicely in a single package in my handlebar roll. Super easy camping setup!

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

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