Man and Bike Adventures

I’ve been eyeing off a Black Diamond Twilight Bivy sometime now. The main reason was that I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not. My main concerns were, would it be claustrophobic? Is there a lot of condensation? Would it leak? How rugged is it? Would it be warm in winter?

Fortunately, there was an end of year sale with 40% off, so I decided it was now or never and ended up purchasing one and set off planning a two-day trip to try it out.

So here’s what I like about the Black Diamond Twilight Bivy

Size matters
If size matters, this bivy compacts to about 9cm x 8cm, smaller than any tent I’ve ever had my hands on and can be stowed away in your tank bag or even the kangaroo pocket of your motorcycle adventure jacket.

It has a sleeping area of 84cm x 208cm, so it’s definitely a one-person bag no matter how close you are with your significant other.

If you’re a side sleeper like myself, there’s enough height not to feel restrained unless you’re a broad lad or lady. You’ve got about 50cm to play with height-wise.

Don’t sweat it
Being in a cocoon has its advantages, the Black Diamond Twilight Bivy traps your heat. I was using a negative three sleeping bag inside the bivy and the outside temperatures got to negative 2. I was toasty warm all night.

Claustrophobic much?
In saying this, I sleep with the top of the bivy open and just the mesh ziped up to keep out any creepy crawlies (if it didn’t have the mesh enclosure, that would be a deal-breaker for me) this also helps with any claustrophobic fears you may have as it’s a bit like sleeping under the stars. I’m sure this is also the reason why condensation was limited, I can imagine if you slept with it all zipped up it would get quite damp inside.

Rain or Shine?
I’ve read mixed reviews on this before purchasing the bivy, and from my own experience, it’s been watertight. I often bring a DD Tarp and use that as extra protection from torrential downpours as I found out from my last trip where it rained all night long. I’m not sure it would have stayed watertight that night.

Rugged enough for the Aussie Outback?
At first glance, you’d think it would rip like paper, but the NanoShield Single-Wall Fabric is quite robust. I’d treat it more like a tent though and use a groundsheet as it’s not going to be as rugged as an Aussie swag.

Am I happy with my bivy purchase? Yeah, I’m impressed. It’s lived up to my expectations, and I love the fact it saves so much room on my motorcycle for other essential things like extra whisky. Like all things, there’s a time, and a place and It’s not something I’d take on a week-long trip. But a weekend away riding and camping in the high country or an overnighter with the boys I think it’s well worth having compared to a swag if you don’t want all the extra bulk.

If you’re after a lightweight, minimalist camp shelter, you can get yours from Amazon for about $149.00.

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