[leadin]We’re not often fans of hybrid products, and combining a backpack and a bivy sack is a questionable concept. But if you’re looking to always have a ‘home’ on your back, check out the BivyPack option.[/leadin]
Bivy sacks are lightweight shelters that provide a quick and somewhat protected place to sleep. The Freestyle BivyPack, a to-be-released product, attaches the pitch-anywhere shelter to an innocuous 40-liter backpack.
Two carbon-fiber poles serve as an internal frame for the backpack and are used to support the peak of the bivy when pitched. The bivy sack unrolls for setup. Items carried in the bag can be used as a pillow or bedding, the company notes.
You can’t separate the two, so if you go on a day hike, you must carry the bivy; and you can’t remove the bivy to carry it in another pack when more volume is needed.
The backpack is made from a waterproof ripstop nylon. In “sleep mode” you put your feet and legs inside the pack. The upper half is simply a bug mesh — great for keeping insects at bay, but worthless for snow or rain.
The mesh area is designed to be covered up by a rain jacket, thus providing some protection from the elements. So, yeah, this ain’t technical equipment here.
Pack Made For Backpackers, ‘Homeless’ People
It was invented by Kenny Flannery, a man who has lived out of his backpack since 2007 traveling the world.
Who should buy this pack? Hobos come to mind, and indeed Flannery says it was built for the traveler who “doesn’t want to have to stay in a hostel or hotel every night.”
He also notes “homeless people” are candidates for the product but “the fact that you have the Freestyle BivyPack means your home is ready to roll out at a moment’s notice,” he writes.
We’d use it for international travel. Or maybe as a “bug-out bag” or a survival day pack. Some peace of mind could come from knowing, if worse comes to worst, you can always crawl inside your backpack and go to sleep.
The Freestyle BivyPack is seeking funding on Kickstarter. Get yours for $200.
