Bivy sacks have long offered a great alternative to minimalist campers, giving them a way to keep the elements out without having to put up with the bulk of traditional tent systems. The Freestyle BivyPack goes even further on the minimalist train, integrating a bivy sack into their backpack, so you’ll always have one ready whenever you’re out in the wild.
Just like other bivy sacks, it’s designed to wear over a sleeping bag, providing you with covered shelter while you take a nap in the midst of the outdoors. Unlike them, your backpack is attached to the sack the entire time, so you don’t have to wonder where the heck you left your supplies when you decided to retire for the night.
The Freestyle Bivypack looks like any ordinary backpack, with a 300 denier diamond-weave ripstop polyester construction that should both be durable and waterproof. It can hold 40 liters of supplies in the main compartment, with the pockets able to accommodate an additional 10 liters if you’re willing to pack them full. A pair of carbon fiber frames are set up in the back, giving the pack a curved back panel to deliver much needed ventilation without the use of an extra accessory like the Ventra Mainframe. It comes with a roll top closure.
On the collar of the bag hides the integrated bivy sack, which you simply roll out of its compartment for use during camping. The carbon fiber frames in the back are also part of the sack, serving as tent poles of sorts, so the part of the shelter over your head are elevated for comfort. While the body and leg sections of the sack are waterproof, the top is not, since it’s made from a mesh netting that’s designed to keep mosquitoes out, while allowing you to enjoy the view outside. If it rains, they recommend laying your jacket over the netting and sliding the sleeves through the poles to ensure the jacket stays in place the whole night.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Freestyle BivyPack. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $200.