Time to make a change

It is time for a change in gear. As my wife and I get ready for a move and as we begin to make some decisions as to what our future adventures look like it is clear that my great collection of Canon gear is not perfect for those things. I need smaller and lighter gear to be able to bring it with on our adventures.

I struggle to give up the gear that has proven itself time and time again in the field, but it is time to lighten my load.

I’m an not a very motivated seller, but this is what I have to sell over the next several months. For the time being, ask questions, ask for pictures, make me an offer.

(All of these come with their original accessories)

Is Sony Ready for Sports and Nature Pros

The work of sports and nature photographers has long been ruled by Canon and to a lesser extent Nikon. For years and year they have been the only option for serious shooters in those fields. When Canon changed all of their lenses to autofocus in 1989 and then ten years later began rapidly adding image stabilization to their big professional lenses they became the undisputed king of the super telephoto. Then digital came along and again Canon was at the forefront, Nikon hung on, but their grip was loosened as it took them years to get comparable VR in their big lenses.

That was then, this is now. Has Sony quietly been positioning themselves to steal away big chunks of the market? It sure looks that way, with their recent a9 announcement and with July availability of the new FE 12-24mm F4 G ($1,699.99), they have all but one of the missing pieces for a professional sports or nature photographer. But before we get to the missing pieces let’s look at what they do have, what my bag would look like if it became a Sony bag tomorrow.

The primary camera would have to be the new α9 ($4,499.99). The second camera for me would be one focused for landscape photography, the α7R II ($2,699.99). [For sports shooters or those that don’t need crazy high resolution the α7S II ($2,599.99) or α6500 ($1,399.99) would be great alternatives]

Next comes the important part, lenses. I am going to ignore the fact that you can buy adapters to use Canon EF lenses on the Sony E mount, and that Sony has adapters to use the old A mount lenses on E mount cameras … I’ve used them, they are not up to the demands of professional sports and nature photography. What Sony now has is a nearly perfect line up of lenses for the working professional. I’ll start wide and ‘zoom’ my way in.

The soon to ship FE 12-24mm F4 G ($1,699.99) is an amazing place to start. The lens is not small or light, but it is super wide, pared with the 5-axis optical image stabilization and 42.4 MP of the α7R II this is a dream lens for any landscape photographer, but also for unique perspectives of wildlife and sporting events. Like all of the major brand’s super wide lenses using a filter will be a challenge and lens flair can be problematic, but you won’t mind when you are shooting a scene at 12mm.

Next up is the wide angle workhorse for many of us, the FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM ($2,199.99) provides top notch image quality, and the perfect range for landscape photography all the way to environmental portraits. There are few working photographers who do not rely on a 24-70 for a large portion of their work. The f/2.8 aperture paired with the high ISO showing of the α9, will open up possibilities when photographing subjects with stars that you never knew existed (maybe even 4K video of the Northern Lights dancing in the night sky).

Now it is time for the lens that I firmly believe would be the one lens I could not do my craft without, the FE 70-200 mm F2.8 GM OSS ($2,599.99). This is the first lens I pack on virtually every trip and assignment. Sony has a smaller and lighter f/4.0 version, but I have alway found the extra weight to be more than worth it when the light starts to fade. Did I mention that despite the incredible 5-axis optical image stabilization that is built into the Sony cameras, this lens also has OSS (Optical Steady Shot) a lens based stabilization that enhances the ability to stabilize the camera beyond what camera only or lens only stabilization can do. Pairing this camera with the α9 or α7S II you can now make beautiful photographs of that lion that comes out and starts roaring as the full moon clears the trees. Put it on the α7R II and a tripod and you have a perfectly sharp mid telephoto to focus in on the distant landscape, or to compress elements for your artistic composition.

Pair the FE 70-200 mm F2.8 GM OSS ($2,599.99) with Sony’s 2x Teleconverter Lens ($549.99) or 1.4x Teleconverter Lens ($549.99) and you expand the useful range of the lens. Here again the f/2.8 aperture comes in handy, and the teleconverter lenses offer you a 98-280 mm F4.0 OSS lens and a 140-400 mm F5.6 OSS lens

The top of the zoom range is finished off with the FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS ($2,499.99). This is that lens that is perfect for handheld shooting of general wildlife on the move, sports where you need to adjust your framing quickly and the ever tricky birds in flight. The lens has the added OSS (Optical Steady Shot) so handholding is a dream, and one the camera kicks in that 5-axis optical image stabilization sharp images are almost unfairly easy to produce.

Be prepared to read this again, because if you have been a photographer for very long you know that only the best of cameras can autofocus at F8.0. The Sony α9 has Phase-Detection AF sensitivity to F11 which allows use of the FE 2.0x Teleconverter when shooting wide open at all focal lengths. That means that your lens can also be a 140-560 mm F8.0 OSS lens and an incredible 200-800 mm F11 OSS lens. Is the 800mm F11 going to be the fastest most accurate autofocus, no, but it does work and when shooting a distant subject from a tripod, with good light, you get solid results.

Okay, you knew it was coming … the big but. But Sony has yet to produce an E mount super telephoto. Sony has the 500 mm F4 G SSM and 300 mm F2.8 G SSM II, but they are both A mount lenses and need an adapter to work on the α9, α7R II or α7S II. The adapter limits much of the functionality and reduces the durability and environmental sealing of the combination. This is big to sports and nature photographers, and likely the reason why we don’t see Canon and Nikon in a major panic about the new level of competition from Sony, but it is coming, and faster than you think.

One last thought … Canon and Nikon both have professional service departments, Nikons is notoriously lacking, but I can attest to the incredible quality of Canon Professional Services. Sony will need to spend some serious money to get competitive on that realm, but more on this later. 

The Western Double, Double

I have a rough idea, I figure as I work it out I can share thoughts here. Feel free to tell me I’m crazy.

One could thru-hike North up the CDT [3,100 miles], and then bike from Waterton Lakes National Park to Rainy Pass trailhead [537 miles], to hike the 30 miles to the Northern Terminus of the PCT, and then begin the hike South on the PCT [2,659 miles], finishing by riding a bike from Campo to Monumento A La Cocina Loca [616 miles].

The total route, to be done in a single year, would include:

  • 5,789 miles of hiking
  • 1,153 miles on a bicycle
  • traveling through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona
  • 53 National Forests (provincial parks)
  • 10 National Parks
  • 7 National Monuments
  • 15 BLM Areas
  • 69 Wilderness Areas

 

Note this is not the “Great Western Loop” [6,875 miles], the Great Western Loop does not complete the PCT or CDT in their entirety, and includes only hiking. (First and only successful completion by Andrew Skurka in 2007)

Black Diamond Firstlight Tent Review

I know, I know … I’m sick, I love winter camping, I love ski touring in the mountains, I love alpine climbing, and I love covering big distance, fast. That also means I like to suffer, but I don’t like to feel like I’m suffering one I crawl inside of my tent, especially during winter in Montana 9we have about (15 hours of dark) and that is a long time to sit in your tent if it is uncomfortable.

Several years ago I purchased the Black Diamond Firstlight Tent (52oz) and vestibule (22oz). The tent is a 2 person tent, but as it is a bivy tent for alpine climbing, you had better be comfortable with your tent mate. It has a single door, is 48″ wide 82″ long and only 42″ tall, the walls are steep to maximize the small space, but I struggle to keep from touching both the top and bottom wall when sleeping (I’m 6’3″), especially if I use my long sleeping bag. I’m not complaining about the size, for a climbing tent small is good, small means you can fit it on a narrow ledge, small means less weight, small means it catches less wind.

What I like

  • Small, sets up anywhere
  • Crazy light, I think it is still the lightest four-season climbing tent (body/poles under 3lbs)
  • Amazingly easy and fast to set up (four steaks outside – then all the rest happens from the inside, two poles)
  • Sets up from the inside in a bad storm
  • The poles collapse to shorter than any poles I’ve ever seen
  • Breathes well – better than most any tent I’ve ever seen (at the cost of not being 100% waterproof)
  • The ventilation is on par with other tents in this class, but the extra breathability makes it stand out
  • Handles wind and snow like a champ, takes tons of abuse from strong wind and stands strong
  • Four loops in the top work well to string up a line for gear that needs to dry out, and a headlamp to light the tent
  • The vestibule, if there are two people this is a great addition, not something that is an option for every tent in this category
  • It has bug mesh, where many alpine climbing tents do not – I find that helps keep some spindrift out of the tent (and bugs in warmer climates)

What I don’t love

  • Heavy rain, especially when driven by strong winds, will mist through the walls a bit (that’s the price of a breathable lightweight fabric)
  • The water resistant fabric will absorb some water, thus increasing its weight on a trip
  • Single door is hard to share, made worse if the vestibule is used
  • Having the screen and door rolled at the bottom means you are on top of them when going in and out of tent, and can lead to tears in the mesh
  • The wire in the window and door “hoods” doesn’t hold shape well after stuffing
  • If it is still, condensation can be a real issue (like all single wall tents)
  • No tie out points from the side walls, an odd oversight by Black Diamond
  • Fragile, though after 60+ nights mine is still in great shape, you need to be mindful of the fabric

I’ve used my Black Diamond Firstlight on ski and alpine climbing trips in Montana, Wyoming and Patagonia. All dry climates with frequent strong winds, and all on trips where the insanely light weight and small size were key for me choosing to use this tent. I will keep and use this tent in my arsenal until it is shredded to pieces by hurricane force winds, a bear, or a yeti.

This is not a do-it-all tent, it is not a roomy tent that you want to spend day after day sitting in, this tent is not even waterproof. But if you are an alpine climber, mountaineer or go on backcountry skiing trips in the mountains, this might be the fast and light tent you  have been searching for.

For full discloser I receive a pro deal discount from Black Diamond, they do not compensate me to share my thoughts, nor did they ask me to write this review.

Review of Sierra Designs Flashlight 2 FL (and UL)

Most of you know that I like to go fast and far, and using light weight gear makes that far more enjoyable. The tent that I’ve used as my go to three-season, two-person, ultralight, backpacking tent is the Sierra Designs Flashlight 2 FL (and previously UL), and to say I’ve been impressed would be an understatement.

What I like

  • My average trail weight is 2lbs 12oz, with tent/foot poles/steaks/guy-lines/compression sack, coming from the days when a 4lbs tent was light, this was amazing (The 2014 UL version was typically just over 3lbs)
  • I have used trekking poles for a decade, so a full tent that sets using my poles is really handy, and cuts done on the weight I’m carrying for tent poles (6oz to use their poles rather than trekking poles)
  • The out of the way vestibule is a beautiful thing – open the screen and step in or out of your tent
  • Two doors in a lightweight tent is not groundbreaking, but it is nice in a world where other manufacturers are cutting doors to cut weight
  • I’m tall (6’3″) and the tent is looooong (90″)
  • Ventilation is better than average for a single wall (hybrid) tent
  • Sturdy in high wind (I think the trekking poles add to that)
  • Sierra Designs makes some really good and light weight steaks (nice change from most manufacturers)
  • 30D Nylon Ripstop, WR/3000mm PE, FR has proven to be a great floor, with no groundcloth (50+ nights, lots of rocks)
  • Fast to set up, and sets up dry (tent body is attached inside of the fly, so the inside stays dry even if you set up in a storm)

What I don’t love

  • 20D Polyester Ripstop, Silicone/1200mm PE, FR stretches, and that means you will often wake up with a tent wall that has sagged overnight
  • The tent is not easy to get a drum tight pitch, and even if you do it will sag by morning
  • The ventilation is best mid tent and towards your feet, the head of the tent, where your head is exhaling warm moist breath has the worst airflow, thus if you do get condensation it is likely on the big sagging wall above your head (not the best way to wake up)
  • There needs to be something on the top of the tent to hang a headlamp/glasses/watch/etc. I ended up running a line from one side of the peak to the other
  • The 15D Nylon No-See-Um Ultralight Mesh is not great it gets snagged easily and has proven to be far from ideal, even with gentle use. My UL (first tent) came new with a bunch in the mesh, and got several more in the year I used it before moving to the FL model.
  • The pull out point in the head wall is not ideal, I would often find a stick or use a third trekking pole to raise and then pull out that wall
  • The vestibule clips, when pitched tight and someone is inside the tent, are hard to move from point to point

Would I recommend this tent, heck yes. The tent is great, under 3lbs (48oz), two doors, loads of room, well thought out design, easy to set up, and affordable. If you have questions about the tent, feel free to ask in the comment section, I’ll do my best to answer them.

I have used the tent in Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Glacier National Park, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, and the Wind River Range – and been thrilled with it.

For full discloser I receive a pro deal discount from Sierra Designs, they do not compensate me to share my thoughts, nor did they ask me to write this review. 

Montana’s 12,000’ Summits

Many Montana 12,000 summits
More Montana 12,000′ summits than I can count, as seen from the summit of Silver Run Peak.

For several years now I have had an idea, likely a crazy one, but and idea none-the-less. I want to try and climb all of the 12,000’ summit in Montana in a single year (12 months). As our state highpoint (Granite Peak) is know as one of the most technical and remote state summits, add in that we have an incredibly short summer at that elevation, and that the avalanche danger is quite high much of the winter, this should be quite a challenge.

I fully expect to fail (I did half in 2015, and then an injury ended my bid). If/when I fail, I can add in all of the summits I’ve already climbed and work on it as a life list.

First the ground rules and definitions. Montana has twenty five 12,000’ (3,657.6m) summits. I’m going with the classic definition of a significant summit as having more than 100m (328’) of prominence. Many of our mountains have second or third summits/points that are above 12,000’, I will ideally hit many of them, but they are not “required,” and often just another high ish point on the plateau. I will leave trailheads and under my own power achieve the summit. I might hike, climb, ski, snowshoe, trail run, or any combination therein. (I am fine with being dropped at one trailhead and picked up at another, I am also fine with aid climbing)

Here is the list of (45) points over 12,000’ in Montana:

  1. Granite Peak – 12,799feet in elevation with 4,779 feet of prominence.
    1. * (West Granite Peak aka Point 12,745 –  12,745 feet in elevation with 325 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the west slopes from Storm Lakes. West of Granite Peak, connected by a 5th class ridge.)
  2. Mount Wood – 12,660 feet in elevation with 2,880 feet of prominence.
    1. (Mount Wood-West Peak at 12,649′ with 129′ of prominence)
    2. (Mount Wood-Northwest Peak at 12,330’ with 170’ of prominence) 
  3. Castle Mountain – 12,612 feet in elevation with 2,672 feet of prominence. The easiest route is the south slopes.
    1. (Castle Mountain-Northwest Peak at 12,604 with 4’ of prominence)
  4. Whitetail Peak – 12,551 feet in elevation with 1,291 feet of prominence.
  5. Silver Run Peak – 12,542 feet in elevation with 1,505 feet of prominence.
    1. (Silver Run Peak-East Peak at 12,500’ with 140’ of prominence)
  6. Castle Rock Spire – 12,540’ with 420 of prominence (this is not on most lists of the 12k’ summits – I don’t know why)
  7. Point 12,540 (not Castle Rock Spire) – 12,540 feet in elevation with 440 feet of prominence. 4th class west ridge is the easiest route.
  8. Tempest Mountain – 12,500 feet in elevation with 960 feet of prominence.
  9. Mount Peal – 12,409 feet in elevation with 409 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the east snow slopes from Phantom Lake.
    1. * Point 12,009 – Actually 12,006 feet in elevation with 176 feet of prominence.
  10. Castle Rock Mountain – 12,401 feet in elevation with 501 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class east ridge.
    1. (Castle Rock Mountain-Northeast Peak at 12,090’ with 290’ of prominence)
    2. (Castle Rock Peak-North Peak at 12,054′ with 94’ of prominence) 
  11. Beartooth Mountain – 12,351 feet in elevation with 1,491 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 3rd class SW ridge.
  12. Bowback Mountain – 12,351 feet in elevation with 731 feet of prominence.
    1. (Bowback Mountain-North Peak at 12,320’ with 40’ of prominence)
    2. (Bowback Mountain-South Peak at 12,240 with 240’ of prominence) 
  13. Mount Villard – 12,345 feet in elevation with 845 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class south face from Upper Aero Lake.
    1. (Mont Villard-West Peak at 12,320’ with 120’ of prominence)
  14. Glacier Peak – 12,340 feet in elevation with 560 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class south slopes from Upper Aero Lake.
  15. Mount Hague – 12,323 feet in elevation with 1,223 feet of prominence. Hard to access but most routes are 2nd class.
  16. Spirit Mountain (Mount Salo, not Salo Mountain) – 12,283 feet in elevation with 783 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class south snow slopes.
  17. Sundance Mountain – 12,262 feet in elevation with 602 feet of prominence.
    1. (Sundance Mountain-West Peak at 12,200’ with 80’ of prominence)
    2. ( Sundance Mountain-North Peak at 12,030’ with 30’ of prominence)
  18. * Elk Mountain – 12,256 feet in elevation with 256 feet of prominence.
  19. Darlene Mountain – 12,250 feet in elevation with 390 feet of prominence. Easiest route is likely the 2nd class traverse from Castle Rock Mountain.
    1. “Salo Mountain” – 12,250 feet in elevation with 370 feet of prominence (not a mapped point or mountain – high spot on ridge between Castle Rock and Darlene – on one old map).
  20. Cairn Mountain – 12,220 feet in elevation with 880 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class west slopes from Aero Lakes.
  21. Mount Rearguard – 12,204 feet in elevation with 1,064 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class east slopes from the Hellroaring trailhead 4WD road (10-17-15 via Shelf Lake)
  22. Pyramid Mountain – 12,119 feet in elevation with 339 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class traverse from Mount Wood.
  23. Forget Me Not Mountain – 12,115 feet in elevation with 415 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class traverse from Spirit Mountain. (Look over the north face)
  24. Mystic Mountain – 12,100 feet in elevation with 560 feet of prominence.
  25. Snowbank Mountain – 12,084 feet in elevation with 864 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class south slopes (Farthest from any road or trail).
  26. Sky Pilot Mountain – 12,047 feet in elevation with 587 feet of prominence. Easiest route is the 2nd class south ridge from Crystal Lake.
  27. * Pyramid Benchmark – 12,022 feet in elevation with 182 feet of prominence
  28. * Mount Pleasant – 12,009 feet in elevation with 169 feet of prominence
  29. * Point 12,090 – 12,009 feet in elevation with 310 feet of prominence. North of Castle Rock Mountain and often overlooked. Easiest route is the 3rd class traverse from Castle Rock Mountain.
  30. * Avalanche Mountain – Maybe 12,000 feet in elevation with 160 feet of prominence
  31. * Villard Spires HP – Maybe 12,000 feet (highest tower is very close). The Class 3 west ramp is the only non technical route, exposed narrow ledge. 

When will I start? Likely the 12 months will kick off the next time I’m standing on a 12k’ summit.

A big thanks to SummitPost.com and PeakBagger.com for doing lots of the leg work on achieving these. I also have some very old maps drawn by the “first guys” to “climb all of Montana’s 12k’ summits.”

Originally published  Aug 14, 2015

Some New Lightroom Presets

From time companies send me free stuff and ask for my thoughts and opinions, sometime I share them, sometimes I don’t.

THROUGH THE WOODS WORKFLOW from SleekLens

I just installed the presets in to Lightroom, so I thought I would share my initial thoughts.

  1. Good assortment of looks (though I can’t speak to the quality of them yet)
  2. File names need a renaming, “Through The Woods” before each title makes it impossible to tell them apart in actual use
  3. The sharpening looks a bit off for landscape photography, looks a little overdone for printing, but likely what people want for posting to Facebook and Instagram

Typically I do not use other people’s presets, not for any real reason other than I have my own style and others don’t match my look. What I can recommend is purchasing presets and modifying them to be a blend of the original look and your personal style, that is likely what I will do.

Next week I’m shooting a Camp up in the mountains and then I’m off to Alaska for two weeks, so a more complete review will come later, but with many photos from my recent trips to Patagonia and Yosemite I have plenty of landscape images to try them out on.

I am not paid to use or review this product, I did however receive the product for free. (a perk of being a professor and professional)   

Cropping, Resolution, and A0

I have long been a stickler for minimum pixels in any file I consider keeping. When I first started playing with digital (8MP cameras) I tried to not crop, because those first cameras only had a maximum resolution‎ of ‎3,520 × 2,344 so with very little cropping it was easy to find a final image at 3,000 pixels, I drew the line there. As soon as the resolution of cameras went up to 10/16/21MP I moved my line to never smaller than 3,500 pixels on the long edge and have strictly followed that for almost a decade.

Many folks don’t hold to my belief of minimum resolution and are happy to crop to 1,000 pixels resulting in photographs that only looks good online. I don’t know how they sleep at night 😉

Here is why … If you want to sell your work, most likely it is going to be printed (not just fine art and prints/poster, but books/magazines/newspapers/billboards/bus sides/flyers.

  • A4 paper dimensions are 8.27″ x 11.69″ at 300 DPI that is 2,480 pixels x 3,508 pixels (print resolution)
    • Magazine covers, calendars, etc.
    • About an 8MP camera (Canon 1DII)
  • A3 paper dimensions are 11.69″ x 16.54″ at 300 DPI that is 3,508 pixels x 4,961 pixels (print resolution)
  • A2 paper dimensions are 16.54″ x 23.39″ at 300 DPI that is 4,961 pixels x 7,016 pixels (print resolution)
  • A1 paper dimensions are 23.39″ x 33.11″ at 300 DPI that is 7,016 pixels x 9,933 pixels (print resolution)
  • A0 paper dimensions are 33.11″ x 46.81″ at 300 DPI that is 9,933 pixels x 14,043 pixels (print resolution)

We all know that as sizes get larger, the viewing distance goes up, and thus the need for 300 DPI printing goes down. That said I have had countless people put their nose right up to my A2 and A1 prints, so it is with great excitement that I will be brining a new Canon 5DsR with me on my Patagonian adventure, next month. The 50.6MP full frame camera will allow me to produce images at 8688 pixels x 5792 pixels, getting as close as a 35mm camera comes to full quality A1 prints. One additional trick I have used in the past to increase resolution of landscape images, that I want to print really big, is a process of using my Canon 24mm f/3.5L II tilt shift lens to seamlessly capture 3-5 photographs together producing a final photograph in the 100-170MP range … full resolution A0 prints realized.

The tilt shift process I use is similar to the one Jack Dykinga uses and described in his Outdoor Photographer article “Transforming Large Format.” Previously using large format cameras myself, the March, 2009 announcement from Canon of new tilt shift lenses to go with their class leading 21MP cameras got me excited and thinking about the possibilities of shooting like I once had with large format, digitally with an easy to use camera. I found my way to using tilt shift lenses in this manner, I actually have the third Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II produced, then in 2010 when Jack’s article came out it confirmed that I was on to something special. I still pull this trick out of my bag when the biggest and best landscape file is needed for a subject or client. And now I get to do it with a 50.6MP camera.

The Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy – Review

I have a love/hate relationship with bivouac sacks (also known as a bivy). A bivy is a thin waterproof shell that slips over your sleeping bag, providing a few extra degrees of insulation and acts as a barrier against wind and rain. At one time they were THE ultralight solution, that’s when I bought mine. They can be great, they pack to about the size of a Nalgene, weigh a pound and a half, keep you dry, keep the bugs off you, and let you sleep anywhere. Hello perfect solo sleeping solution, or is it?

I have and use the Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy. It weights 23oz, is waterproof and breathable, and has a bug proof mesh net. It has no poles to hold the fabric or mesh off of your face, but it is light and allows me to sleep anywhere.

cozy in an Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy
Getting ready for a night at 12,300′ just below the summit of Elk Mountain while the Aurora Borealis dance overhead. All cozy in an Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy.

Fast forward several years, tents are down at or under 23oz, tarps are under 6oz, and bivy sacks are still 16-32oz. A bivy can be set anywhere and that is really its one remaining strength, snow cave, onto of snow, on a ledge, in a hammock, really anywhere you can put your body, you can put a bivy.

The downsides of a bivy have not changed:

  • Many find them claustrophobic
  • They do not vent well
  • Even the most breathable is prone to some condensation (you must get your breath outside)
  • They are not the only lightweight solution anymore, and they don’t appear to be getting lighter
  • If you want the fabric and mesh off of your face, you still need poles or some rigging
  • You don’t have anywhere to change your clothes
  • You can not sit up and read during a storm
  • You have no shelter for anything, but your reclining self

The Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy has proven to be about as good as they come, hence why they still make it all these years later, the Gore fabric is the industry standard, they are well made, tough as nails, breath and vent as well as any, and are 23oz. I have used mine for many things over the years, basically every use listed above, but these days I only pull it out of the gear closet when I am on a fast light solo trip with a decent weather forecast and when I expect to have a hard time finding a place to sleep.

With a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm (15oz), Marmot Plasma Sleeping Bag (16oz) and Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy (23oz), I have an entire sleep system that fits in a large running vest and weights 3lbs 6oz, that I can pull out and go to sleep on the side of a mountain. And that is what I use the system for, crazy long and fast trips (where I don’t even bring a stove), where I won’t likely be able to find a good place to set up a tent. Alternatively I’ll use it when sleeping in snow shelters.

Should you buy one? There are many light weight options for backpackers these days, the bivy is not the lightest solution, but there are times when the bivy is the only solution to find someplace dry to sleep.

For full discloser I receive a pro deal discount from Outdoor Research, though when I bought this bivy I did not, they do not compensate me to share my thoughts, nor did they ask me to write this review.

Yellowstone, May 2 & 3, 2015

A grizzly bear walks a downed log near Lake Butte in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D II and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of 0 at ISO320, f/7.1, and 1/500th of a second. The camera was handheld.

May is my absolute favorite time to visit Yellowstone. This year in particular is special because it is the May with the least snow I have ever seen. I typically go for opening weekend of the East gate, so I can photograph bears and ski, this year places that I can often ski until June were completely snow free. That is great for the bears now, but is not very promising for them come fall when the forests are burning rather than producing a bounty for bears before they begin their hibernation.

I also took time away from the plentiful bears to photograph birds; coopers hawk, dusky blue grouse, eared grebe, american coot, harlequin ducks and ruddy ducks  all celebrated spring along with migrating elk and bison cows and with their newborn calfs.

Make the jump to see all of the photos from my early May trip to Yellowstone.