Zenbivy vs. My Ultralight Sleep System!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2023
- Zenbivy has been called the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) sleep system for backpacking and camping. It has also been criticized for its weight and price. What exactly is this mysterious sleep system, and can it beat my ultralight setup?
*NOTE: In the video I mistakenly referred to the "Fast Sheet" weight of 3.5 oz. when what I was showing in the video is the "Light Sheet" which is 10 oz. in its 25" size.
---- LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO ----
Zenbivy Light Bed Bundle - bit.ly/3QYCmDL
Zenbivy Light Bed - bit.ly/3QLBbXZ
Zenbivy Light Mattress Sleep Pad - bit.ly/3uxkRCK
Zenbivy Light Pillow - bit.ly/47GYdGA
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I bought the Zenbivy in stages. Found a YT video about adding loops to the quilt you have to match the Zenbivy sheet. Worked great, but would recommend using tenacious patches to hold the loops. Bought the sheet on sale. Then got their 40° synthetic quilt because I want to layer it with the down bag I had added loops to. Love it. Looking forward to using it alone next summer.
Thats a cool idea!
Awesome review video! Glad you took me up on my comment about the zenbivy being the GOAT 😉
Thank you!
This system looks awesome. I am definitely considering taking the plunge on a Zenbivy.
I wasn't disappointed!
During their black Friday sale, I scored the 10° and sheet! I can't wait to try it out. Debated on the 10 vs 25, but ultimately wanted to be good on those colder nights. Glad your review shored up what I had been hearing about them!
Excellent!
Let us know how you like it. I think we all reach peak perplexity around quilt systems when temps stay at freezing or below. The reason there is so much diversity of opinion involves our age, muscle mass, whether we sleep hot or cold, and how much recovery we need to be doing at those temperatures for how long. For people reading your comment I would suggest going with the 10 degree bag if it is the only arrow in your quiver.
What I do is a little finicky. I use the ZB 25 degree system until the ground has frozen. At that stage I switch to layering my EE quilts (rated 39 degrees, 0 degrees) as needed. I have also sewn EE clips onto a Nemo liner quilt with a 40 degree rating, so I’m good to go year round except on expedition when I still take sleeping bags up high.
The UL debates really only relate to thru hikers whose aims tend to be deploying speed to avoid winter conditions when extra equipment is needed day and night. For those folks I think they will be able to get away with the 25 degree LightBed or ULbed no problem, but they may find themselves sleeping a few nights in all their gear.
This has been my plan, thank you for the reassurance! This is still #3 of the big3, but mainly hoping for price drops
Worth it!
Great video. Awesome review. 👌
Thanks! I'm hoping to try out their new UL system soon!
Great analysis! Best so far. Now of course we have the Ultralight options to consider. I agree fully that this system offers by far the best nights sleep I’ve ever had in 30 years outdoors with 40 nights a year spent on inflatable mattresses.
As I get older, sleep is by far the most powerful recovery tool I have in the backcountry. As a result I’ve switched to Exped DownMas and, as a result, I!ll never again be able to call myself UL. I also prefer the Nemo pillows because of the face material. So bottom line, I’m sold on the ZB quilt and sheet forever, compared to EE, which I layer in v cold temps and now use with the ZB sheet for the hood. My EE 950 7D 30 degree Revelation will remain my summer quilt. For that I pack a silk/cotton blend liner and do not bring the ZB sheet. For three season use I always want the foot box closed and I’m now saving dir a 10 degree ZB UL setup. Just a reminder to buy a size wider if you toss and turn at night like I do!
Excellent! You've really got your kit dialed in. I just did a review video of the UL ZB, it's pretty sweet!
This is a great video. Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Great Video, Doug! I am leaning towards Zen Bivy while they have their 25% off sale going on for now. Been running a budget quilt and pad, and it just needs to be warmer to get below freezing. That was mostly okay in Texas and Arkansas, where I used to backpack, but now I am in Wyoming and SD and need more comfort and warmth! The Zen Bivy might be the trick to get me there.
I love mine! Let me know if you pull the trigger!
I got the Zenbivy last Sept, it's not the light, only difference is mine has zippers instead of latches . I also got mine with a 25% sale and feel like I got a great deal.
Good video bud! I have the 10 degree light bed I use with a Quasar 3D sleep pad. I love it! They run sales a lot it seems like.
Yeah I could see swapping the pad for another if you preferred and it would save money if you already had one you liked. Modularity, adaptability! And yeah you can get them on sale and that's also a good idea!
Hello Doug and thanks for making those two videos dedicated to people that sleep on their side and their stomach, it's extremely useful content. How would you say this Zenbivy system compares to the Nemo Disco/Riff and the Sierra Designs Cloud 20 sleeping bags?
The full Zenbivy system is without equal - no single bag or quilt can really compete. :) It`s like the best of both worlds. Really the only reasons I can think of to prefer a bag or quilt would be ease of setup for a bag (it takes about 15 seconds to attach the quilt/to the sheet) or weight of the quilt alone (you add a couple ounces for the sheet).
I bought the 25 degree Zenbivy as I am a warm/chilly weather backpacker, winter, I just hike, but no overnight. Works well with my Nemo 25" pad and Fillo Pillow. Compresses down to football size.
I have the same Nemo gear and yeah it will all work well together too!
For those that can’t afford this expensive system and already have a quilt and inflatable mattress but aren’t quite warm enough I’d suggest 2 things. To combat some of the draft that occurs due to the body shifting from side to side I’d suggest trying a silk liner. It’s light weight and adds 5-10° of warmth. Your body will move inside the liner with minimal protrusions to the quilt. In addition one of the biggest reasons for being cold comes from beneath you. Even with an air pad with an R rating in the 4 range you can still get cold especially in the shoulder seasons. I suggest cutting a closed foam mat in half. I find that 36” adds additional warmth to the torso and buttocks. And the pad can be used for so many other things, ie, sit pad, yoga pad, vestibule door mat, star gazing pad, gear dump pad when you unload your pack, wind break for stove, etc. Nice to know we have options…
Good suggestions!
Excellent argument. I bought the 25 degree light bed last tear and love it. I still wrap the sheet on my woman’s thermorest xlite. I’m hiking the John Muir trail this summer and since 2019, I’ve wanted an EE quilt. Finally got it in a 10 degree for this trip and feeling a bit of buyers remorse. I already have the sheet that I love, why didn’t I just buy the ten degree? Prob counting ounces over comfort and I’ll prob by buying the ten degree. Thank you for your very informative review, whish I would have stumbled on it sooner.
Oh no! Well maybe you can return or sell it? You might be even madder when the UL version becomes available. :( 30oz. for the large 10 degree!
New Car camper here …. considering the Zenbivy MotoBed. Good video/review! Wish there was more on the MotoBed! Any knowledge of that system, especially the pad choices?
Yeah that's a very different system in every respect from what I can tell. It looks like it's a self-inflating sleep pad, fill coverage sheet with a full pillow sized hood that zips to a synthetic fill quilt. Sounds like a great idea for car camping!
I was looking for so long for something comfortable. I don‘t care about a few grams, just give me comfort instead of ultralight stuff. (kayak & bikepacker). Thanks! Will buy my stuff from them.
Lightweight is enough when you lose no comfort! using the links in the video description helps the channel out if you like!
@@BackcountryPilgrim lightweight is not enough ;) I even want to spend extra grams for extra comfort, like a more comfy textile… :)
For someone who not use a tent , but think to use a bivy like the robens mountain bivy that has a mesh to watch stars, does the two work together for extra protection, without lose of space?
As long as the bivy is wide and long enough for the pad you choose, it should work!
I started accumulating backpacking gear before Zenbivy was a thing, so unfortunately I’m too far invested in my own system. It was fun to built that up, but if I were to start again, I’d just go with Zenbivy system and just be comfortable from the get go!
Yeah not worth tossing a good system for, but definitely a worthy choice for those starting out or over. :)
Same
My pads before buy my Zenbivy are the nemo tensor and the therm a rest xtherm regular and is the best comfort and warmest for Backpacking, you sacrifice weigth for the sleep very well....
All solid options!
Great review - would you recommend the 10° or 25° version for Yosemite backcountry camping?
Yeah I'd go 10 for three-season. It sounds extreme but comfort level is 20 and the adaptability of the system makes it easy to modulate temps. :)
Yep, the magic is in the sheet. At 3oz, it's pretty great.
I put my pad in an $8 sleeping bag liner to make a poor man's bottom sheet.
It's better than a bare pad, but it doesn't have the wings. (And it weighs at least 8oz. )
ZenBivy FTW.
Yeah pretty tough to beat when comparing apples to apples!
In your comparison did you include the cost of the compression bag and caps that cost extra?
No, both brands sell stuff sacks separately and UGQ doesn't even offer compression bags (which I don't use anyway). Plus there are so many aftermarket options that it would be like comparing tent stakes or something. :)
With a high end quilt, pad, and pillows I like it’s hard to start over. Too bad Zenbivy’s sheet/hood cannot work with those.
I would challenge you to compare the warmth to a system with a synthetic over quilt. It would weigh more, but would have other advantages in cold and wet conditions.
I wouldn't say it's worth tossing a good system - but for people looking for a replacement or just getting started, it would be great. I had a synthetic sleeping bag for years but I am not a big fan of the extra weight and volume for no gain in warmth. What do you like about them?
@@BackcountryPilgrim I was thinking of adding a second synthetic quilt over my down quilt as Ryan from BPL suggests for cold wet weather. It would seem to solve the draft issue, and use what I have already. It would weigh more and take more volume to pack.
@bobshuff6156 I guess if it got wet it would still do ok and it's better than carrying a super expensive warmer quilt. Personally I'd probably just add a liner.
If one tosses and turns, they just can buy a very wide (60" or more) UGQ quilt with side elastics, and even have it rated for colder temperatures then what it will be used in. I did that and it was a big improvement over my more narrow quilt without side elastics. The Zen Bivvy has more separate components and is more costly than that - It is not for me
A 60" quilt would be bigger than my sleeping bags! Good to know they exist though. :)
@BackcountryPilgrim Ya, comes closer to having the benefits of both sleeping bags and quilts without the drawbacks of either. It still weighs and costs less than an equivalent temperature rated sleeping bag.
The side elastics (dynamic tensioning) is a must too.
I hear you. I too always buy wider than my body frame. But I think it is important for readers to understand that the ZB system is totally different in feel to a system with elastics, and for video addressing that exact issue you might keep searching here on TH-cam. I have no relationship to ZB except as a buyer and user. But I have a decade’s worth of experience with EE quilts and I can say without hesitation that the SB innovation is real and the comfort plus draft control is by far next level compared to wide and warmer quilts with elastics. It just is.
I second that with the side elastic from you UGQ! As a side sleeper this has been a game changer for reducing drafts.
@BackcountryTreks Right? I would like more backpackers to know about the benefits of wider quilts with side elastics. It would prevent them from choosing incorrectly and rejecting quilts altogether.
Great review... I'm not letting you cost me more money, yet... This will definitely be in the equation when I'm ready to upgrade me cold weather setup!
Fair enough! :)
I'm in the market to get a "sleep system." I too am a side sleeper and your video and others have convinced me to give this a try. I clicked on your link for the 25% off and I did not see the discount. Did it end?
Oh, it might have. :(
❤
My favorite car camping sleeping bag is the Big Agnes diamond park sleeping bag which is very similar to the Zenbivy system. It is so comfortable and keeps me warm but it is heavy. I wish Big Agnes would make a similar system with a higher fill of down to lower the weight but of course that would probably make it even more expensive. I have been looking at the Zenbivy system for backpacking so thanks for the great review!
Thank you! It's an unusual system and big box brands don't typically like to experiment very much. :)
They kinda do sorta, similar but also very different. The lost ranger and whatever they call the front country version.
so i dont get it. you are using a quilt but combining it in order to make it word like a wide mummy sleeping bag, right?
Yeah kind of. A mummy bag with tons of room and no drafts that attaches to your pad with no wasted insulation on your back and that can convert to a regular quilt or blanket.
Man, i dont know. It just seems like there's a lot of 'work' needed for this. I don't get why just a sleeping bag isn't okay. Im a back sleeper
Less work than a quilt (comparable system), but yes- more than a sleeping bag (but less weight and far more room, which may not matter for a back sleeper).
Umm the sheet is only 3oz? I thought it was 9 and the fast sheet (half) was 3.
Oh dang, yeah I misspoke. I originally thought I was getting a Fast Sheet and got the Light Sheet instead. Good catch!
I added a correction to the video description. Unfortunately TH-cam does not allow corrective editing of a posted video. :(
@BackcountryPilgrim no worries. 5oz or so difference definately changes some things. I ended up still going with the light instead of fast because of the added footbox connections but gotta account for the extra weight on that decision. For me it's worth it, but for those lucky "dead sleepers" who don't move around it might be worth saving the weight.
Sleeping on the couch? No wonder it's so comfortable...LoL
Haha. Yes, air mattresses are much more comfortable on couches than dirt. ;)
I have both leading sleeping system on the market: Big Agnes Lost Ranger 15 UL 3in 1 and Zen Bivy Light bed 25 + Exped Ultra 10 as a liner. Zen Bivy clips system is highly overated. I don't think it's any more comfortable than a zips on BigAgnes bags. Also I don't like that bottom section on Zen Bivy Light Bed isn't attached to the pad. During the night my legs constantly getting out of the pad. Big Agneses bottom part is attached as a highest. I must admit, that you have to choose correctly how wide is your Zen Bivy Light Sheet but with Big Agnes you don't have this problem at all, it works with all mats by default. So it depends after all. Nothing to fancy about Zen Bivy, it's good, its works but it's not a leading solution with high amount of margin like TH-camrs wants us to believe.
I'm not having an easy time understanding you here, but the one claim you made about the "bottom section on Zen Bivy Light Bed isn't attached to the pad" is not true - it is attached all the way around. (Maybe you have a previous version?) In any case, like I said in the video, even if it's not going to win against the very best of all individual parts but I think as a system it's hard to beat. Sounds like you have two good systems!
@@BackcountryPilgrimEnglish is not my first language of course, but I doubt You can speak with me on my mother's language. I have Fast Box version on Zenbivy Light bag and there is no bottom attachment. I just compared both system again and Big Agnes outer bag is more roomy so these stories about some mystical comfort is just a stories.
Ok you're more comfortable in yours. Congratulations, but that doesn't make my report false.
@BackcountryPilgrim Sounds like the poster just hates Zenbivey and would rather put it down than acknowledge it. Not much new. As with all hobbies, you have gatekeepers trying to tell you how to think. That person is one of those gatekeepers.
I got a pretty good deal on my stuff I ordered I just waited for early black Friday 30% off!!!!
Well done! It's a good time of the year to need gear!