Moonstone Nada Tent

The Nada-Tent tried to compromise by giving you poles and a roomy feel but in a small sack. While the idea was great, the design has a few flaws. First it has a Gore-Tex upper and a coated nylon floor. While the floor is plently waterproof, the gore-tex sweats, as gore-tex does not seem to be the ideal bivy material as it is not breathable enough. This results in some condensation on the inside of the sack. The other minor problem is that it requires two poles to set it up, but instead of giving two poles moonstone provides seven non-shockcorded fiberglass poles. They are thinner than a pencil and easy to lose. I had these replaced with custom made shockcorded aluminum poles, these work much better and it only cost about $30. The last problem is that it only opens across the top, this wasn't a big deal until I tried to get into the North Face Soloist which is much easier, as you don't have to shimmy in. Anyway, it does have the nicest window set up of any bivy I have ever seen, and it is comfortable although a little small for a 6'3" person. Well, the long and the short of it is that it has been replaced in my closet by a Integral Designs South Col, so the moonstone is for sale for $100.

Having been bitten by the lightweight bug, I have been upgrading my old equipment. My search for a bivy sack was a long one. I saw the nada tent at rei outlet and decided to give it a go. Here is what I think:

Although the quality of the nada tent was good the design leaves much to be desired. the poles are fiberglass, thinner than a pencil and seem cheap. The insert sleeves on them came off right away. The hood design is good, except you can't stake the thing down and it keeps falling into your face. Also the top entry is a real pain. I sent it back two days later.

If you are a serious ounce counter and can live with the design flaws, then this is the bivy for you. I sprung for the TNF soloist. Much better design.