Gossamer Gear The One vs Outdoor Research Helium Bivy
Two shelters, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The The One takes floor space and vestibule space; the Helium Bivy takes price. On a bike the pole set usually decides it before the rest do.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.
Where they differ
4 of the 5 things we can measure come out differently.
Poles to carry
the The One has no pole set at all, the Helium Bivy doesA trekking-pole shelter has nothing to fit across your bars, which removes the constraint entirely — but you then need poles from somewhere, strapped to the frame or bought separately. It is a different problem, not a smaller one.
Floor area
0.31m² more floor in the The OneInner length by inner width as published. On a bike trip the floor also has to take whatever you brought inside off the bike, so a few centimetres is not nothing.
Vestibules
1 more on the The OneWhere wet kit and panniers go. On a bike trip it is also where the bags off your bike spend the night, which is more volume than a hiker brings.
Price
$65 between themAs we hold it. Shelter prices move more than most gear, so check before you commit.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| Gossamer Gear The One | Outdoor Research Helium Bivy | |
|---|---|---|
| Poles to carry | None — trekking-pole shelter | 311mm folded |
| Minimum weight | 558g | 511g |
| Floor area | 213 × 84cm — 1.79m² | 208 × 71cm — 1.48m² |
| Vestibules | 1 | 0 |
| Price | $315 | $250 |
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