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Will it go on your bars?
The folded pole set is 311mm, which is the 14th shortest of the 29 shelters we hold a pole length for. At 511g it is 6th lightest of 37.
On the two weights. The 510g at the top of this page is the figure we hold on the product record. Outdoor Research also publish a packed weight of 511g. Minimum weight leaves out stakes, guys and the stuff sack; packed weight is everything in the bag. We show all three rather than picking one and calling it “the” weight.
Comfortably inside the usable span on drop bars, with room for cables and a harness. This figure is the packed bag's long dimension, not a pole length the maker publishes — for this style of tent the two are the same thing, but measure before you commit.
Comfortably inside the usable span on flat bars, with room for cables and a harness. This figure is the packed bag's long dimension, not a pole length the maker publishes — for this style of tent the two are the same thing, but measure before you commit.
Only 29 of the 43 shelters we track publish a figure we can compare, which is why this question is so hard to answer anywhere else. The figure above is the packed bag's long dimension rather than a pole length the maker publishes — for this style of tent the two are the same thing, but measure before you commit.
Compare every shelter by pole lengthOutdoor Research Helium Bivy — Specs & Analysis
Manufacturer specifications, compared against every other shelters & tents in our database. We do not test gear in the field — we measure, verify, and compare.
For the truly minimalist bikepacker, the Helium Bivy is a weatherproof sleeping bag shell. Pertex Shield waterproof-breathable fabric keeps you dry, and the single hoop provides face clearance. Pairs perfectly with a lightweight sleeping bag for sub-1kg sleep systems.
Who Is the Outdoor Research Helium Bivy Best For?
Minimalist bikepackers who want the smallest possible shelter. If that describes your riding style, the Helium Bivy should be at the top of your shortlist. It sits in the Shelters & Tents category alongside 17 other products we track.
How It Compares
At 510g and $250, the Helium Bivy is 360g heavier than the lightest option in this category (the Borah Gear Cuben Fiber Tarp at 150g). The most budget-friendly option is the MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1 at $150.
The price-to-weight ratio comes in at $49 per 100g — a premium price point, but you're paying for quality, materials, and design that justify the investment for serious bikepackers.
What We Like
- +Incredibly compact packed size
- +Pertex Shield is waterproof and breathable
- +510g for full weather protection
- +No setup — just roll it out
Watch Out For
- −Claustrophobic for some sleepers
- −Condensation can be an issue
- −No gear storage space
The Bottom Line
We haven't scored the Outdoor Research Helium Bivy, and neither has anyone else we can cite. It's here for its verified specifications and dimensions, which is what the fit tools run on — a score is an editorial judgement, and we don't hand one out until someone has a basis for it. What this page can tell you is measured: 510g, $250, and how both sit against every other shelters & tents product we track.
The price and weight above have not yet been checked against the manufacturer's own page. We are working through the catalogue and saying so as we go, rather than letting silence imply otherwise.
Specifications and dimensions come from the sources listed above. Where a page draws on first-hand riding, it says so.
What it packs down to
Outdoor Research publishes a packed size of 3" x 8", which is 0.9 litres as a stuff sack. Of the 55 bags we track that publish a capacity, 51 have room for it and 4 do not.
Volume is computed from Outdoor Research's own packed size, treating a two-dimension figure as a stuff sack. Bag capacities are the makers' published figures, not ours — 12 of the bags we hold dimensions for publish no capacity and are left out of the count rather than assumed. A stuff sack does not reshape itself, so read the headroom as room to spare rather than a guarantee it goes in easily.
How the Helium Bivy compares
Against the bags people cross-shop it with, measured rather than reviewed — including how many real frames each one fits.
How it compares
Against the 18 shelters & tents we hold published specs for.
At 510g the Helium Bivy is lighter than 13 of 17 alternatives we track. The category median is 822g.
At $250 it undercuts 15 of 17 of them, against a median of $360. That works out at $49 per 100g — below the $50 median for shelters & tents.
Weight and price come from published specifications. Cost per 100g is a blunt measure — it rewards light gear and says nothing about durability or whether the thing works — so treat it as one input, not a verdict.
More in Shelters & Tents
Ultralight tents, tarps, and bivvies designed for minimalist overnight adventures.