The picture below shows an Army bivvy on the left, a Rab one in the middle and a snoring Welshman in an unknown bivvy on the right. The Paratex Dry technical material is a breathable and 100% waterproof fabric. It is treated with what is known as a Hydrophillic Polyurathane (PU) coating to raise the hydrostatic head to >5000mm. But I’mm very aware that the hardest thing is getting out there for the first time. So I have produced a few infographics which hopefully will serve to give people the prod necessary to take that first step. (Thank you, Andrea, for all your hard work!) However, in an emergency situation, especially one that is wet and windy, a bivvy bag (or basic survival bag) can offer enough protection to save your life. For this reason, it is advisable that all trail runners carry a survival bag when running in high or remote areas – even if you’re not expecting to be out for long. Is a bivvy bag worth it?

The Hunka comes in three different colours: green, red and blue. It isn’t the lightest, but at 330g it’s still a big weight saving on any tent. It has a hood that goes nicely around the outside of your sleeping bag hood, with a simple drawstring at either side so it can be tightened around you and your bag. It has no additional venting or faffy zips and the bag tapers towards your feet. You can pair it with a tarp for added protection from the elements, if you like, but many choose not to. And that’s it. There’s not much else to say. The Hunka is a simple product with no-frills. But, on a clear summer’s night, where your aim is to feel at one with nature with your face exposed to the fresh air, then it’s absolutely the best value product on the market. Even the best bivvy bags leave some condensation on your sleeping bag. For a single-night trip this is no problem, but for extended use you need to be able to hang your sleeping bag up to dry occasionally. There are two U-Shaped openings on the top surface of the Sierra Bivy. The largest is for getting in and out and has dual zips to accomplish this task. Because it can open so wide, getting in actually pretty easy for a bivy. The second opening is on the top surface and forms a little window with a fly mesh and cover. this allows you to lie out and look at the night sky before zipping up for the night. Nice. Fancy it? If you do, then you’re in the right place. We’ve done the hard work for you, putting several products – ranging in design, style, size and price – through their paces on wild camping trips to Scotland, the Brecon Beacons and the Lake District. So, whether you’re looking to venture into bivvying for the first time or if you’re a seasoned pro at sleeping under the stars, there’s something for everyone here. The Best Bivy Bags Tested by Our Team

Comments

Some one-man tents are now so small and light, it’s hard to imagine that it’s even possible to take a more minimalist approach. But it is: enter the bivvy bag. What is a bivvy bag? The hydrostatic head of the Helium is 20000 mm which is exceedingly waterproof and the Pertex material is also supposedly resistant to rips – however I didn’t wish to test this claim out! If you want to spend more money, then Outdoor Research also do a full Gore-Tex bivvy called the Alpine, but this is actually heavier. It’s no-frills, but no-frills is sometimes fine if the bag is light and protective, and that’s certainly the case here. A bivvy bag is essentially a lightweight sleeping bag cover that protects you from the worst of the elements but offers little in the way of shelter. It is usually composed of a waterproof bottom fabric (groundsheet) and a lighter upper fabric that is waterproof but also breathable. What is the difference between a bivvy and a sleeping bag?

Which bivvy bag should I buy? [UPDATE: this is a very geeky, very helpful table to help you choose what’s best for you.] BudgetThe Bush Pro Bivvi is a lightweight sleeping bag that will keep you dry in wet or windy conditions. Constructed with tough ripstop nylon and fully taped seams, this bivvi can accommodate most builds – perfect for campers who sleep in less than desirable weather. The top of the bivvy bag completely zips up, but there is no way of keeping it off your face, and sleeping can get difficult. On warmer nights this isn’t a problem as you can open more of a gap. As a result, we would say this is three season only, but of course your mileage may vary! In use, I tested it on two separate occasions. The first on a mild autumn night when I was able to keep the hood pretty much open all night. It was wonderful to see the stars, and I recommend reading this great stargazing guide if that’s of interest to you. On a second occasion, I had some heavyish rain but found that I stayed relatively dry overnight with a small amount of condensation on the hood from my breath – nothing to worry about and my sleeping bag was not wet at all. The fly sheet is 5000mm waterproof and the bivy tent has two ventilation windows – one behind your head, one at your feet and there is also a big side door which can be left partially unzipped. Total end-to-end length of the Geetop is 3m (although this includes a vestibule at the foot end), so this is definitely stretching towards tent territory, but who’s counting? The height is good too at 91cm. As Rab’s cheapest and lightest bivvy, this is well suited to campers looking to ditch the tent for the first time. The Trailhead is crafted from hardwearing 40 Denier ripstop nylon with a breathable yet waterproof polyurethane coating on both its top and base. This durable combination ensures that any rain is kept at bay, while a zipped mesh vent enables appropriate ventilation. All seams are taped, completing what is an impressively watertight product.