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The hood area can be zipped up to obtain complete coverage at night, although this does increase the chances of condensation forming inside. Although you can sleep in just a bivvy bag, it’s generally a pretty unpleasant experience – both should be used in combination. In all but the warmest weather you would feel uncomfortable and cold without a sleeping bag once the sun has gone down. Downsides are the same as for any bivvy of this kind. If it’s raining you can find yourself having to get into it when you otherwise wouldn’t with a small tent. Using a tarp can overcome that problem, and we would certainly recommend that if you think there will be trees to set it up. Alternatively bring along some poles for the tarp. And why on earth would you use one when tents exist? Well, such an approach – with your head open to the elements – offers an even more intimate interaction with the wild. The sounds of night creatures are unmuffled, the stars dazzle above you, and your senses are highly attuned to every raindrop and every gust of wind.
Thank you for getting me out of the tent! Sleeping under the stars is wonderful! The open air makes one feel alive. Bivvy bags are great for keeping the wind off and giving your bag a bit of extra warmth but I wouldn't use one in the rain unless I could keep the outer reasonably dry somehow. The price/weight of the more waterproof/breathable-ish bags make them not worth it to me as well as I'm more likely to use it in the dry so a waterproof one would inconvenience me 90% of the time and maybe make the difference between being wet and being soaked on the rare occasions it has rain use. Hi! I’mm Alastair, an adventurer and author. I invented the phrase #Microadventure and I’mve been shouting about it for a few years. You can follow the microadventures people are doing on social media here or say hello to me here.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 We are massive fans of Snugpak gear – they are leaders in well thought-out, rugged outdoor gear. The Snugpak Ionosphere bivy tent is no exception and straddles the line between bivvy bag and compact 1-person tent really well. There’s no wonder it’s often used by the US military – not bad for a company from Yorkshire in the UK! Which bivvy bag should I buy? [UPDATE: this is a very geeky, very helpful table to help you choose what’s best for you.] Budget The Helium bivvy itself uses a flexible fibre glass pole to form a hoop shape above your head with a zippable hood which can be pulled down over the hoop to fully zip up the enclosure if required. In good weather, the hood can be withdrawn and toggled up on the hoop, leaving a net mesh to keep bugs out.
The bivi bag is compatible with the OEX Expedition Tarp and the Bush Tarp Pro, allowing you to expand your shelter if needed. Outdoor Research should need no introduction. A fantastic company based in Seattle on the West Coast of the USA, they have continuously been at the height of innovation and quality since their inception in the early 1980s. Hyperlite Storm fabric / end zip entrance / small mesh panel vent zip rand / wide sleeping bag profile designThe material used for the top section of the bivvy is Rab’s eVent waterproof and breathable technical fabric which is 40 dernier and consists of three layers sandwiched together. The bathtub uses a more weighty 70 dernier nylon waterproof floor – this won’t be letting any moisture up from the ground. The Ionosphere comes in two main parts – a double-hooped ‘undercarriage’ mesh section which forms the frame of the bivvy, and then a highly waterproof (5000mm HH) and breathable ripstop outer fly sheet which goes over the top. Both require pegging down using aluminum tent pegs which come with the Ionosphere. The fly sheet also has guy ropes to peg down to secure it. I have had it set up in severe gale conditions, and because of the low profile, there was absolutely no chance of it working loose and flying off. In Use 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.
If you’re looking for microadventure ideas try the Year of Microadventure Challenge, watch a few videos of my microadventures or -best of all- buy a signed copy of the best-selling Microadventures book! The tarp will allow rain to simply slide off meaning the ground underneath is kept dry and you can cook and place your bivvy bag with no chance of a soaking from above. I think the best way to go is a lightweight highly breathable but not so waterproof fabric, I've got a terra nova one which will throw a shower but is really breathable. My friend has the Rab storm though and it's been fine breathable wise in dry weather and works well in the cold.
Getting in and out is ‘interesting’ as is the case with all bivvy bags. Our technique is to get it all set up with the head section fully unzipped, then undo our boots and literally step out of the boots one at a time onto the top end of the bivvy. It’s then a simple matter of sitting down and sliding in. I’mve been working hard to encourage people to get out and try a microadventure. Microadventures are a refresh button for busy lives. It has an open-face style with a snap opening and stiffened peak. This is in contrast to the zipped face designs commonly found on most bivvy bags and Rab champion it as being less constricting. An integrated rain gutter manages precipitation effectively.
layer Ripstop nylon upper / 10,000 mm hydrostatic head / 10,000/m2 breathability / width: Shoulders – 80 cm; Foot – 50 cm 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. A sleeping bag is an insulated bag that is designed to keep you warm. This warmth is provided by either a down or synthetic filling that traps air around your body as you sleep. In contrast, the single-skin fabric of a bivyy bag provides negligible warmth. It is designed to keep out moisture (from rain, dew or snow) while having sufficient breathability to minimise moisture build up on the inside. A sleeping bag will often cover the head but doesn’t cover the face, where most bivvy bags allow for the whole person to be sealed inside (i.e. the bag is closed fully over both the head and face). Do I need a sleeping bag with a bivvy? You are not cocooned from the environment as you are in a tent. In a tent you are basically in a rubbish version of indoors. In a bivvy bag you really are outside. You feel the breeze on your face, look up at the stars before you sleep and sit up to a brilliant view in the morning.If you are confident that the weather is going to be warm and dry then you don’t need one at all. I’mve slept like this on many, many nights. Bluesign approved Pertex Shield Diamond Fuse 2.5L / 100% Nylon, 30D ripstop upper / 100% nylon, 40D with TPU lamination floor / bluesign approved100% polyester mesh / single-pole system / reflective Logo and Trims / two stake loops / one guy line loop / high volume toe end / clamshell opening / two Internal fly fasteners. Just slip it over your sleeping bag. If I am organised I do this before leaving home rather than doing it later in the dark and pouring rain.
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