£6.50 well spent?

[raven75]

Hi,
I do hope this is proper place to post this question. I have just impulse bought this BELGIAN MK1 SEYNTEX BIVY BAG and was wondering if anyone else has used them in the past? Or uses them still? And if they are any good? I have never owned a bivy bag and thought it was a bout time I did.

http://www.militarymart.co.uk//Camping/Tents/Bivouac/Belgian-mk1-Seyntex-Bivi-Bag/prod_1648.html

Thank you.
Corvus

[Silverback]

yup, I have one and up to now it hasnt let me down. £6.50 well spent......only you can decide ;-)

[andy202wr]

Looks like £6.50 well spent.

[Skate]

Thanks for the link. I have ordered one. At that price it can't hurt for a back up. Shame the postage was more than the cost of the bag though :(

[raven75]

yeah Skate, the postage is a bit on the high side, but I ordered a good few items so it kind of took the sting out of it a little bit. :)

[Adam Savage]

You may have to reproof it. The old goretex type materials loose their repellency over time. Other than that, I can't see why it would let you down.

Adam

[FrenchBen]

How much does it weigh?

196 cm is definitely too short for me, and for many sleeping bags too I think...

raven75 : Can you give us your impressions once you have used it in real conditions? Thanks!

[raven75]

@ FrenchBen It weighs 725g.

I will most likely not get to use it in "real conditions" until the end of this month due to work but as soon as I do I will put my impressions on here.

[bushcraftboy]

That's good for £6.50 mate!

[Adam Savage]

That's good for £6.50 mate!

Welcome to the forum bushcraftboy. You should head over to the introductions thread, let everyone know you're here.

Introductions (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?37-Introduce-Yourself-amp-Welcome-to-the-Community!)

[Kieran]

Was the bag any good? :)

[luresalive]

Was the bag any good? :)

Ditto

[raven75]

I will be taking the bag out this weekend to Glencoe (first chance I have had to get out for some serious stuff) and with the way the weather is up here at the moment it should be a fair trial, I will post my conclusions on here as soon as I am back.

[mstaines]

I live about 30mins away from MilitaryMart, brilliant Aladdins cave of a shop. and I also bought one of these bivi bags. Havent used it yet, but as Adam mentioned it may need re-waterproofing (Something I also need to do to mine)...

[raven75]

The bag held up OK, I put an inflatable matt inside with a Lichfeild Trail 250 sleeping bag and a Poundland inflatable pillow and was comfortable enough though it was a tight fit. I am too long for it though at 6 foot 2 inch and found it a pain in the backside to get in and out of. I was at odds as what to do with the excess flap and all the ties which in the end just got pulled over my face. I bedded down at app: 11 pm and woke at 2 am in a high-ish wind and a lot of rain, alas I was still dry and still quite comfortable, though the bottom of the bag under the matt was wet. What I never foreseen though was that I had no place to put my pack which is now decidedly larger than I have ever used or needed before, it was as I thought sheltered enough to keep dry in the event of rain but when I got up to take a leak I noticed it was getting really wet, so much to my bemusement I put up a simple A frame basha with my poncho ( not an easy feat at night, thank goodness for head torches) which my pack, bivvy bag and I remained under for the duration.

My conclusion is.

I will be passing the bag on to someone of a smaller stature and plod on with my usual tarp set up.

Corvus

[Adam Savage]

Good run down of events and outcomes. Have you thought about the Gelert or mountain warehouse bivi bags? They are £22-£24 but are just over 7' long. Not the thickest material, but mine has stood up to some pretty heavy rain, without leaking. Might still want a small tarp to set up over the head end though. Plus could keep your pack under there too.

[Martin]

The bag held up OK, I put an inflatable matt inside with a Lichfeild Trail 250 sleeping bag and a Poundland inflatable pillow and was comfortable enough though it was a tight fit. I am too long for it though at 6 foot 2 inch and found it a pain in the backside to get in and out of. I was at odds as what to do with the excess flap and all the ties which in the end just got pulled over my face. I bedded down at app: 11 pm and woke at 2 am in a high-ish wind and a lot of rain, alas I was still dry and still quite comfortable, though the bottom of the bag under the matt was wet. What I never foreseen though was that I had no place to put my pack which is now decidedly larger than I have ever used or needed before, it was as I thought sheltered enough to keep dry in the event of rain but when I got up to take a leak I noticed it was getting really wet, so much to my bemusement I put up a simple A frame basha with my poncho ( not an easy feat at night, thank goodness for head torches) which my pack, bivvy bag and I remained under for the duration.

My conclusion is.

I will be passing the bag on to someone of a smaller stature and plod on with my usual tarp set up.

Corvus

Which is one of my biggest problems with the bivi bag. Add a tarp to your kit and your weight is approaching the weight of a decent lightweight tent.

Still to be convinced. :(

Martin

[Kieran]

I'm 6 foot.. don't think biviing will be that good for me..
if it rains it also seems a pain!

[Norseman]

I have a sleeping bag with a cover that is rubberized on the outside bottom and sides and have a matress inside. I dont know what it is but believe its some kind of military mobilizing bags. Some say its norwegian but I have no proof. Anyway, the nice thing about this bagcover is the waterproof bottom. From my army experience the sleeping pads often get wet. My cover will give me better insulation from dampness. The top is canvas so I dont think I will have a problem with moisture building up from within. I havent tried it yet, but the only downside I see is that it maybe will be sliding bcs of the waterproof layer. I dont know what it is , but probably some PVC stuff. I will allways use this with a tarp overhead.