Bivvi bags

[Metal mug]

I was thinking of getting dutch bivvi bag soon for stealth camping. Has anyone used one? Was it good?

[Martin]

I've got a military MVP bivvi bag. Hateful thing and not something I would sleep in out of choice. Too cramped and nowhere to store your kit if it starts raining. Having said that, I'm sure there are others who love the experience.

Martin

[chris grace]

When I sleep out I ground dwell and so always use a bivvi bag.I also use a tarp for the reason Martin gives.
The dutch bivvi is highly recommended but it is a military bag and therefore big,heavy and bombproof.I prefer something lighter as I don't put my kit through squaddie abuse(anymore).I went for the highlander pro-force hawk bivvi.It's big,light and me-proof.

[Bush_Men]

You can't go wrong with a hunka bivy from alpkit and a tarp combo. Light, cheap and does the job well

[luresalive]

I use the standard issue Bivi and I'm very happy with it.

[geordienemisis]

As said by Luresalive the issue kit is good for the job, depending on what your doing. If it's only for a night then anything is OK. Two or Three weeks in one and they all get bashed up and can be repaired or binned. The price range is rediculous, you can get 5 star hotel for the price of some. used with a good tarp they are VGood, Each to his own.

[comanighttrain]

More about Bivvi Bags

We were recommending bivvi bags earlier to a new recruit... i recommended the cheapy orange bag and another chap said they weren't so good due to the sweating and cooling effect (I acknowledge this - had a similar experience with gloves and it was unpleasent...cant imagine how the whole body effect felt) and recommended the goretex type as the better alternative. As I only have an older army type bivvy I might seek out a newer goretex type one - any recommendations?

[paul standley]

More about Bivvi Bags

We were recommending bivvi bags earlier to a new recruit... i recommended the cheapy orange bag and another chap said they weren't so good due to the sweating and cooling effect (I acknowledge this - had a similar experience with gloves and it was unpleasent...cant imagine how the whole body effect felt) and recommended the goretex type as the better alternative. As I only have an older army type bivvy I might seek out a newer goretex type one - any recommendations?

The "orange" bags are basically 'survival' bags in the event that you get caught out in bad weather and need to cover yourself not for normal bivvy-style use. They cost around £2 ($3) and fold up very small and for their cost and weight I'd recomend keeping one in your kit but not for normal overnight sleeping.

[comanighttrain]

What about for sleeping?

[fish]

ive got a dpm ex army goretex bivi bag,i can say its a great bit of kit,yes it could be bigger but last time i slept out it peed down and i was snug and dry in it,it has a permanant place in my rucksack.

[comanighttrain]

crud...im going to assume my £15 bivvi is not good.

[Metal mug]

Well i've bought a cheapish army bag. I'll try it out soon.

[fish]

mine is just a cheapy army goretex bag.

[soulstar1963]

ive got the olive green ex military bag and i wouldnt be without it .......ive never had any problem with condensation and i think it definitely adds another season to any sleeping bag, combined with a decent tarp you cant go wrong

[IBrown]

I've just got a 58 patt sleeping bag and it has poppers at the foot end. I assume they are to attach a bivvy bag too. I've never used a bivvy bag so have no idea about them, will let you know how i get on if i find the correct one for the 58 patt sleeping bag.

[Realbark]

The bivvi i use is the british army one - at 8 feet long and wide at the top - gets my kit in and is warmish, waterproof and most importantly to me - breathable!

[Metal mug]

Well I tried out my ex british army bivvi bag the other night and it was great. It was -7 untill 2:00am ish then it rained for the rest of the night. I wasn't even using a tarp but I buried my head down and I was warm and dry for the whole night. I've now washed it with tech wash and re proofed it with tx direct wash-in and can't wait to try it again soon. :)

[Paul Webster]

Endicotts are doing British army MVP ones for about £37, any idea if that's a reasonable price?

[Groundhog]

I have a snugpak stratosphere bivi. It cheats a bit because there is a raised section at the head end.It has a bugmesh panel at the end covered by a flap that can be draped or pegged out and a sort of double zipped affair at the front of your face that can be zipped shut or zipped open with another bug mesh panel which lets the breeze blow through. I find it a bit claustrophobic unless I can see out through the bugmesh but it keeps the bugs off and you dont get slimed by the slugs.As you can tell I like my tents and the snugpak was a compromise between having a lighter and smaller pack and being able to sleep without the bugs joining me. With a tarp above I think you have the best of both worlds the protection of a tent and being able to look out at the sky.

[comanighttrain]

I have a snugpak stratosphere bivi. It cheats a bit because there is a raised section at the head end.It has a bugmesh panel at the end covered by a flap that can be draped or pegged out and a sort of double zipped affair at the front of your face that can be zipped shut or zipped open with another bug mesh panel which lets the breeze blow through. I find it a bit claustrophobic unless I can see out through the bugmesh but it keeps the bugs off and you dont get slimed by the slugs.As you can tell I like my tents and the snugpak was a compromise between having a lighter and smaller pack and being able to sleep without the bugs joining me. With a tarp above I think you have the best of both worlds the protection of a tent and being able to look out at the sky.

Just had a look at that bivvi, i might get one, it seems ideal for what I do!

[Martin]

I still can't see the point of these. They weigh over 1Kg and you can't get your kit inside. If you put up a tarp to protect your stuff the weight goes up to around 2Kg which is significantly heavier than some two man tents. My two man tent was quite a bit more expensive than this I know, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives which make a bivvi bag seem like a poor alternative.

Martin

[comanighttrain]

http://www.alpkit.com/hunka

£35, 10,000mm, about 400 grams. Looks pretty solid! that + tarp would be lighter than a tent surely?

[Martin]

http://www.alpkit.com/hunka

£35, 10,000mm, about 400 grams. Looks pretty solid! that + tarp would be lighter than a tent surely?

Certainly would. In fact, with a tarp (DD Tarp 650g) it would be between 200g and 300g lighter than a tent.

I'm afraid, as a sleep system, it's just not for me. I don't find it comfortable or practical but then I'm now closer to 50 than 40 and prefer some of my creature comforts. ;)

Martin

[Metal mug]

Certainly would. In fact, with a tarp (DD Tarp 650g) it would be between 200g and 300g lighter than a tent.

I'm afraid, as a sleep system, it's just not for me. I don't find it comfortable or practical but then I'm now closer to 50 than 40 and prefer some of my creature comforts. ;)

MartinMartin is currently developing a two man tent which has a kitchen a lounge and a jacuzzi in it. And it only weighs 800g ;)

[Paul Webster]

Martin is currently developing a two man tent which has a kitchen a lounge and a jacuzzi in it. And it only weighs 800g ;)

Think he'll take custom orders?

[MikeWilkinson]

I think many people miss the whole point of Bivi bags, in particular what they were designed for and how they should be used.

A good military bivi bag or similar is great for keeping the wind off of you on dry nights and stops moisture from the ground from getting to your sleeping bag, if it does happen to drizzle a little over night then they will protect you from that too.

However they really come in to there own in winter when used in conjunction with a good tarp. The tarp keeps the really wet and cold stuff off of you, the bivi provides wind and sideways run off protection and keeps all your sleeping system dry from dew/ground moisture/minor ground water etc... When used like this, even in summer the tarp/bivi combo makes a great shelter system (with a dry area for your kit Martin).

They were never designed to be used in bad weather on there own except for emergancy use to get out of the wind or rain if injured or the weather sets in bad for a short time (think Bothy). They really don't have the hydrostatic head to keep out really bad weather.

I used to bivi and tarp all the time, but now much prefer the option of getting off the ground with a hammock, however I do have a modded bivi bag with me in case I need to goto ground. (I've cut a hole in the bottom and sewn it so that it can be closed off for ground use or slipped over my hammock and used as a Pod.) It still gets a fair bit of use to tell the truth,as both a ground mat and bivi bag.

[Alba Albion]

Used an ex army gortex bivvy bag £25, it rained, got wet, sleeping bag inside damp.
Now have bought RAB 'Storm' bivvy bag, can't wait.
Inspiration came from Ronald Turnbull 'The Book of the Bivvy', worth a read.

[cuppa joe]

I have a few bags recently got a Nanok endurance bivi off an auction site but haven't tested it out yet but at £10 cant complain.
Features draw cord , waterproof zips for arms ,middle half zip for easy entry and another across the back about two thirds of the way down the bag so it can be used as a poncho if needed.http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz225/digole/bivi%20bags/nanok1.jpg

[J_P]

What about for sleeping?

Not a good thing kipping in a plastic bag bud your body roughly gets rid of 2 3rds of a quart of water during a good nights kip so you would be better sleeping on it rather than in it, ive got a few bivvi bags the one I normally use is a Snugpack elite zipped bivvi bag and i have the front unzipped when sleeping and in the morning i air my sleeping bag out and pack anything im not using in it and zip it up and pull the draw string, the stratosphere bags are great i used to sell them when they first came out but still have to be used with all the vents open to prevent condensation. My favorite bivvi bag is the GTX carinthian snipers bivvi bag its pretty bomb proof and great in area's that your likely to get eaten alive by mozzies ive had many a good nights kip in Sweden in it waking up to see the bug mesh covered in little vampyre mozzies only down side of it is they are now about 400 quid i got mine about 5 years ago with a discount from silvermans even then it was a tad over 200 jibs.

At the end of the day its horses for courses really a box standard bivvi bag's there to protect your sleeping bag at the end of the day and the hooped ones give a little privacy but ultimately prevent you getting eaten alive by wood ants or mozzies ect, i dont think you can beat waking up in the woods peering from your doss bag and watching nature do its thing, ive had deer stroll past me, a muntjac give me a stare off, badger and foxes snuffling around me hmmm but then the down side of other shrafters farting and snoring and snapping twigs to get a fire going at sparrows fart oclock in the morning! just burn them as they are! lol :p

[jikido]

Ex mil dpm gortex bag, well worth the investment.