Hi,

Following the bivvy a month thread has got me wondering if I should buy a bivvy for this year.

Why are there so many spellings ?

Theres this OEX bivi
https://www.millets.co.uk/15987150/oex- ... t-15987150

The boarah gear bivy
https://borahgear.com/products.html

and the Alpkit bivvy
https://alpkit.com/collections/bivvy-bags

I would like one which is waterproof and idealy under £100 do I need a tarp too?

Can you help out recommending one please? Do you need an additional groundsheet/miggy net too?

Thanks

If there's budget to consider then it's hard to see beyond an XL Alpkit Hunka. I say XL as they offer quite a bit more room than a standard version which allows you to place your mat inside should you wish.

Do you need a tarp? In truth that depends whether it's raining. If it is and you don't have one, the level of misery can spiral quite quickly.

Lemming wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:05 pm Why are there so many spellings ?

Good question! I think that actually they might well be named to rhyme with that tasty frozen 1970s treat......



Anyway, they're the devil's work. Boil-in-the-bags that is, not the ice-cream - that was yummy .

Now over to some comments from our more sensible residents.....

Hi Lemming. If it's a Hunka you decide on then I have one available (in XL if you're tall as the small was a but too tight for me). Just used once myself and bought it as an almost new item. Still in mint condition.

I upgraded/swapped to a Rab eVent which I'll be trying out tonight hopefully... Most people with a bivy still carry a tarp. I don't (cos I'm daft).

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:18 pm If there's budget to consider then it's hard to see beyond an XL Alpkit Hunka. I say XL as they offer quite a bit more room than a standard version which allows you to place your mat inside should you wish.

Do you need a tarp? In truth that depends whether it's raining. If it is and you don't have one, the level of misery can spiral quite quickly.

Magic thanks, is it worth spending a bit more?

Bivvy bag only can lead to a certain degree of misery when it's wet. Adding a tarp makes it much more pleasant - also worth getting a pole too - trying to use the bike to support a tarp can be a bit of a faff. Borah gear bivvy bag plus tarp and one of Stu's carbon poles makes for a very light set up. IF you go with a Hunka and venture into midge land, a sea to summit nano mozzie tent makes it bug proof.

I've just posted m Alpkit Elan on the classifieds page. Lightly used (3 nights), but I'm more of a tent person.

I've considered it but came to the undeniable conclusion I like the protection from midges, slugs & frankly, werewolves a tent offers. Stick with a tent and as well as being drier, I know I'm safe from all 3.
And they don't seem particularly lighter weight once you've added all the shizz to put the tarp than a tent. Stick with a tent.

is it worth spending a bit more?

Not much to gain unless you spend considerably more. Do remember that some bivvy bags (especially lighter ones) aren't waterproof and only act as a bag cover, so will require a tarp.

Quite a few here have used these
https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/pr ... id/2220491

Rab Ascent bag, half price in the above store

Used mine in snow, rain and survived the night Much more comfortable than the Alpkit bag (only downside is the rab bag is missing a midge net)

Much more comfortable than the Alpkit bag (only downside is the rab bag is missing a midge net)

How is a bivvy bag more comfortable?

You may find the RAB is somewhat more 'snug' than the Hunka XL, not much chance of getting a mat inside in my experience - or at least not an air mat.

That Rab bivvy looks more like an Alpine rather than an ascent. My ascent is a bit more roomy. Looking at the Rab site they have dropped the event bivvies....

Always worth reading Ronald Farmer's 'book of the bivvy' before going down that line...

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:41 pm

Much more comfortable than the Alpkit bag (only downside is the rab bag is missing a midge net)

How is a bivvy bag more comfortable?

You may find the RAB is somewhat more 'snug' than the Hunka XL, not much chance of getting a mat inside in my experience - or at least not an air mat.

I have to justify my responses now? It’s a forum though…?! More comfort in that I’ve had less condensation/dampness using the Rab over the Alpkit

Good point about the sleep mat though, I do find it’s more comfortable with the mat on the outside, which is less practical.

This and the tarp thread are rapidly converging....

Much more comfortable than the Alpkit bag (only downside is the rab bag is missing a midge net)

How is a bivvy bag more comfortable?

You may find the RAB is somewhat more 'snug' than the Hunka XL, not much chance of getting a mat inside in my experience - or at least not an air mat.

Yes, I tried and the sleeping bag wouldn't loft. So last nughts bivy had me doing some structural rearrangement to the bivy. Mat went underneath instead!

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:33 pm This and the tarp thread are rapidly converging....

Head-on collision...... BANG!

You could always blow up your bivvybag and use it as an air-bag in said collision.

But of course a tarp is much easier to get out of in case of an accident......

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:18 pm If there's budget to consider then it's hard to see beyond an XL Alpkit Hunka. I say XL as they offer quite a bit more room than a standard version which allows you to place your mat inside should you wish.

XL Hunka for the money

But I moved to this and won't go back to a hunka XL now
https://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/ ... try-bivvy/

Although I didn't actually get that much sleep on my maiden bivy - thanks to the rutting foxes of North Hertfordshire - I found the sleep.I DID get left me feeling great.
Maybe being out in the fresh air helps?

Back to the etymology

I use "bivy" as a noun (contraction of bivouac) and "bivvy" as a verb. The doubling of a final single consonant when going from noun to verb is pretty common in English: trap -> trapping; etc.

Anyway...

I use a lightweight Borah Gear bivy, 170g, along with a cuben fibre (DCF) tarp, 140g, from Trekkertent. The bivy bag isn't fully waterproof but will deal with condensation and pushing against the tarp. Add 100g for a pole and some pegs and that's just over 400g for a pretty flexible setup. The bivy bag has a no-seeum panel at the head end so will deal with the winged teeth. If I wanted more protection then the Nano net is about 80g so the whole caboodle is still under 500g.

I only started putting the mat inside the bivy bag when I started bikepacking. Back in my alpine climbing days the mat (a CCF jobbie) would go on the outside as it acted as protection from rocks for the bag. A standard sized bag isn't big enough for an inflatable mat, sleeping bag and a person so you do need something the size of the Hunka XL - the Borah Gear bags are basically the same size.

To confuse you more I will add ti goat into the mix. Very light, packs very small, can fit me a large xtherm and a quilt in fine, can be open, fully zipped up or fully mesh head area zipped, mine is two tone green so you cannot see it from a couple of metres away and its reasonably water resistant. Only downside is they are made in the States and cost about £145 a few years ago. Still it’s beautifully made and custom anything was no issue.

Only downside is it’s quite a slipper material on the inside and you can slide down in it if you are on a slope. But nothing you can’t fix with some silicone beads inside it I would guess.

I think Stu did a review on them in the day, mine I think is the Omni Raven.

My Ti Goat Kestrel is very light but not waterproof on top, little more than a windproof layer. As I've discovered the fun way, it's dependent on a tarp in all but the driest weather.