Hyperlite Storm fabric / end zip entrance / small mesh panel vent zip rand / wide sleeping bag profile design ripstop nylon with PU coating / fluorocarbon free DWR / 10,000mm hydrostatic head / 10,000 MVTR / taped seams / snap opening and stiffened peak. This post will teach you everything about bivvy bags ready for your microadventure. 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 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.

Exposing the Bush Pro Bivvi sleeping bag to any wet conditions will not cause it to leak or spring a ‘roof-shaped hole. It is made of tough ripstop canister fabric with a water-resistant rating of 5000 mm hydrostatic head, and its seams are fully taped for thorough protection from bad weather. 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. What you really get with the Geertop is flexibility. It can be set up simply as a standalone netted structure to sit in if the midges are getting at you or the additional outer waterproof camo fly can be added to keep the rain off. When does a bivvy bag turn into a one person tent, and does it matter? Our answer is “when it uses two fibre glass poles rather than one or a separate fly sheet”, but no it doesn’t matter. 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!

Luxury Bivvy

Next, consider the nature of your running excursion. For a long adventure (more than a few nights), the importance of comfort and plenty of rest can't be underestimated. This is where a slightly heavier set-up might be preferred (eg a one-man tent with some space inside and a comfy sleeping mat). The Bush Pro weighs in at a respectable 560g and has fully taped seams to aid with the water proofing. The nylon material is extremely sturdy and will not rip or tear easily. Length is a respectable 245cm x 95cm wide. 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. The 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. Low weight and a compact shape are the most important factors for runners, since a bulky or heavy bag makes running feel awkward and also more strenuous. Is a bivvy better than a tent?

It’s certainly a distinctive product due to the high, clam-shaped opening at its head, which utilises a single arcing pole to create a high (for a bivvy bag) ceiling. This makes for easy entry and exit and gives the user plenty of head space – after all, no one wants a claustrophobic bivvying experience. 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. One thing to note is that if you are over 6ft tall (I’m 6ft3 or 195cm) then you may be stretched for sleeping space inside – the sleeping area is 213cm long but this includes a sloping roof. Something to bear in mind.

Comments

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.

With a 5000mm HH flysheet and a 7000mm HH groundsheet, the bivi bag offers excellent protection from rain and damp ground. I tend to leave my sleeping mat on the outside. If the weather is foul or if you have a large bivvy bag you can experiment with putting it inside the 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.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.

Ripstop outer with 5000mm hydrostatic head / 5000g/m2 breathability / 70D Ripstop floor / 8.5mm aluminium poles / supplied with ultralight alloy pegs. 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?I found the camping in the wild very adventurous. Especially when I read in an old newspaper that the police was looking for two thugs in the woods, the exact woods I was hiding. Good thing I read the news afterwards, otherwise I may have changed my mind.