Bivi Bag - Gore-Tex or not?

[TobyH]

I bought myself a bivi bag a couple of years ago believing it was gore-tex (even though it only says 'waterproof' on the bag. Up until this weekend I'd only used it in under the tarp so never really checked it's waterproofness.

Well this weekend I was out off roading with my club and we were camping out. It was such a nice evening I decided to pull up my camp bed next to the fire and sleep in my sleeping bag and bivi bag. All was well until about 03:00am when it started raining. Fine, I thought, I'm in my waterproof bivi. Just turned over so the pillow bit was on top to block the rain and carried on. Unfortunately it turns out it's not particularly waterproof as I started getting dripped on and beads of water came through.

2 questions:

1) Could it have been condensation?
2) Shouldn't Gore-tex cope with condensation if it was?

There was an ex squady with us who had his bivi bag with him. It felt alot more crinkly and the seams were far more substantial...

Next question is where can I get a either army or good quality bivi bag?

Toby

 

[andy_e]

Is it a brand-name bivi or an army one that you have or something else?

Gore-tex is a brand name for a tri-laminate breathable, water-resistant fabric, but there are other types of bivi materials out there e.g. I have a Snugpak one that's made of Paratex Dry ...

http://www.snugpak.com/index.php?MenuID=140-140#tech_2

 

[TobyH]

It's another make something like tracpac (or something like that can't remember off the top of my head). But it was supposed to be gore tex when I bought it. It looks similar but some minor differences. The tape seal isn't as robust as the army one and there's 3 seals compared to just the one on the army one (not that it was leaking through the seals).

I suspect I've been sold a cheap imitation....

 

[andy_e]

The Tracpac bivi appears to be made of Breathetex ...

http://www.breathetex.com/

... which should be water-proof to the same degree as Gore-tex, it's a similar if not pretty much identical MVP fabric.

 

[Peter_t]

a great way to test if your bivi bag is waterproof or not is to get it in the bath. i did this with mine a found a few small leeks (which i suspected being second hand and having a few scuffs) then i used some Gluey patch up stuff (sorry iv forgoten what its called) which i got in a camping shop. now it has no leeks at all and iv never had any condensation problems.
i use a og british army gortex bivi bag btw
i got it of en ex reg
you can pick up british army bags of ebay prety cheep second hand or you can get them for £40 at http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/stock.php?page=bigpic&item=3003 who i would recomend (no connections etc.)

 

[Scrumpy]

I got one for my son from here http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=353 I paid £30, it was priced at a bit more but when I mentioned this forum they rounded it down. It is used but tip top condition.

 

[TobyH]

That explains the difference in material.

I tend to get quite hot when I'm in the bivi, so I've been looking to possibly get an eVent bivi instead of the gore-tex one, purely because it's supposed to breath better. But they are over twice the price, so will do some more looking around.

 

[JohnS]

Toby,

I have an old goretex bivi but superseded it with a double hooped one which I have used regularly. I have just had a seam tear repaired and slept in it at the weekend. My sleeping bag was damp at the bottom from a tent the night before but it came out dry after a night in the bivi despite a slight rain shower in the night. The hooped bivis have a vent at the feet and I leave the door open a bit to keep me cool. I don't expect condensation at all. We've just bought a second one from Terra Nova so the kids can have one each, we liked the look and cost of the Vaude one (Go Outdoors have them) but there is no bug door so it's impractical for Scotland. Let me know if you want to come over and see the ones I have.

 

[TobyH]

Cheers John. I'm not really after a hooped one as I already have a 1 man tent of similar (if a little heavier) design. I really like sleeping with absolute minimum requirements so it would have to be a 'normal' bivi.

I've been looking at some that have total enclosure, but with a mozzy net too, which apeals. I think the main question is about materials, gore-tex, Ventile or eVent for which I've seen a bag for all of them. Just the price difference and features really.

 

[TobyH]

I've seen a post on here somewhere about a place that sells Dutch Army Bivi bags, but can't for the life of me find it!!!

Any clues?

 

[MikeE]

Endicotts?

 

[TobyH]

Ah, that's the one!! Cheers