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Hawkram
Guest
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good bivvy bag and the best place to purchase one.
thanks
thanks
The Rab Survival Zone is pretty decent value at £55.
It is not a fully enclosed bag - it is "mummy" shaped and can be synched up leaving a "breathing hole"
It's excellent as long as you have some shelther from direct falling rain - tarp, under boulder, wall etc
The great advantage is that it's a third of the weight and packed size of a goretex bag.
I also have a standard goretex bag and an Outdoor Research Deluxe Bivvy yet i mostly reach for the Rab due to it's size and weight.
It is not a fully enclosed bag - it is "mummy" shaped and can be synched up leaving a "breathing hole"
It's excellent as long as you have some shelther from direct falling rain - tarp, under boulder, wall etc
The great advantage is that it's a third of the weight and packed size of a goretex bag.
I also have a standard goretex bag and an Outdoor Research Deluxe Bivvy yet i mostly reach for the Rab due to it's size and weight.
Giant link but there you go:
http://www.upandunder.co.uk/eshop/c...r_ID=5&Activity_ID=2&Description_ID=5
http://www.upandunder.co.uk/eshop/c...r_ID=5&Activity_ID=2&Description_ID=5
the above link states:
"Only semi breathable so expect some condensation in unfavorable conditions"
i have had no condensation problems with my Survival Zone - surprisingly it seems to breathe as well as gortex. perhaps not having your head inside the bag cuts down on the amount of moisture it has to deal with....
i have a link to the Rab home page - but the site does not appear to be available currently so i thought best not to post it.
"Only semi breathable so expect some condensation in unfavorable conditions"
i have had no condensation problems with my Survival Zone - surprisingly it seems to breathe as well as gortex. perhaps not having your head inside the bag cuts down on the amount of moisture it has to deal with....
i have a link to the Rab home page - but the site does not appear to be available currently so i thought best not to post it.
Pertex would be shower proof at best I would imagine. Of course you could treat it but then it wouldnt breath as well.
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Hawkram
Guest
Thank you to everyone who offered information.
I've just been given a new sleeping bag that has a central zip, it makes life a lot easier getting in and out of it.
A bivvy bag that also had a centre zip would be ideal.
Is there anything like that on the market?
Cheers
I've just been given a new sleeping bag that has a central zip, it makes life a lot easier getting in and out of it.
A bivvy bag that also had a centre zip would be ideal.
Is there anything like that on the market?
Cheers
you can get ones with diagonal zips but i am not aware of one with a central zip
having zips long or crossing the front of the bag are not usually a good idea as they provide places for water to enter during prolonged rain
having zips long or crossing the front of the bag are not usually a good idea as they provide places for water to enter during prolonged rain
Again the good old army bivi bag comes into its own as Stuart points out zips arent really ideal in a bivi bag - but if you want a central zip you need to get yourself a british army artic bivi bag - these are cheaper than all the named brands out there and far more robust!
The hood is even big enough to store your bag in - happy hunting!
The hood is even big enough to store your bag in - happy hunting!
Hawkram said:
Mountain Range make some very good bivi bags. I have both the double-hooped model and the diagonal zip model. They are not cheap though. That said I've had the double-hooped one for 12 years and it is still going strong. The zip on the diagonal is covered with a velcro baffle. I've never had problems with water coming in the zip. You can sleep in it zipped up completely and the only moisture problem is condensation from your breathing. I find it better to keep it a bit open, with at least a small breathing hole, if not my face entirely exposed unless it is absolutely pi**ing it down.
As you say, the diagonal zip facilitates much easier entrance/exit from a top-zip bag, which is particularly useful in very cold places - you can get dressed in stages while still in the bag. Yes, with a top-entrance bag like the MOD one, you don't have the zip as a potential entrance for water but you do have the blooming great hole at the top! Also, the diagonal zip means you can store your clothes, headtorch, etc at the top of the bag above your head. The zipped design makes it more expensive to produce though.
Also worth a mention is that a friend of mine was recently telling me his experience with the army bag was not good - he was getting a lot of condensation inside the bag that was dampening his sleeping bag. I know other people have had good experience of the MOD bag and don't seem to have a problem. But this particular one didn't seem to be very breathable.
I bought my diagonal zip bag from Penrith Survival a few years back and it wasn't quite as pricey as they are now but was still considerably more than an MOD bag. Still available at:
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/penrith...a.asp?pe=BCJGDECQ_BB+Diagonal+Bivi&cid=55
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Hawkram
Guest
Thanks for the information Paul, that is exactley what I'm looking for.
I'll give them a call.
Cheers
Hawkram
I'll give them a call.
Cheers
Hawkram
H
Hawkram
Guest
Penrith Survival don't have any, apparantly Mountain Range have gone to the wall, so they won't be getting anymore.
Does anyone know of another outlet that might have one.
Does anyone know of another outlet that might have one.
