Hooped bivvies - what's the point?

[Barney Rubble]

Firstly, I appreciate you watching the video and I am glad you enjoyed. I may have even seen your bivvy video! Was it the one with a French RCIR ration pack as well? I am sure I also saw you bivvying in a video on Bourne Outside perhaps? With your bike.

I think you're almost certainly right about the bivvy not being suitable for an inflatable mat inside and if I try again, I'll probably take a footprint and put the mat on the outside, or I'll get myself a self inflating mat and use that instead. That said, that does then start to increase the weight/volume of kit which is where I think one of the weak points lies with the hooped bivvy, and where I question the effort/space/reward balance of a hooped bivvy over the other options. Of course, there will be an element of personal preference here as well.

For the sake of clarity, I really do love bivvy camping with a British Goretex bivvy bag and a tarp (particularly the DD Superlight due to it being so tiny when packed down). I just am not sure that the enclosed end of a hooped bivvy is for me, though it may be fair for me to try again with the sleeping mat situation sorted out as my biggest issue by far was the lack of shoulder space.

Those Carinthia ones look very cool and I'll be excited to see you use that, especially as it means I won't have had to pay for it to see it! I almost fell off my chair when I saw the price. Though you will no doubt love it as you already know you like hooped bivvies, and that one looks like the Mutt's Nuts.

Mine was bought in 'Super' condition allegedly. It seemed to let water in basically everywhere that water could rest, which was from the chest downwards. This is where I think a second hoop at the foot end would really help, for not much additional weight at all.

Thanks Chris, I've got quite a few bivvy videos on my channel which feature either Dutch or British Bivi. My latest camping video showcased the Carinthia bivvy...

Full disclosure: I got the Carinthia bivvy cheap on Vinted! I can't afford to buy one of these at the RRP!!

In terms of bulk/volume. I'm currently packing for another camp and going fairly minimal with my Savotta Kahakka 25 daypack. I've got my Carinthia Bivi, Alpkit tarp, groundsheet, pegs and cordage in to my Savotta 6ltr side pouch with room to spare for a waterproof jacket. I was quite pleased with that and will doubtless talk about that on the video.

It might be worth re-proofing your bivy. I have previously used Nikwax on mine.

 

[Furbles]

Barney! Don’t tell me that I can find bivvies on Vinted! What are you trying to do to me?

I am also a big fan of bivvy and tarp - British Army and DD Superlight, just like Chris. I just don’t like the hooped ones. For me, kind of the whole point of bivvy and tarp is that you are closer to nature - you can feel the woodland around you. If I want to be enclosed, I’ll use a tent.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Barney! Don’t tell me that I can find bivvies on Vinted! What are you trying to do to me?

Don't blame me, blame Paul Messner's youtube channel. He did a very insightful video recently on buying good quality second hand kit and opened my eyes up to Vinted.

 

[Pattree]

Genuine ignorance and interest.

erm …….. why do you need a tarp with a bivi? (Presuming your rucker is waterproof and your boots are upside down on sticks etc etc.)

 

[Barney Rubble]

Genuine ignorance and interest.

erm …….. why do you need a tarp with a bivi? (Presuming your rucker is waterproof and your boots are upside down on sticks etc etc.)

Admin space. If the weather is rubbish then it's nice to have somewhere sheltered to sit, cook, drink tea (or something stronger!) and marvel at whatever view you have in front of you. The bivi serves only as your sleeping quarters.

 

[Chris]

Genuine ignorance and interest.

erm …….. why do you need a tarp with a bivi? (Presuming your rucker is waterproof and your boots are upside down on sticks etc etc.)

If it’s raining when you get in and out of it, it can also result in a wet sleeping bag/inside of bivvy bag, especially if raining heavily. The dutch bivvies have an L shaped zip that goes about 1/3 of the way down the bag as well as across the top, they’re not like the ones that you crawl in from the top.

 

[Dan00001]

Regarding inflatable mats, I've used an Oex Flux 5 (relatively thin as far as mats go) inside my hooped bivi and it was absolutely fine, I even read a book in there. Underneath I use a Multimat Expedition Extreme 12L, the best closed cell foam on the market that I have come across in terms of insulating you from the ground.

Here was a bivi camp next to the Nant Crew a month ago with a friend.

 

[Dan00001]

A self inflating mat would also be a great option as they are also usually quite thin.