Hunka Bivvy bags - Any good?

[Bishop]

Just given the piggy bank a shake and am toying with the idea of getting a Hunka bivvy bag to replace my old army gortex one. Apart from the obvious weight saving does anybody have anything good or bad to say about them?
Is it sleep in a swampy ditch waterproof or more delicate preferring less demanding conditions?

 

[Tonyuk]

I have the XL and its been good so far. I hear that the standard sized ones are a bit cramped.

Tonyuk

 

[hughtrimble]

They do get very good reviews for the price. Less water resistant than the milsurp Goretex, but that's likely only in an academic sense.

 

[garyc]

From a water resistance POV they have a hydrostatic head rating of 10,000, which is fully waterproof.

I'm in the market for a Hunka XL at the moment, so I can't comment on whether they are actually any good. The reviews etc have been pretty good though, one of the issues I have read about is that they aren't very breathable, so if you tighten everything around you it's going to get a bit moist! Using a tarp overhead to allow the bivvi to be open slightly during a downpour combats this well (this is all based on what I've read, rather than what I've experienced, so I can't attest to the accuracy!)

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

I've used them for a good few years now - the XL in winter, the regular in Summer. Before that I used the surplus goretex jobbie, and the Hunka is a considerable improvement in terms of weight and pack size. The integrated mesh bag makes packing it up very quick and easy too.

The military ones have heavier material, softer to the touch. so they're nicer in that way, and probably more wear-resistant. But after a few years, I can see no appreciable wear on them. I generally use them under a tarp, so they seldom deal with direct rain. But I have also used them occasionally in a micro-tarp set up - only the head covered - and they coped with light rain just fine.

I've had two surplus bags, and the tape started to come away on the seams on both. I think it's just down to the fact that surplus ones usually have a fair bit of age on them even if unissued. The Hunkas are both perfect.

So based on a good deal of use, I recommend them. I've no criticism of them really,

 

[mowerman]

Got my hunka XL bivvy bag nearly a year ago now and absolutely love it.
It's always been used under a tarp so never really got wet but it has never really suffering from condensation either.
I always air my sleeping kit for an hour in the morning while I cook breakfast and pack up the rest of the camp and that can really help with reducing moisture in your sleep system.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

I used a hunka (standard sized) in the military for quite a few years as a lighter replacement to the issue one. It stood up fine, including quite a few nights sleeping on concrete, and never had any problems with breathability. As mentioned above, I'd recommend the XL unless you are really trying to shave the grams (or are a small build/wish only to use with summer bags).

 

[chris_r]

I'm hoping to get a Hunka XL in a bid to reduce weight. I've currently got an MOD bag. Can anyone tell me, when it's packed into the built in stuff sack, is there room to compress it further? I'm going to be using it when bikepacking and volume is a consideration.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I swapped from the MOD bag to the hunka xl. Unless you are a very skinny midget, you're gonna want the XL version. It's not as breathable as the MOD bag, but as long as you don't spend all night breathing into it, don't use a bag that's too warm, and aren't using it in bonkers humidity, it seems to be "enough". I've had condensation a couple of times, but usually in conditions where any bag would struggle.

I'm not sure there's a better bag on the market in terms of price/weight/performance. There are better bags for weight/performance, but you pay for that.

J

 

[MikeLA]

Personally No, I bought one thought XL but it had no markings on and it still was a very tight fit. Went back to the army issue one after only one outing.

 

[MikeLA]

For the very slight difference in weight you benefit 100% more from the issue one in comfort and room and that counts for a good nights sleep

 

[tankie]

Some people just need a very big bag