Snugpak hooped bivi bag

[Pablo]

Ps - Pablo I am holding you responsible for this ;-) that great review swung it to this rather than a new tent.

Cheers

Just sold mine. It's useless... Ha...only joking!

Another month down the line and it's still ok. I've even used it without a tarp but not in really wet conditions. I still get a little clausterphobic with my head in the hoop and I'm not really used to ground dwelling - but that's a personal issue and nothing to do with the bag.

Good luck with it anyway. Let us know how you get on.

Pablo.

 

[John Fenna]

Just sold mine. It's useless... .

you bad man!

 

[verloc]

imagine the scene ...........

return home from work, feed the dog, feed me (escape wifes crazy mania in the kitchen to perfect her home made humus), eat tea, open ale.

All good so far. Open macbook (take another swig of ale) quickly glance at pablos post above, skim read it and cover my laptop in Marstons - swine

Will let peoples know how I get on - already being slightly mocked by mate who just bought the Alpkit lightweight one - (we shall see stooboy when you wake up looking like a scrotum).

Cheers guys

 

[stooboy]

Ha Ha, im sure I will be fine, the alpkit hunka looks really good for the money, and very light weight.

Although I must admit ive fair taken to the DD hammock, will give it a try this weekend and see how it goes.

Ill buy your stratosphere for a tenner when you decide you don't like it

 

[verloc]

Got back this morning from a weekend out didn't even take the stratosphere in the end - I tried it out Thursday night and really didn't like it - it seems like a cracking bit of kit but I actually found the hoop really claustrophobic - one minor panic later and my mind is made up. One thing I thought would really not bother me is that it kind needs to be pegged down and it looks like I completely underestimated just how much i need to move around. Quite disappointing but it's personal preference and in no way a reflection on the product itself. I think one thing I have learned is that I need my face out.

Anyways all we can do is try and find out whats right for ourselves, although annoyingly stooboy was also there and looked really comfy in his new alpkit bag. Oh well back to drying the tent.

Cheers guys.

 

[grebo247365]

I have been a fan of bivi shelters over the years and currently own three bags by commercial manufacturers and one british army bivi, all have their pros and cons.
I got one of these stratosphere bivi shelters myself and spent the night in it near the bleaklow stones in the peak district.
The ground was absolutely sodden, producing water when you dug your boot into it, so I was really counting on the bivi being up to the job, I stuck my sleeping bag and kipmat inside and went off to drink rum with my good buddy Elt the Celt.
Come bedtime I rolled over to the bivi, unzipped the side and hopped in with ease, something I always had trouble with my traditional style bivis was getting in the damn things because I am six one tall and find most of em a tight squeeze except for my army bag.
Once in I zipped the thing right up cos rain was forcast, I then fell comfortably asleep finding the hood to my liking and well ventilated via the mesh panel.
Around 3am the heavens opened and it rained torrentially for about six hours, inside the bivi was completely dry except a small condensation patch near where I was directly breathing onto the material.
The shelter worked well in my opinion, the pros for me were easy access and quite comfortable in use compared to regular bivi bags due to the raised hood area and very waterproof in heavy rain.
The cons were the extra weight, the poles were quite a job to get in position and the fabric felt very flimsy compared to my other bags and I wouldn't personally use this in a woodland setting with many brambles and sharp twigs etc for fear of tearing it.

 

[British Red]

I used mine on the Mors course. Not much of a test but interesting (it was warm). The ability to flap open the bivi was a godsend - kept the fug to a minimum. The downsides - in a warm but mozzy environment it would be "fug or get bitten" as the net is a small panel cover. My personal improvement would be to increase the net size so that a larger area could be vented, That said for the extra money its vastly superior to a basic issue bivi - small things like the pocket in the roof (very handy for wearers of glasses) make it a very civilised bit of kit

Red

 

[Karl5]

Double post - Doh!!

 

[Karl5]

This Terra Nova one is absolutely ace -
This three layer Gore-Tex upper Bivi with Waterbloc groundsheet is designed for military/all round use. The twin pre-curved aluminium alloy poles allow extra head and foot space plus is extra long for kit storage. Mesh opening, rear vent and integral storm hood complete the features of the Saturn Bivi.

Size: 240 x 70 x 45 cm. Weight: 1.3 kg. Colour = any colour you like as long as it's green
I've stayed in it at 7000ft and in chucking rain with high winds- Snug-as-a-bug in there - good kit.

Good piece of kit - absolutely.
But ad just a tad more weight and a tad more money, and you'll get a Hilleberg Akto instead. Room for your kit and for cooking on a bad weather day. And, IMO, definitely the better choice of the two.

However, both of these choices are no longer a bivvi, but very small tents.
Other weight class and price class than a bivvi really.

/ Karl

 

[crazyclimber]

Good piece of kit - absolutely.
But ad just a tad more weight and a tad more money, and you'll get a Hilleberg Akto instead. Room for your kit and for cooking on a bad weather day. And, IMO, definitely the better choice of the two.

However, both of these choices are no longer a bivvi, but very small tents.
Other weight class and price class than a bivvi really.

/ Karl

I see your point re the internal volume vs weight / money Karl, but having a bivi bag almost identical to the Saturn at the moment and having used an Akto in the past I would argue that the Akto isn't necessarily the better choice. The great thing about the saturn is its flexibility; I've used it perched on the side of mountains as just a bivi bag (without the poles) where you couldn't pitch a tent, I've done the same on rocky ground where there's no way I could've got pegs in, then you've still got the extra insulation and comfort of being able to pole 'n peg it if you want to elsewhere. It's also very simple and quick to put up, no worrying about the right tension or problems with pitching on slopes like you do with the Akto.
I'm not knocking the Akto; I love the hilleberg range, just just pointing out that I suppose everyone has different needs which makes the better choice a personal thing.
Cheers!
Ioan