What do you reckon to these

[CLEM]

Following on from my hooped bivi bag post and reading you good folks advice Ive maybe narrowed it down to these two mini bivi tents.What do you learned bushcrafter types reckon to them???

http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/stock.php?page=bigpic&item=20093

http://www.military-sleeping-bags.com/bivybag_details.asp?Bivy_Bag_ID=3

 

[billycan]

Out of interest, would a gore tex bivvy bag not serve the same purpose at a third of the cost/size/weight etc, and maybe a tarp too, both for less than £100??

 

[w00dsmoke]

I had a cammo hooped bivi and used it for a couple of years.

They are best used without the hoops as they are so low I could not even sleep on my side inside as the hoops were not high enough. Tie it up instead or use it like a huge bivi bag and they are great although they are not very breathable if you sleep inside with it zipped up.

A good bit of kit although I prefer a bivi bag and basha now

 

[CLEM]

Out of interest, would a gore tex bivvy bag not serve the same purpose at a third of the cost/size/weight etc, and maybe a tarp too, both for less than £100??

I just like the idea of a small bivi come tent thingy,and they look like they may fit the idea that I have in mind for them.

 

[kram245]

Clem, I agree with Billycan, a large bivi bag serves as well. I had a Survival aids hooped bivi in the 80's, used it in Northern ireland, but that was because using a tarp was'nt an option. Daily admin is difficult, cooking in wet weather, changing clothing pretty impossible. Have used those military issue hooped bivi's. They have a rubberised floor, and being military, the outer is pretty heavy duty. Can be a benefit, but heavy to carry. When i now use a bivi, I use a lightweight non-hooped bivi from the now defunct Survival Aids, and a silnylon tarp.

 

[CLEM]

I had a cammo hooped bivi and used it for a couple of years.

They are best used without the hoops as they are so low I could not even sleep on my side inside as the hoops were not high enough. Tie it up instead or use it like a huge bivi bag and they are great although they are not very breathable if you sleep inside with it zipped up.

A good bit of kit although I prefer a bivi bag and basha now

Mmmm,I am a fair sized lump meself so that does not sound great about it not being high enough when laying on your side. Anyone had a go at making one from Gortex yourselves?,can gortex be bought???

 

[CLEM]

Clem, I agree with Billycan, a large bivi bag serves as well. I had a Survival aids hooped bivi in the 80's, used it in Northern ireland, but that was because using a tarp was'nt an option. Daily admin is difficult, cooking in wet weather, changing clothing pretty impossible. Have used those military issue hooped bivi's. They have a rubberised floor, and being military, the outer is pretty heavy duty. Can be a benefit, but heavy to carry. When i now use a bivi, I use a lightweight non-hooped bivi from the now defunct Survival Aids, and a silnylon tarp.

Thanks Kram,I appreciate the reply and advise my friend!

Thanks gents,a few fellows on here have an Austrian made double hooped bivi made by Carinthia,they look to be very good and quite wide looking,damned costly though!

 

[w00dsmoke]

Yes you can buy goretex, but it's maybe cheaper to buy a couple of army bivi bags and split the seam and join the two togther with a decent stitch and then use seam seal or shoogoo or even silicant sealant on the outside and insed of the seam.

There is a guy in Dundee who has an Army and Navy store in the Hilltown area who will make you one and get it sealed using a tape machine. His name is Tom. Maybe the guys in dundee will know of him, he used to operate out of a couple of shipping containers off Clepington road. I got a hand made goretex smock from him 5 years ago in cammo for 70 bucks!

I knew a guy who did this as he wanted a double bivi for him and his lady for use when snowholing and it worked a treat. I'm tempted to do this for me and my gd lady.

 

[CLEM]

Yes you can buy goretex, but it's maybe cheaper to buy a couple of army bivi bags and split the seam and join the two togther with a decent stitch and then use seam seal or shoogoo or even silicant sealant on the outside and insed of the seam.

There is a guy in Dundee who has an Army and Navy store in the Hilltown area who will make you one and get it sealed using a tape machine. His name is Tom. Maybe the guys in dundee will know of him, he used to operate out of a couple of shipping containers off Clepington road. I got a hand made goretex smock from him 5 years ago in cammo for 70 bucks!

I knew a guy who did this as he wanted a double bivi for him and his lady for use when snowholing and it worked a treat. I'm tempted to do this for me and my gd lady.

Thanks for that W00dsmoke! Your a gentleman,a great idea and its something to think about for sure.

Aint this site great

 

[Beer Monster]

I had a cammo hooped bivi and used it for a couple of years.

They are best used without the hoops as they are so low I could not even sleep on my side inside as the hoops were not high enough. Tie it up instead or use it like a huge bivi bag and they are great although they are not very breathable if you sleep inside with it zipped up.

A good bit of kit although I prefer a bivi bag and basha now

I have a Terra Nova Jupiter bivi bag. It's great. It only has one hoop (never seen the point in 2?) which gives plenty of space inside. I'm 6ft with quite wide shoulders and find I can easily sleep on my side. It's made from gortex exchange fabric so you can apparently sleep with it completely sealed up (I've not tried it though!). I'd highly recommend it although as you say it is quite expensive.

The main reason I bought mine is that it has a built in midge net and normally use it in conjunction with a tarp to give me a bite free, dry nights sleep with a large admin area. In the cold it also gives that extra little bit of warmth. No problems with condensation either.

Having said the above I've also got a Hilleberg Akto which is almost as light as the bivi/tarp combination so it is normally my first choice (and in the sale it was almost the same price!!). Only use the bivi/tarp option if the weather is good or I know I'm going to be staying in some fairly tight woodland and hence need more options (Akto has a surprisingly big footprint!).

Hope that helps.

If I recall Kathmandu do a “bivi tent” which might be a good compromise? Excellent service (made my tarp) and their prices are very good too.

 

[Chance]

If there's a choice of pole, and there's nothing else to separate your choices, I'd go for aluminium.

 

[Agile]

I have a Terra Nova Jupiter bivi bag. It's great.

I'll second that one, although I went for a different Terra Nova model, the "Apollo Bivi". It's as solid as, but really light with it. Also if you can get used to it, then you can sleep with the zip fully done up. This worked a treat when I went camping in close to gale force winds and a thunderstorm - my shelter might as well have not been there, as I didn't even care!

http://www.gear-zone.co.uk/eshop/Terra-Nova-Apollo-Bivi---SS07.html

Agile

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

After much deliberation, I've just bought an Outdoor Designs Race Raider twin hooped bivi. It was that, or a Terra-Nova Saturn twin hooped bivi, but the OD one won on the extra space - plenty of room for me and my rucksack inside and a porch for cooking if needs be. Nice & lightweight too.

Can't be bothered to cut and paste the links - you can google them yourselves!

It's only been up in the front room so far to check it out, but I'll do a bit of a review when I've used it a couple of times.

The things that let the MOD hooped bivi down for me was the lack of a mesh door and the fact that it looks so darned scruffy!

Yeoman

 

[Simon E]

Check this out, IMHO its the most versitile thing for the weight.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Check this out, IMHO its the most versitile thing for the weight.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm

What a flippin' clever idea!
.................Right! Where's me spare tent poles!

Yeoman

 

[Simon E]

What a flippin' clever idea!
.................Right! Where's me spare tent poles!

Yeoman

If you cant find them or the missus is using then to hold up Tomatoes

http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

If you cant find them or the missus is using then to hold up Tomatoes

http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm

Thanks for the link mate, but I think the P&P might be a bit dear