When you’re ready to camp, the Ridge Raider is effortless to put up. Thread the 8mm pole through a duct in the head section of the bivi, a bit like putting up a dome tent. This then lifts the top of the bivi off your head meaning you can easily lie down and read a book, or even tend a stove located outside close by. Although you can sleep in just a bivvy bag, it’s generally a pretty unpleasant experience – both should be used in combination. In all but the warmest weather you would feel uncomfortable and cold without a sleeping bag once the sun has gone down. There are two options for sealing the bivvy: you can either zip up the mesh panel or you can pin the mesh panel up with a toggle and zip the whole thing closed. Unlike many other bivvy bags, it doesn’t taper at the foot end, so it’s good for those who don’t like the feeling of being in a mummy bag. It also has a reinforced brow, to help keep the bivvy off your face, which makes things so much more comfortable on a wet night. According to North Face, the DryWall single skin also ‘provides unparalled single-wall breathability’. At 420g, the Assault Bivy is not the lightest, and for some it might seem just too big. But, if you’re after a top quality, waterproof bivvy bag with extra space for your boots and bag, then look no further. Bivvy bags are great for keeping the wind off and giving your bag a bit of extra warmth but I wouldn't use one in the rain unless I could keep the outer reasonably dry somehow. The price/weight of the more waterproof/breathable-ish bags make them not worth it to me as well as I'm more likely to use it in the dry so a waterproof one would inconvenience me 90% of the time and maybe make the difference between being wet and being soaked on the rare occasions it has rain use.

For overnight microadventures, however, I encourage people to try using a bivvy bag instead. What is a bivvy bag and why do you recommend it? The OEX Bush Pro Bivvi Sleeping Bag offers the versatility of a sleeping bag inside a bivvy. It is perfect for all seasons, giving you protection from rain, wind and cold weather. The OEX Bush Pro Bivvi Sleeping Bag has extra insulation at the feet to keep your toes safe and warm on those chilly autumn evenings in Tasmania.After strolling for three days and two nights I became as nervous as the deer I startled on my way and I soo needed a shower. But I did it, on my own, in the over regulated and overpopulated Netherlands where the fine for camping in the wild is between 60 and 95 euro’s. Outdoor Research should need no introduction. A fantastic company based in Seattle on the West Coast of the USA, they have continuously been at the height of innovation and quality since their inception in the early 1980s. Thank you for getting me out of the tent! Sleeping under the stars is wonderful! The open air makes one feel alive. I found the camping in the wild very adventurous. Especially when I read in an old newspaper that the police was looking for two thugs in the woods, the exact woods I was hiding. Good thing I read the news afterwards, otherwise I may have changed my mind.

We are massive fans of Snugpak gear – they are leaders in well thought-out, rugged outdoor gear. The Snugpak Ionosphere bivy tent is no exception and straddles the line between bivvy bag and compact 1-person tent really well. There’s no wonder it’s often used by the US military – not bad for a company from Yorkshire in the UK! As Rab’s cheapest and lightest bivvy, this is well suited to campers looking to ditch the tent for the first time. The Trailhead is crafted from hardwearing 40 Denier ripstop nylon with a breathable yet waterproof polyurethane coating on both its top and base. This durable combination ensures that any rain is kept at bay, while a zipped mesh vent enables appropriate ventilation. All seams are taped, completing what is an impressively watertight product. This new version of the Helium, released only this year, comes in 14% lighter than the previous generation, and from what we can see there’s been no downgrade in performance either.

A sleeping bag is an insulated bag that is designed to keep you warm. This warmth is provided by either a down or synthetic filling that traps air around your body as you sleep. In contrast, the single-skin fabric of a bivyy bag provides negligible warmth. It is designed to keep out moisture (from rain, dew or snow) while having sufficient breathability to minimise moisture build up on the inside. A sleeping bag will often cover the head but doesn’t cover the face, where most bivvy bags allow for the whole person to be sealed inside (i.e. the bag is closed fully over both the head and face). Do I need a sleeping bag with a bivvy? What you really get with the Geertop is flexibility. It can be set up simply as a standalone netted structure to sit in if the midges are getting at you or the additional outer waterproof camo fly can be added to keep the rain off. Downsides are the same as for any bivvy of this kind. If it’s raining you can find yourself having to get into it when you otherwise wouldn’t with a small tent. Using a tarp can overcome that problem, and we would certainly recommend that if you think there will be trees to set it up. Alternatively bring along some poles for the tarp. The OEX Bush Pro uses a 5000mm hydrostatic head top layer for decent waterproof capability, but we didn’t test it under monsoon conditions. With a vertical spray of a hose pipe to replicate rain I was kept dry inside using the OEX in my garden overnight.

This post will teach you everything about bivvy bags ready for your microadventure. If you’re looking for microadventure ideas try the Year of Microadventure Challenge, watch a few videos of my microadventures or -best of all- buy a signed copy of the best-selling Microadventures book! The picture below shows an Army bivvy on the left, a Rab one in the middle and a snoring Welshman in an unknown bivvy on the right. The Bush Pro Bivvi is a lightweight sleeping bag that will keep you dry in wet or windy conditions. Constructed with tough ripstop nylon and fully taped seams, this bivvi can accommodate most builds – perfect for campers who sleep in less than desirable weather.

The Best Bivy Bags Tested by Our Team

Fancy it? If you do, then you’re in the right place. We’ve done the hard work for you, putting several products – ranging in design, style, size and price – through their paces on wild camping trips to Scotland, the Brecon Beacons and the Lake District. So, whether you’re looking to venture into bivvying for the first time or if you’re a seasoned pro at sleeping under the stars, there’s something for everyone here. The Best Bivy Bags Tested by Our Team The top of the bivvy bag completely zips up, but there is no way of keeping it off your face, and sleeping can get difficult. On warmer nights this isn’t a problem as you can open more of a gap. As a result, we would say this is three season only, but of course your mileage may vary! It’s no-frills, but no-frills is sometimes fine if the bag is light and protective, and that’s certainly the case here. layer Ripstop nylon upper / 10,000 mm hydrostatic head / 10,000/m2 breathability / width: Shoulders – 80 cm; Foot – 50 cm The tarp will allow rain to simply slide off meaning the ground underneath is kept dry and you can cook and place your bivvy bag with no chance of a soaking from above.