Bivi Bags and Hooped Bivi Bags. A Comparison of what I Use for Backpacking and Wild Camping.
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- Опубліковано 18 лют 2020
- In this video, part two in a mini series on sleep systems, I will be going through the bivvy/bivy/bivi bags I use for camping, bushcraft, canoe tripping and backpacking. Bivy bags make a great, low profile, low impact, minimalist shelter for trips where weight matters or if you wish to go undetected. They come in many different styles with greatly varying features to suit every budget. The few I will show you in the video are just a few that I use. Using a bevy bag is not to everybody’s taste as they are very small, offer almost no storage space and often require a bit on wriggling to get inside them, but, by taking a few steps to set yourself up, comfort can be greatly improved!
I have listed links to the items shown in the video below where I am able to - items no longer in production or available have the closest equivalent item linked.
Episode three will cover pillows, sleeping pads/mats and other items linked to sleeping.
I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!
Links
British Army Goretex Sleeping Bag Cover
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-BR...
Mil-Tec MSS Clone Sleeping Bag Cover
www.amazon.co.uk/Mil-Tec-Slee...
Rab Ascent Bivi
rab.equipment/uk/ascent-bivi
Terra Nova Jupiter Hooped Bivi (***BACK IN STOCK AGAIN***)
www.terra-nova.co.uk/bivis/ju...
Dutch Army Hooped Bivi
forcesuniformandkit.co.uk/pro...
Terra Nova Competition Tarp 1
www.terra-nova.co.uk/tarps/co...
Merchandise
Simon, a bloke in the woods - Patch and Sticker
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ablokein...
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Because of this video I purchased the Dutch hooped bivvy and I've had 2 camps in it so far. It's cliche but honestly those 2 camps changed my life. I'm now addicted to watching the stars in my bivvy on a random mountain somewhere. Thank you so much.
it's a Championship Bivvy!
looking for one, NOW!
@Advanced Driving 👍😂🤣
Where did you purchase yours from? I haven’t been able to find any here in the U.S.
@@onepalerider Hi Jeff, I'm in the UK and got it from Forces Uniform and Kit. They have some in stock but I'm unsure if they deliver to the states. Hope you find one or something similar bud!
@@Jezek2202
Thank you for the reply! They do ship to the U.S. , I will be ordering mine!
You can't beat DPM 😁 I lost my Bergen in the woods this year , put it down , got turned around and spent about an hour panicking until I spotted my non DPM crocs hanging off the back of it 😁
When I was in the Canadian infantry, we were issued full Gore-Tex bivi bags - really nice, thick, fully taped, completely waterproof jobs. In your sleeping bag's "valise" (carrying cover), you learned to pack everything in order of necessity, so your bivi bag came out first, then your sleeping bag, and then a change of socks, toiletries, etc. Basically, everything you needed for comfort was in your valise, and the main rucksack was reserved for ammo, water and food. Eventually you could unpack the valise and get set up to sleep in pitch dark without any light. The Gore-Tex bivi bag was a haven; you could sleep comfortably in a muddy rut... literally anywhere, and (combined with a poncho or ground sheet to cover your face and equipment) you'd stay nice and dry and the bugs wouldn't get you.
Still got mine .and your right about packing .but I had a MKT and ML most of the time
@@jihomet7607 Haha, lucky. ML-o-copter.
Cool!😉🇨🇦
Did you use ones with hoops or just bags?
@@jeddy_bravo Just bags. Hoops would be more to carry and fuss with when you usually only have an hour or two to sleep.
It's funny, you might search and look at so many vids, but Simon always offers the most down to earth solution...and properly thinks through his presentation...cheers mate!
As a younger man, I enjoyed camping. As an older man, I enjoy Holiday Inns.
13thBear H Inns. General downgraded to current Filthy accommodations
I did the same thing when young, sleeping in a damp sleeping bag on the ground and eating trail mix, then moving to a proper camp when a little older with tent, cot, tables and chairs, the works, then moving to a motorhome in my forties, and finally to a bed & breakfast in the nearby town of the area I'm in now in my sixtties.
Have you seen what's covering the average hotel/motel bed? Looks like I found another use for a bivy bag. It'll provide a layer separation from the crusty bed sheets.
I'm 70. In central Europe, little hotels and penzions are often reasonably priced. In America, motels are really overpriced, no matter how much breakfast you can wolf down in the morning. I've saved trillions sleeping in front of Waffle Houses, relative security in the nighttime and a great quick order breakfast anytime at all
Sorry you guys found such deplorable conditions. I've only had one bad experience in the last 20-some years. I left shortly after I checked in because the room smelled of cat piss. I got no argument from the hostess who cancelled my room charge.
I also have the Dutch Bivi Bag. Mine is from Carinthia. I've never had a problem with it. It is one of the best outdoor gear I have ever bought. Even if you get caught in the rain, a dry sleeping setup is ready in 30 seconds! And it dries even if it is not very warm because it is airing out.
As I said, one of the best things I have ever bought!
I’m liking this series. Thanks for sharing!
I have the Dutch hooped bivi for a few years now.. It is brilliant!
One night I had to sleep like this, I had no choice. At the end it was one of the best nights of that week. Be kind to nature 🌳🌲🙂
Hello from the Hudson Valley, NY. Great job Simon de-mystifying bivi bags for us and sharing your expert tips!
Thanks for this thoughtful, thorough, informative video. This was the best primer I could find on UA-cam that outlined the practical pros and cons for a hiker considering trying this style of shelter system. Keep up the fine work.
This is a brilliant series simon , thankyou for taking the time out to create these series 👌👍
It’s been said already but ‘I only have five of them’ that did make me chuckle! Thanks for the video Simon. Great stuff!
The last couple of years I’ve become a big fan of ultralight bivvies like those from Borah Gear here in the US. While not totally waterproof on their own, they are brilliant paired with a tarp. Lightweight and very reasonably priced.
Thank you for getting in and out of each one. Seeing that helps make decisions. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
i love coming across this kind of content when im looking to make a well informed decision. excellent video. straight to the point and professional.
Simon,a bloke in the woods.Your reviews never fail to to make me happy :-) You cover any topic so clearly,thoroughly & with passion & honesty.Loved the "windsock effect "bivi at the end. So appreciate all time & huge efforts to share with us
Thank you!! 😁
Nicely edited and well paced. You showed me everything I needed to know without the usual UA-cam digressions. Thanks!
I think you just convinced me to give a bivy bag a try. Thanks Simon, always enjoy your videos.
I only just subbed a month ago. I’m a big fan of the channel already :) I went ahead and got a dutch camo bivvy based on your review. I’ve used it a few times already in both forests and city parks, and so far I think it’s great. Stealthy and well designed.
Dutch bivvy - I really liked to put all the backpack and shoes where legs are, since it would rise it a bit and made kind of a tent shape creating additional air gap over the sleeping bag. An amazing review, thanks for sharing!
I have the MOD bivvy in DPM and an MSS. One great thing about the MSS bag/bivvy combo is I can use it like a quilt with a foot box when the claustrophobia gets bad.
Wow. I am so glad to see this video. I have a bivy but never really knew it's use.
I am clostrophobic and love the hoop,mesh and easy in.
Love the comfort of a liner for me. Thank you.
I’m really liking this series. Thank you
This made smile. It's been years since I left the Army (British) The amount of nights on training exercises sleeping inside a bivi, staring at the stars, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands 💙 I can assure you, you can fit a fair amount of kit as well as a soldier in the British one 😉
Yep my mate even managed to fit a small woman in his with him as well?
The giggling kept me awake most of the night, I don't recommend it. Ha.
I purchased a used gore-tex hooped bivy bag about 30 years and I still use it. The best feature is that it uses two poles which allows for more headroom and ventilation. There is nothing nicer than sleeping under the stars and breathing fresh air. The closest bivy bag in design and currently available is the Snugpak Stratosphere Bivvi Shelter.
The netting on that Dutch bivy is awesomely placed. I wish my Rab Unishelter was like that!
"Pads, pillow, and other paraphernalia". You're quite the wordsmith, Simon. Keep up the good work. I'm still taken with your Baker tent video. That's an impressive shelter, if I may say. I appreciate your first hand knowledge on camping gear choice.
I bought a Highland bivi bag years ago bc it was the only one with a detachable bug net I could afford at the time. Not very small or light, but very breathable and waterproof even now. Been meaning to upgrade for ages, since I lost the bug net, but... I just haven't.
This series is coming along well buddy, I've noticed you are gaining subs fast great job & great info/tips ;) peace
Another great video Simon loving watching these looking fwd to seeing the next video great work and honest to the point reviews on your kit.
simon, i am from birmingham. i was a venture scout and runner. good to see u are still around
Your roll mat under the bivi-bag, rather than inside, will still provide insulation but will have the added benefit of protecting the floor of your bivibag from thorns and so forth. I do the same with my one-man tent, which I bought to replace my hooped bivi because it is much easier and drier when you need a wee in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm!
Store boots, store Maggie! Yeah, lots of room in the Dutch Army hoop bivy.
Excellent run-down on bivy bags! Cheers!
Nice one Simon I'm off outdoors for three days tomorrow and taking my British Army bivvy bag for extra warmth so this has come at the right time, great video as always...
Hats off for the title alone mate 😂
😉😂👍
Forgot to mention bivi bags are good to use in a tent as well. Not only does it keep your sleeping bag dry but if your tent fails and you are out in the middle of nowhere you still have a shelter for the night! always have a back up plan!
It boosts your sleeping bags rating by a season too. 👍
Yes, I recommend doing that, it works.
@@simonablokeinthewoods You should pin the comment.
Excellent as ever Simon, many thanks. I have the British Army version which, whilst basic is excellent at just protecting my sleeping bag when out and about with various shelters. I also have a very tiny one man tent which uses two very light weight alli poles and which is a cross over between a 'proper' one man tent and a hooped bivvy. It just makes a bit of difference in comfort level and gives extra gear space. It can also pop in under a very low tarp if needs be for any extra covered space for cooking etc.
Some very good tips for carrying light and camping anywhere available and safe. Thank you very much for this interesting video.
The zips always go wrong on those Dutch bags. Mine still lasted 12 years and 6 op’s. Got a YKK zip fitted by the unit kit repairer.
You cannot beat ykk zippers mate.🤠🇦🇺
I love bivves but at seventy three I have swung over more to using them in the winter with a tarp and a tarp and net in the summer
How fascinating! A really small tent 😊 Usefull video, thanx for educating us newbies!
Nice work!! Great you covered the rain issue in the tips section... Excellent !!
Nice one Simon.
"I only have 5 bivi bags".... :) atb
If you could combine the Terra Nova with the Dutch Army that would be really nice. I like the amount of mosquito netting space of the Terra Nova as I'm somewhat claustrophobic, and I like the entry method of the Dutch Army for much the same reason. If my claustrophobia flairs up I just have to get out of whatever I'm in quickly, and it seems the Dutch Army would provide the quickest escape. A tarp over the the whole outside is a great idea also. Going from dry into either a downpour or a snowstorm is never a pleasant experience. Great video Simon. Thanks for taking the time to show your gear. amb
Thank you! There are other designs about with features that match what you’ve described - try the MacPac Bush cocoon 👍
Perfection in comparison videos. Interesting, great footage, gr eww at editing, pertinent information, brilliant commentary, description of issues, seeing you get in and out of each gives me a ton of info. Just really superb!!.
Thanks Dave! 👍
Nice to know and great to have!!! Thanks for sharing, several different designs!!!
Best used with a tarp or poncho.
The over head cover, tarp or something, keeps the rain off so the bivi can breath, and gives an admin area. Without it bivi bags are more short term survival bag or a fair weather system.
I've used bivi bags plenty but now find tents more comfortable.
“I only have five” 😂
Simon, Great videos on sleeping bags and bivi bags! Very informative!! I learned things about sleeping bags I never realized! Thank you! Jeff/Boston MA
Great tips Simon - very helpful and informative - Chris 👍
Just watching you squirming into the bags made me sweaty 😂
What kind of trips you do where you prefer bivvy over a hammock or a tent?
Hahaha - how do you think I felt doing all the squirming!! 😂
I use them for lightweight backpacking (the third and fourth models) in the mountains where flat spots for a tent and trees are rare or when I want to camp unnoticed. 👍
Also have the Mil-Tec bag. In German Milt-Tec is called "Müll-Tec", means "trash-tec". After my first night with it, my sleeping bag was soaked wet from the moist inside. Obviously the membrane does not work (proper).
That backs up my thoughts on it too! 👍 Thanks mate!
Excellent demo . Like everything outdoors, pros and cons with absolutely everything. Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪
Cheers for sharing that video and info Simon, look for to the next time 👍
I was looking into the Dutch Army Hooped Bivi, I can choose between the Spanish manufactured one and the Carinthia one! (I'm Dutch myself, maybe that makes things easier)
It's 60% more expensive but I'm sure it's well worth the money!
I have a Carinthia bivy and I would swear by it. Never used a sleeping mat, kept me dry, never ripped, breathable, and super lightweight
As a hammock guy, I absolutely HATE sleeping on the ground. However I do have 2 options for when trees are out of the picture : a Snugpak Stratosphere bivy and a Snugpak Ionosphere 1 man tent bivy. They are both built amazingly well and have kept me dry in some pretty nasty storms. My hammocks are always my first choice, but I think it's always smart to have a plan B. I usually carry the smaller Stratosphere with me on the bottom of my Helikon-Tex H harness for when I'm out doing solo trail maintenance, and have the Ionosphere in my truck kit as part of my emergency shelter and gear. Cool vid, sub'd.
I absolutely hate hammocks and find sleeping on terra firma far more comfortable, especially when I prefer sleeping on my stomach or side.
Have you looked into a bridge hammock? Its far more comfortable for sleeping like you do. Look at the Banyon bridge from Dutchware, the Bear Mountain Bridge from Jacks r Better or the Ridgerunner from Warbonnet. You get a virtually flat lay w/o they pressure points ground sleeping gives. Could be something to check out if you're interested in trying it ever again. Although, some people just don't like it either way, so HYOH right? As long as YOU are comfortable, that's all that matters honestly.....
@@ChesapeakeHammockandOutdoors no mate, I think the Banyon type hammocks are also crap. I either sleep in my X5 or on a Bedchair inside a bivvy or under the stars on an air mat. Either way, I enjoy a very comfortable sleep during all seasons.
I have been searching for a while now for the right bivy for my…..that Dutch version really seems like it would fit my needs well. Very helpful review, Simon!
I have the terra nova Saturn which is hooped at the feet. Cost a lot about 10 or more years ago but worth every penny and more. Brilliant video
"these are my bivy bags, I only have FIVE of them" heck, I only have ZERO of them!
I checked my Dutch Hooped Bivvy to see where it was made - apparently made by a German company called 'Feuchter Workwear Gmbh' in October 2003. I this a third company? Great video as usual! 👍🏻😎
Ah, it must be! Being German made, I’m certain the quality will be up there with Carinthia. 👍
Simon, a bloke in the woods Yes, I must admit, no complaints at all so far! 👍🏻😎
Feuchter made the bivvybags under licence of Carinthia. It`s exactley the same quality as opposed to the FECSA stuff. I have a Feuchter myself, happy with it!
Top tips Simon. Thanks for another great video! 😎👍
Thank you for posting this . I have Outdoor research Advanced Bivy and it's discontinued already but I still lovin it . LoL 😂
i only have 5 of them ,yeah iam sure there are People around they have more :)
High, do you have the Geertop-Bivvy too ? Kindly Fiete
@@tannenherz was ischn des?
It is a double-hooped bivvi. Es ist ein Bivvy mit Anhebungen durch kurze gebogene Zeltstangen an beiden Enden. Es ist sehr komfortabel ( #29 und #29-2 ). Freundlichst Fiete
@@tannenherz also so etwas wie der Niederländische Militär Biwak Sack eigentlich schon ein Zelt.Habe ich in Ziviler Ausführung würde ich aber nie wieder kaufen ,habe das für den West Highland Way gekauft und vor Platzangst fast durchgedreht :)
@ Outdoor Adventure: Das Modell von Geertop ist, auch durch die Aufstellbügel aus Aluminium, noch etwas geräumiger. Es hat einen Seiteneinstieg und auf der gesamten Breite ein Mückennetzt. Dazu kommt noch an beiden Enden eine gegen Regenwasser geschützte Belüftung mit einem Mückennetz. Vom Komfort her schon fast overdosed ;-) Aber das kannst Du Dir ja bei mir ansehen. Freundlichst Fiete
Who gives this guy a thumbs down? Tossers do!!!
Thanks Simon, my favorite was the one tide to the tree and the one under the tarp. I have never used anything like that. I just got 5 hammocks 😂 really I do ,no joke . 3 different sleeping bags , different temperature ratings . Thanks again for your time and the good information you always give , it’s really appreciated . Cheers , ATB
Thanks Johnny -I’ve got you beat on hammocks - 6 and counting! (Not including 2 chair hammocks!) 😂👍
Those were cool! I definitely would prefer the ones that held the cover off my face though and the one that you could strap the mat to it was an extra plus.
I love the Storm Cecil, better than Clara. You’re such a teacher Simon.Preparation is all. Fantastic precise video, all you need to know. Well done again.
exactly!
Yes. Us Irish and our silly names!
but Cecil would've been a mild storm, if a storm at all..........because women are fierce thats why loads of severe weather will have female names ha ha
I always felt like roasting in my own sweat in these things, that's why I switched back to a tiny tent.
Teepee is best.
I bought an XL Dutch Army Hooped Bivi
Lasted 30minutes in February
No air and far too hot. Plus my knackered hip was no good getting in and out.
Hilleberg Akto for me now. Plus Polish Lavvu
Great video as usual, thoroughly enjoyed it, now need to get another 4 bivvi bags !!
Excellent video - thank you.
I use a US military surplus goretex bivy. Sometimes I use it for the extra warmth. Also, in high winds it really helps prevent heat loss. Sometimes I use it inside a tent. In really cold conditions, it's two down sleeping bags, one inside the other, plus bivy, plus tent.
I usually used a closed cell pad underneath an inflatable pad, for the extra insulation in the cold, plus the insurance against ending up on the ground with a slow leak.
I haven't yet tried an insulated inflatable with a high R value, but the Exped down-filled inflatable has caught my interest.
I love my bivys. I did once own the Mil-tec one and I can mirror the comments on it being complete garbage. It did not breath at all and was gotten rid of within a few months of getting it. My advice for anyone looking at it, do not bother! It is trash.
I wonder if anybody's ever thought that bivi bags look like soft shell coffins :)
Jackson c.
No, but a sofa does 🤔
Bear burrito
Love the video! Very informative as always. Thanks so much!
I purchased a carinthia explorer 2 plus last October after much research. Absolutely no regrets ❤️❤️awesome video!!!😎
The problem I have with bivy bags is they are somehow usually heavier then just using a tarp and ground sheet, but with much less room, comfort and more fussing about.
True, they are heavier, but add another line of defence against the weather plus warmer in the winter. 👍
@@simonablokeinthewoods Maybe, I've never gotten wet under a tarp, so long as it's big enough and pitched correctly.
I have used a Snugpak Stratosphere, it's got plenty of breathability and a fairly large bug mesh for ventilation and I still found myself a bit soaked in the morning from condensation.
I don't use "brilliant" enough in my conversations.
Thank you very much. I've learned more in this video than in 20 years reading manuals and such
I just felt in love with the Terra Nova one. Hey thanks for this great video
They are the worst of nights. They are the best of nights.
"I ONLY have 5 bivvi bags"!!!!
I giggled at that also. I am still waiting for a good deal on a u.s. MSS bivy. I've been waiting all winter! By the time I get one when I won't need one until next winter. 😁😁😁
High R. S., i have one, the Geertop Bivvy ( #29 and #29-2 ). Kindly Fiete
He SPEAKS! Hi Simon! I've seen you on Kent Survival a lot. Finally came over here. Your description and presentation were very helpful as well as understandable!
An, this video brings back some nice memories of when I was in the Canadian Infantry.
First thing I thought of was how hard they'd be to get out of quickly: bear, wolf, ants, etc. I'd feel trapped, I think.
I do not think the Ants would get inside. The bear or wolf on the other hand are afraid of fire.
and wolves don't really bother people.
thinking bout releasing from military but i aint returning my bivy bag lmao
Subscribed immediately. Very informative review covering the ins and outs of a bivy sleep system. I have an OR sleeping bag cover and a Rab winter weight bivy. Bivys make for a fast pack up in the morning. I use them for short trips with very little chance of a storm and conditions that allow for sleeping under the stars.
Exceptional video based on brilliant knowledge. Thanks for this. 👍👍
Now I'm tempted to buy a bivi bag, it's a conspiracy, Simon is working with kit manufacturers to influence us and make us spend more money...🤣
😂😂😂
the bear that's about to dine on you: why do humans come with so much more packaging these days :/
This is a British channel, we got rid of all our dangerous wild animals centuries ago such as wolves and bears, one of the first countries to do so successfully through bounties and systematic hunting programs - cool history but not great ecologically.
Scar that’s pretty neat, are there any other countries like that?
@@taylorfranks2030 most of the Netherlands but not all, lots of wolf's in the south.
@@taylorfranks2030 hm, could only think of NewZealand in this terms, only coupla wild pigs, but nothing serious... .
@@ottovonnichtort7605 rly? What u do, when hooking up with one?
Really enjoyed this man. Great information. I’ve got a few different styles myself and a bivy style tent, the Eureka solitaire.
Great video. The note about the 2 manufacturers of the Dutch bivi bags will come in very handy when I buy mine.
All snug on one if those, sleeping soudly till, the inevitable (for me):"Got to pee"😩
use a bottle to pee in.
@@tonyrichardson2637 As a girl, peeing in a bottle while zipped in a sleeping bag, spells catastrophe...
@@marieclaudebedard6728 my apologies, i go for a pee, before i crash, can help, but i understand your predicament.
Pretty cool little shelters, but I'm not too sure I could get my fat crippled arse into one...lol
Me too, I was thinking exactly that, when he was squeezing into the smaller ones. I do have an Australian Military Bivi that I do fit into, but my back is way too crook to use it now, the grandchildren will probably get it.
The suggestion to bring a tarp is something I always do as well. This gives you a place to cook your food and relax out of the rain (as well as a cover for the bivi entry).
My bivi bag is a Winterial model with head and foot half-hoops for suspension. That keeps the covering material up and away from my body, providing better ventilation and roominess. The inner system has full mesh covering and a clip on, stake out fly provides very good weather protection.
Leaving you footwear outside happens only once! Wake up after a snowy night and you have boots full of snow and cold feet all day. Have plastic bag to store boots inside the bivi......
You can't do this in Philippines 🤣 you might die by the bites of snakes mosquitoes ' and any kinds of animals in forest
And of course it's not safe to sleep alone in the forest ' mostly if you just sleep there alone '
do this in the Philippines and u might not wake up at all..
@@SirSemen yeah people will kill you they will think you are kapre🤣 a ghost ahahhaha
I’m lucky to have the English countryside to camp in!! We still have humans to worry about mind you! 😂
Another great unbiased review keep up the excellent work
Great vid like the camo one great for backwoods hunting and fishing adventures 🤔🇺🇸✌