Trakker NXG Insulated Bivvy Mat (a) 210119

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Roll out your bivvy bag and then put your sleeping bag inside. There are 2 ways you can have your roll mat. Either outside (underneath your bivvy bag) or inside (under your sleeping bag but inside your bivvy bag). Ultimately, be prepared to adapt, turn and relocate your Bivvy several times during a session. What will complete the look? There’s even pegs for screwing down into wood. Avid’s Screw-Steady Bivvy Pegs allow you to securely set up on swims with wooden platforms. When is it not suitable to use your Bivvy? Getting in and out is ‘interesting’ as is the case with all bivvy bags. Our technique is to get it all set up with the head section fully unzipped, then undo our boots and literally step out of the boots one at a time onto the top end of the bivvy. It’s then a simple matter of sitting down and sliding in. Basically: if it fits and not in use, then get it under there. What is the right option for lightweight trips?

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? The cheaper bags start as low as just a few pounds. The biggest difference you will notice between the cheap and the more expensive bivvy bags is condensation. Their one-man Ascent Bivvy weighs 5kg, whilst the two-man version adds a further 2kg. At the other end of the scale is their HQ Dual-Layer Bivvy : one-man is 10kg, two-man is 12kg. What’s the coolest Bivvy colour in 2021? Phoebe Smith wrote a brilliant book called Britain’s Best Small Hill’s which lists dozen of top wild camping spots in the UK perfect for a bivvy bag camp outBivvies fold down so compactly and neatly, that it’s easy to carry them no matter the size. Avid have the market covered with a wide range of weights when it comes to their Bivvies specs. A bivvy bag is essentially a lightweight sleeping bag cover that protects you from the worst of the elements but offers little in the way of shelter. It is usually composed of a waterproof bottom fabric (groundsheet) and a lighter upper fabric that is waterproof but also breathable. What is the difference between a bivvy and a sleeping bag? Nash has designed Magnetic Bivvy Hooks to add further storage options to the angler. Great for hanging carp lighting or a head torch, so you aren’t fiddling about in the middle of the night trying to find it when busting for a wee! Overnight testing showed no signs of the dreaded condensation, and I did get rained on heavily. I was impressed with the ability to keep dry inside the Ridge Raider and it is now definitely my choice of best bivvy bag if money is no object.

The cheaper bags are less breathable, so you are likely to wake up with the inside of the bag feeling wet (and your sleeping bag feeling damp). This isn’t a problem if you are sleeping out just for a night as you can hang everything out to dry. If you are planning multiple days though you won’t want this as wet gear = cold! Here’s my recommendation for the best bivvy bags: The fly sheet is 5000mm waterproof and the bivy tent has two ventilation windows – one behind your head, one at your feet and there is also a big side door which can be left partially unzipped. Total end-to-end length of the Geetop is 3m (although this includes a vestibule at the foot end), so this is definitely stretching towards tent territory, but who’s counting? The height is good too at 91cm. I’ve put together all my top tips for staying warm when camping. The main consideration is not going to bed cold. And if you do get cold in the night, the only way to warm up properly is to get out and move (no matter how much you don’t want to!). Go for a brisk walk or do some star jumps.

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Some one-man tents are now so small and light, it’s hard to imagine that it’s even possible to take a more minimalist approach. But it is: enter the bivvy bag. What is a bivvy bag? The storage capabilities really are endless. To fully maximise its space and insulation capabilities, be sure to be smart with your placement of your gear. Low weight and a compact shape are the most important factors for runners, since a bulky or heavy bag makes running feel awkward and also more strenuous. Is a bivvy better than a tent?

In use, I tested it on two separate occasions. The first on a mild autumn night when I was able to keep the hood pretty much open all night. It was wonderful to see the stars, and I recommend reading this great stargazing guide if that’s of interest to you. On a second occasion, I had some heavyish rain but found that I stayed relatively dry overnight with a small amount of condensation on the hood from my breath – nothing to worry about and my sleeping bag was not wet at all. This is a particularly useful item when fishing without a groundsheet, as the Insulated Bivvy Mat can be used in muddy pegs to provide a clean area to put your feet when sitting on or getting in/out of bed.

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In Scotland “ the right to roam” includes bivvying. It’s also allowed in a large proportion of Dartmoor. Otherwise in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland you should ask the landowner’s permission. Currently trespass without intent to establish permanent residence is a civil, not criminal, offence. If you are bivvying and the landowner asks you to leave, you should move on.