Bivvi bags - advice please

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LinusR
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by LinusR »

More adventures in bivvi bags this past week. I spent four nights sleeping on a shingle beach in Hampshire.
IMG_20210725_095853904.jpg
Pictured is my complete sleeping system from top to bottom: Thermarest pillow, Lifesystems midge and mozzie headnet, Snugpack Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag (standard size), Thermarest Neoair Venture (large), Hunka XL bivvi bag, and a Blue Mountain groundsheet cut to size.

The sleeping bag, mat, and bivvi were all a recent purchase and this was a huge improvement over my previous set up. The Thermarest Venture mat in a large size (I'm 77kg and 186cm [6'1"]) was very comfortable and the extra width and length made all the difference. I placed the mat on top of the groundsheet and the bivvi bag on top of that. This was the most comfortable set up and I slept very well.

There was some condensation on the inside of the Hunka bivvi bag but mostly along the taped seems. Bear in mind that the nights over the past week have been hot and humid, although it was a great deal cooler on the coast. Sunday night (18 July) was so warm I didn't even bother with the bivvy bag. However, a heavy dew settled and the top of the sleeping bag was damp in the morning. I don't think think the Hunka is a huge improvement over the Mountain Warehouse bag but it is a well designed and simple bag. I like the way it stuffs into its own pocket. The Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag is very comfortable and very well made - to match the relatively high price (I paid £120 but it can be had much cheaper). The Thermarest Neoair Venture (large) mat is very comfortable and is made of fairly tough material. It is worth the slightly extra weight.

Bivvi https://alpkit.com/products/hunka-xl
Sleeping bag https://www.snugpak.com/sleeping/softie-3
Mat https://www.thermarest.com/ie/sleeping- ... nture.html

Other equipment I used:

MSR DragonFly liquid fuel stove https://www.msrgear.com/ie/products/sto ... 11776.html I bought this 20 years ago and I've only replaced the fuel pump. Boils water fast for morning coffee, and can simmer very low for cooking porridge. I use Coleman fuel or Primus Power fuel (both are refined petrol). I've also used Aspen 4 fuel and unleaded petrol in the past.
Firesteel https://lightmyfire.com/en/swedish-fire ... -army-2in1 to light the stove.
MSR cooking pot set https://www.msrgear.com/ie/cookware/sta ... 21720.html Bought these 20 years ago. Durable and easy to clean. DragonFly and pump fits inside.
bivv-on-beach.jpg
nsew
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by nsew »

Nice pack. Simplicity is so appealing in the outdoors. I think the new Neo Air Venture is a bit warmer. Those Thermarest compressible pillows are super comfortable.
mattheus
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by mattheus »

nsew wrote: 25 Jul 2021, 8:36pm Those Thermarest compressible pillows are super comfortable.
Interesting that it's the biggest packed-down item in that photo!

(I don't seem to sleep any worse without a pillow - that's with head on a mat or soft ground. )
nsew
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by nsew »

mattheus wrote: 27 Jul 2021, 10:52am
nsew wrote: 25 Jul 2021, 8:36pm Those Thermarest compressible pillows are super comfortable.
Interesting that it's the biggest packed-down item in that photo!

(I don't seem to sleep any worse without a pillow - that's with head on a mat or soft ground. )
I’m not sure what size that is but the small packs down quite well and is put to good use in several travel situations - it serves as a luxurious pillow for the night / campsite resting and makes a cafe / rest / break stop very comfortable on what is often a hard surface. To summarize; provides many hours of use each day, ultra comfortable & virtually indestructible. Not a bad 200g carry.
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pjclinch
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by pjclinch »

The missus and I use Exped inflatable pillows, they work very well and have a tiny pack size. For years I'd just gone for the fill the stuffsack with clothes option but I find the Exped genuinely better, https://www.exped.com/usa/en/air-pillow-ul-m

Pulling a Buff around it as a cover makes it a bit comfier and less prone to slip out of place.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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LinusR
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by LinusR »

mattheus wrote: 27 Jul 2021, 10:52am
nsew wrote: 25 Jul 2021, 8:36pm Those Thermarest compressible pillows are super comfortable.
Interesting that it's the biggest packed-down item in that photo!
More a case of my bad photography. The largest and heaviest item is the sleeping bag. The pillow is very light and will squash down a lot smaller in my pannier. I did buy an inflatable pillow that packs down to a fraction of the size but it just doesn't have the comfort of the Thermarest pillow so I left it at home.

I don't sleep particularly well but the combination of the Thermarest pillow and the Venture mat gave me a very comfortable night, and I slept very well for the four nights I spent on the beach - and the 90 minute siesta I had everyday under a tree in a nearby copse.
mattheus
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Re: Bivvi bags - advice please

Post by mattheus »

LinusR wrote: 27 Jul 2021, 9:53pm
More a case of my bad photography. The largest and heaviest item is the sleeping bag. The pillow is very light and will squash down a lot smaller in my pannier.
:D
That makes more sense! Thanks for the kit/trip report.
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