Bivy bags

FrostyJack

Hey I see some of you guys use bivy bags, I was just wondering where you got them. I looked on the net and most are sold from america with about 40 euro postage and packing, especially ebay. There are a few ex-mil ones, but don't think they would stand up to our rain without suffocating you
I wouldn't want an super bright orange one like most commercial ones neither, don't want to be seen from space Any suggestions?

Evil Phil

The first thing that comes to mind is alpkit. http://www.alpkit.com/hunka/ they also have a list of other bags from their competitors.

Down South

I second the alpkit hunka

preacherman

The alpkit hunka has got great reviews on other sites. It is lightweight, reasonably priced and comes in a black or green as well as the brighter colours.

The military versions are heavier but will stand up to more abuse. If you are going to use the bivi bag in the woods this might be a factor.

www.usmcpro.com have a good selection of military equipment including bivi bags. They also do a good quality tarp.

Roen

The Alpkit stuff looks good, anyone used any of their other range of equipment?

FrostyJack

Thanks guys, that Hunka sounds good but appears to be out of stock. I was looking at this modular system http://cgi.ebay.ie/Modular-Sleep-System-incredible-military-sleeping-bag_W0QQitemZ350088563893QQihZ022QQcategoryZ111260QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem looks a little bulky though, seen one saying it was compressed to 30 " and another to 30 cm, that's a bit difference when trying to fill a pack. Might just be as well getting bivy and intermidate type bag. I have a -7 degree one from argos but that is huge even when compressed (very warm though). Nomally have to strap it on to backpack, which is far from ideal as it comes loose every hour :mad: If I could find a bag as warm as that but smaller, I'd be laughing.

Evil Phil

Down bags compress very well but their pricey.

irishlostboy

hunka are out of stock again? my goodness. they dont hang around then so. they just got a stock in a month ago. they are very good, pack very small, but are also smallish inside. you cannot fit your mat inside the bag if you need to.
i have experiance with the dutch, british, french and american army bivy bags. all fair quite well. slightly more bulky than the civilian jobbies, but way tougher. you can find bivy bags in most army and navy stores on the net. try endicots in england. they can be good. you should have no problem finding a british army bivy bag online for sale from england with a little looking around.

for sleeping bag, proper 3 season type down bags with a 600+ or higher fill is really worth having. they pack reasonably small, and are very good at maintaining tempreture. i use mine all year around. military sleeping bags are way too bulky for all except vehicle use. only downsides to down is price and they are useless when wet, so pack it in a plastic bag inside your pack. again, the alpkit are really good. if you are loaded though, go for a rab or a mountain hardware bag. the mountain hardware bags are amazing. but over 300 quid.

with kit, take your time to do your homework. it is all about how different kit works together, combined with how you want to use it.

FrostyJack

I ordered an USMC Gortex Bivy, hopefully it will work fine. I'll see if my current bag will fit in it. If not I'll be looking for cheap down bag around 600 fill as you mentioned. The rest of my gear is "high speed" and takes up very little space. I can use my jacket as a tarp if needs be instead of carrying a seperate tarp.
Thanks again.

BeardyGit

The RAB survival zone is a good bit of kit too. It's 63 notes including postage from Jackson Sports up north. I've had mine over a year now and it's just perfect for a bivi or to add a little more to the performance of a sleeping bag on its own.