Are you thinking of buying a bivy bag that is lightweight, waterproof, breathable and inexpensive? Then this article is just for you. The thought of locking yourself up in a bag for the night might seem uncomfortable, but believe me, the opposite is the case if you use the right bivy bag. They are waterproof, comfortable, lightweight and a smaller alternative to a tent.
The need to choose the best and nothing but the best bivy bag cannot be overemphasized. You will only know how important it is, when you sleep in your dry bivy bag and wake up the next morning in a pool of sweat, spoiling that your perfect dress.
But don’t worry, after reading this article, you won’t be caught in a situation like this because you will know exactly how to choose the best bivy bag to avoid this.
Bestselling Bivvy Bags
Bestselling Bivy Tents
Things You Should Consider If You Wish To Buy The Best Bivy Bag.
- Air circulation: I consider this, one of the most important things to watch out for. If you are to buy a bivy bag, make sure it is made of Breathable laminates. Laminates like Gore-Tex® fabrics are designed to allow vapour produced by the bodies heat escape through the fabric. They work best when the temperature in the bag is cool and the person in it is higher in temperature. Also, a bag that allows for proper ventilation will keep you breathing fresh air all through the night as all the CO2 filled air will be allowed out of the bag to pave way for fresh oxygenated air.
- Weight and size: The weight and size of the bag is something you must also consider. I can’t imagine you getting a bivy bag that weighs 2kg or can’t fit in your travel bag. If you get one like this, you will have to bear the stress of carrying this oversized bag around and you will have no one to blame when you get weary of it. If portability is something you desire then, size and weight is something you must keep in mind when getting a bivy bag.
- Presence of an anti-snag zipper tag: If the bivy bag you want uses a zipper then you must check if it has an anti-snag zipper tag or any similar technology. This prevents your zipper from ever getting stuck with the fabric of your bag, assuring you of a constant smooth open and close process.
- Colour: as insignificant as colour may seem, it is one of the things to check out for if you wish to buy the best bivy bag. The science that bright colours reflect light and dark colours absorb light should not be new to us. This means that a bright coloured bivy bag will easily be spotted in the night but a dark coloured one won’t. So if a passerby is walking on the part of your ‘mobile home’, and it is brightly coloured, he or she would easily see you and so not step or trip on you, but if your bag is dark in colour, I think your sleep might get interrupted by the weight of someone on tripping you.
- How waterproof is it: No compromise should be made on this, your bivy bag must be 100% waterproof. I don’t think you will like to be woken up in the middle of the night by rainwater soaking you up.
- Temperature regulation: your bag should be able to shield you from extreme temperatures. I am not saying it should have an inbuilt heater or air conditioner, all I am saying is that it should be able to maintain a hospitable temperature for a lovely night rest.
- How comfortable you are in small spaces: Some people have problems staying in small spaces, I am sorry to say if you are one of such persons, you should just go for a tent instead of a bivy bag. But if you don’t mind small spaces then a bivvy bag is just perfect for you. Always try to buy one that you comfortably fit in, not one you will need to crouch in.
Final Thoughts
Don’t ever rush to a store and just buy any bivy bag except you don’t mind coming home with crap. Always do proper research to find out which one is good and which one is simply not.
A bivy bag must be waterproof, comfortable and light in weight.
I know that these three factors are not the only things to consider if you are looking for the best bivy bag but believe me these are the most important.