Some new stuff from those nice folk at Alpkit.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Some of you may have seen this but some may not.

A new 1 person tent called the soloist - reminds me a little of a BA. It's freestanding and weighs 1.2kg. https://www.alpkit.com/products/soloist ... %20Soloist

A new fully waterproof, very light bivvy bag, just 265g. https://www.alpkit.com/products/kloke?u ... e#features

[whitestone]

Their email just pinged into my mailbox about ten minutes ago.

That tent is very keenly priced - £119 or with the footprint for another £6. Short pole section so looks like it will fit in between the drops on drop bars. The weight isn't bad either.

In fact the tent's price makes the bivy bag look expensive!

[ScotRoutes]

Lack of midge netting on the bivvy bag rules it out for me.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Lack of midge netting on the bivvy bag rules it out for me.

I did think that might be an opportunity missed.

[fatbikephil]

Lack of midge netting on the bivvy bag rules it out for me.

Hmm, could work with a sea to summit nano mesh mozzy net though.....

[sean_iow]

Am I missing something here, a fully waterproof bivi bag with taped seams....and a hole where you get in? Doesn't look like it zips shut?

As for the midge net, I've sewn some into my hunka with a zip round the edge and it works a treat, although this far south it's more slug netting

[ScotRoutes]

Am I missing something here, a fully waterproof bivi bag with taped seams....and a hole where you get in? Doesn't look like it zips shut?

My RAB is fully waterproof and though it zips shut, I'd never use it like that. The condensation would be intense. What I do do is use a small tarp over the head area and just don't care if the rest of the bag gets wet.

[whitestone]

Much better to turn the whole thing over top to bottom so that the hood which is intended to wrap around your head acts more as a cowl. As long as you aren't bivvying on a hard surface where the rain will bounce and splatter you should be fine. You've still got the ingress/egress problem if it's pissing down though

[middleagedmadness]

I have used my helium fully shut in a couple of bad storms and it's hit and miss with the condensation,once the bag was slightly damp the other time it was quite wet ,like Colin I prefer to use it with a tarp if possible,think it depends on outside temp and where I've dossed down, but I still prefer it to my borah for the simplicity of not actually having to use a tarp

[Dave Barter]

I kip in my Terra Nova Discovery fully shut all the time with no condensation issue that I notice.

[Zippy]

Am I missing something here, a fully waterproof bivi bag with taped seams....and a hole where you get in? Doesn't look like it zips shut?

My RAB is fully waterproof and though it zips shut, I'd never use it like that. The condensation would be intense. What I do do is use a small tarp over the head area and just don't care if the rest of the bag gets wet.

For a waterproof/breathable bivvy to stay breathable when it's raining - it's really got to bead otherwise you have a layer of cold water on top, which will then serve to act as both a cold bridge and stop it being breathable and therefore condensationy...

[Teetosugars]

Shame the bivi bag appears to be the size of a standard Hunka, although they do say it feels bigger?

[TheBrownDog]

Shame the bivi bag appears to be the size of a standard Hunka, although they do say it feels bigger?

That's what I thunk. Not sure how it would feel bigger if it's the same size. I slept in a standard Hunka once. In fact, I didn't sleep at all. Reckon you need to be 5'2" and about 65kg wringing wet to find one those bastards liveable. I am neither of those things.

[ScotRoutes]

After this weekends exploits I'm more convinced than ever that the lack of a bug net is a serious design flaw. I took 22 ticks off me yesterday evening, most around my neck and shoulders. Stupidly, I'd left the zip on my Kestrel undone as it was so mild.