Stumbled across the new mini tarps from TN and can't quite see the point but maybe I'm just missing something. It's designed to be used with a waterproof bivvy bag and just cover your top half. Most micro tarps are designed to do the same but generally they set up in more of a 'flying V' configuration with your head / top end fully covered and your legs / bottom half poking out of the big, open end. It would seem that TN think your head should be at the high end and legs at the low ... surely that's like having the worst of any world and limits what little protection there is?

TN say that it's perfect for use with their Moonlite bags but Moonlite bags are pretty small with no chance of fitting a mat inside ... so my sleeping mat's going to get wet?


Pic stolen ftom TerryBND

Pointless, surely the point of a tarp is to keep all of you dry.

My bivvy bag keeps most of me dry. All of me if I do it up close. I use a wee tarp in the flying-V to cover my top half so I can sit up a bit, eat, drink etc and have somewhere to keep gear dry. As for my mat - that just gets wet.

My sleeping mat doesn't fit inside my bivi bag

Well only with a regular thermarest and the Army DPM bivvy bag. Certainly not with a large Neoair and the PHD bivvy I use


Their tarp setup looks weird, but it technically would be easier to get in the bag in that arrangement

I don't get the point of half cover tarps. If it rains enough your bivi bag stops breathing so you get condensation and a wet sleeping bag anyway.

Looks about as effective as an umbrella, rain falls horizontally in these parts....
A bit off topic but I'm interested to hear that bivvy bags stop breathing in heavy rain - does this not defeat the purpose of the exercise? I've been thinking of an Alpkit hunka - I take this won't fit a sleeping mat inside?

I take this won't fit a sleeping mat inside?

Not something like an Exped or Neoair ... although the XL Hunka could fit a bus inside.

A bit off topic but I'm interested to hear that bivvy bags stop breathing in heavy rain

They don't stop completely but any surface water on the outside will slow the breathing process down ... wetter it is, worse it gets.

htrider wrote:Looks about as effective as an umbrella, rain falls horizontally in these parts....
A bit off topic but I'm interested to hear that bivvy bags stop breathing in heavy rain - does this not defeat the purpose of the exercise? I've been thinking of an Alpkit hunka - I take this won't fit a sleeping mat inside?

I thought it defeated the purpose too, use mine now to avoid wet grass and any stray rain that might make it's way under the tarp. My exped down mat lite fits in an Alpkit Hunka OK but not if you need to wear a down jacket too.

My exped down mat lite fits in an Alpkit Hunka OK

Is there still enough room for your bag to loft properly Ray?

s8tannorm wrote:

My exped down mat lite fits in an Alpkit Hunka OK

Is there still enough room for your bag to loft properly Ray?

Not had a problem with feeling cold yet, even down to minus figures once, that was when my water filter froze and you so kindly gave me a replacement. I do sometimes think an XL would be better though.

Not had a problem with feeling cold yet, even down to minus figures once, that was when my water filter froze and you so kindly gave me a replacement. I do sometimes think an XL would be better though.

Just wondered as I like my mat inside and depending on which bivvy I'm in sometimes find things a bit tight at the foot end ... although there always seems plenty of room everywhere else.

By far the largest source of condensation is your breath. A mini tarp lets you keep your head out of the bag, minimising the problem.

ScotRoutes wrote:By far the largest source of condensation is your breath. A mini tarp lets you keep your head out of the bag, minimising the problem.

I have never sleeped with my head inside the bivi bag, the two times I tried a half pyramid set up with my lower half outside and it rained I got condensation inside both times.

It's a RAB eVent bag I use. Might make a difference?

I think the extra weight is worth every gram of the hunka XL over the normal. I always put my full length mat inside the bag and have enough space to feel comfortable inside even with a down jacket on. I use a bivi bag to keep my bag dry on wet grass and in lighter dews. A heavy dew can result in condensation. If it's raining I always use a tarp, these days normally the rig3.5.

I keep telling myself I don't need to spend more money on a Hunka XL because I already have a Hunka bivy bag but then I think an XL would be much better for my needs. Maybe i'll drop some hints for Christmas.

Ray what height are you?

RobMac wrote:Ray what height are you?

A short arse 5'6" but broad around the shoulders. Why do you ask?

Im waiting on the Hunka's coming back in at Alpkit and I "was" gonna go for the standard size one but you've
got me having a rethink

RobMac wrote:Im waiting on the Hunka's coming back in at Alpkit and I "was" gonna go for the standard size one but you've
got me having a rethink

I'd say go for the XL.

Anyone have a large Neoair they can fit in a bag?

Mine doesn't fit in an Army DPM bivvy bag, which is the biggest thing in the world!

I know I could go to a smaller mat, but its comfy and I'm 6'3. Use a long sleeping bag too

Anyone have a large Neoair they can fit in a bag?

You can get 2 stacked on top of each other in a long / wide Borah then invite 3 other people round for a get together ... they're pretty big

I bought a hunka xl so I could get me, a down bag and a large Neoair Xtherm inside. :)

Is the X Therm that different in size to a normal Neoair?

I always thought the Alpkit bags weren't that different to a normal bivvy bag, didn't realise the XL was cut that much bigger

I'd love to have a bivvy bag I can get my mat into. Thought about a Borah a couple of times but I really like my PHD bivvy (its a sleeping bag cover in design but its been custom made in different fabric with taped seams and made longer to fit me)

Need to research the Borah a bit more, like the idea of chest and vertial zipper. Thoughts on fabrics?

Thoughts on fabrics?

If I were buying another I'd go with an Argon top ... just because really