Best Ultralight Bivy Bag
Terra Nova Moonlite

Packed Size: 21cm x 6cm
Weight: 210g
Price: £215
Here comes the lightest bivvy bag on test. The Terra Nova Moonlite weighs in at only 210g, including the lightweight stuff sack. As with most ultralight adventure products, it also boasts one of the highest price tags. So is it worth the extra cash? In short, yes. The Moonlite is a high-end, top quality product. The fabric is waterproof and breathable, with taped seams; the absence of a hood, with the ground sheet ending flat beneath your head, saves space and weight; a draw cord enables you to cinch the bivvy tighter around your body; and the black colour is excellent at absorbing the morning heat.
Marketed as a sleeping bag cover – nothing more, nothing less – the Moonlite, like Alpkit’s Hunka, is another no-frills product. There are no extra hoops or pegs and tapering towards the foot end ensures there’s no wasted fabric. You’ll struggle to fit anything else in with you, neither your pack nor your boots – but that won’t matter if using it on a clear, dry night. Sadly, there is no way to fully waterproof the bivvy around your head, but there is a fully-zipped mosquito net mesh at the head end, although there is no way of stopping the net from flopping onto your head.
But these minor gripes are a small price to pay for an excellent, ultralight product with amazing packability. We certainly wouldn’t recommend using the Moonlite in very bad weather, but if weight and size are key factors for you, then this bivvy is in a league of its own.
Pros: Ultra lightweight; superb packability
Cons: Expensive; low on features
Full Specifications
Waterproof fabric with taped seams / zipped hood / 200cm x 76cm
Get the latest price at:
terra-nova.co.uk
Best Bivy Bag for Comfort
Snugpak Stratosphere

Packed Size: 31cm x 14cm
Weight: 1130g (includes pegs and poles)
Price: £160
snugpak.com
If you’re progressing from traditional camping to bivvying, but you’re concerned about being too exposed or too claustrophobic, then the Stratosphere is the perfect transition option. Snugpak have designed a solid, tent-like structure to one half of the bivvy, enabling a night of guaranteed comfort with no flapping mesh nets or fabric collapsing onto your face. How does the Stratosphere achieve this? Two poles criss-cross to create a free-standing, sturdy, spacious hood. Once inside, there is a surprising amount of head room, far more than any other bivvy on test, and the zipped stretch pocket above your head is really handy for a torch (or midnight snack). On wet nights, the bivvy can be fully zipped around your head, thus providing waterproof shelter – and there’s no worry about condensation, as a rear fixed mesh with its own waterproof cover provides adequate ventilation. On warm nights, you can leave the bivvy completely open, or zip up a mesh to keep out the midges.
The Stratosphere has a series of other useful features. The poles are colour-coded to their corresponding sleeves and snap reassuringly into loops on the ground sheet; six alloy pegs enable you to fine tune the position and structure of the bivvy, creating maximum space and comfort for your night under the stars; and the military shade of green is ideal for stealthy wild camping. The generous three quarter length side zipper makes the Stratosphere easy to get in and out of; the thick, hard-wearing materials used provide a waterproof cover; and the low-profile performs well in the wind.
But all of this comes at a price. With two poles, six pegs and a top-loading stuff sack with multiple compression straps, the 1.1kg Stratosphere is the heaviest bivvy on test – and it weighs in heavier than many one-person tents. But Snugpak aren’t looking to break any ultralight weight records with this product. And, if you’re after a comfortable, hooped bivvy, rather than just a glorified sleeping bag cover, then the Snugpak Stratosphere might be the bivvy for you.
Pros: Excellent head room; tent-like structure; well-ventilated
Cons: Heavy
Full Specifications
50D Ripstop outer with 5000mm hydrostatic head / 5000g/m2 breathability / 70D Ripstop floor / 8.5mm aluminium poles / supplied with ultralight alloy pegs.
Get the latest price at:
snugpak.com
Best Bivy Bag for Tall People
The North Face Assault Bivy

Packed Size: 25cm x 14cm approx
Weight: 420g
Price: £140
In comparison to the other bivvys on test, the Assault Bivy is very long and very wide. Customers towering above 6ft will find they have ample room to stretch out in this bivvy. Others may find they can comfortably sleep with both pack and boots inside. A 48L pack, for example, fits sideways into the hood and can be used as a pillow. Just like its cousin from the Summit Series, The North Face Assault 2 Tent, the Assault Bivy comes in the trademark colours of summit gold and asphalt grey. It looks cooler than most of its competitors, that’s for sure.
There are two options for sealing the bivvy: you can either zip up the mesh panel or you can pin the mesh panel up with a toggle and zip the whole thing closed. Unlike many other bivvy bags, it doesn’t taper at the foot end, so it’s good for those who don’t like the feeling of being in a mummy bag. It also has a reinforced brow, to help keep the bivvy off your face, which makes things so much more comfortable on a wet night. According to North Face, the DryWall single skin also ‘provides unparalled single-wall breathability’. At 420g, the Assault Bivy is not the lightest, and for some it might seem just too big. But, if you’re after a top quality, waterproof bivvy bag with extra space for your boots and bag, then look no further.
This particular model is no longer stocked by The North Face (though you can find it from the likes of Absolute Snow and TradeInn). What you can get from them, however, is a newer higher-spec model called the Assault Futurelight Bivy. This uses the U.S brand’s own proprietary Futurelight waterproof membrane.
Pros: Very roomy; space for boots and bag
Cons: Too big for some people
Full Specifications
50D DryWall Ripstop upper / 70D Nylon Taffeta floor / 20D Lightweight Nylon Mesh
Get the latest price at:
thenorthface.co.uk
Rab Storm Bivi

Packed Size: 25cm x 13cm
Weight: 664g
Price: £125
Slightly high-spec than the other Rab bivy in this round up, the Trailhead, Rab’s Storm Bivi is a lightweight, single-person bivvy with a host of excellent features. The breathable 70D Hyperlite Storm fabric is waterproof and breathable; a small mesh panel improves ventilation and helps to minimise condensation; and the Velcro-sealed waterproof cover, which can be fully zipped over your head, ensures optimum waterproofing. The bivvy bag is also longer and wider than average, and doesn’t taper at the foot end, thus enabling you to store and waterproof your equipment such as a backpack or pair of hiking boots.
At 664g it is the second heaviest bivvy bag on test, but at £140 it is very competitively priced. One gripe is that the Velcro straps around the waterproof cover are fiddly to close when you’re in the bivvy – but that’s nit-picking. The Rab Storm Bivi is another top-notch offering from a well-respected brand and a solid choice for all of your bivvying needs.
Pros: Competitively priced
Cons: Relatively heavy
Full Specifications
70D Hyperlite Storm fabric / end zip entrance / small mesh panel vent zip rand / wide sleeping bag profile design
Get the latest price at:
rab.equipment
You May Also Like:
Best Lightweight Backpacking Quilts | Top 6
Best Portable Chargers | Solar Chargers & Power Banks For Backpacking
Share