Saturday 3 August 2019

Ultralight Bivvy

Geertop Plume Bivy II Ultralight Tent

1 Person Waterproof Bivy Tent for Backpacking

Fast Easy Setup

Color: Camouflage

 

    【Ultralight Backpacking Tent】Weight about 2.8 lb (1.13 kg) for entire kit, aluminum poles pack into a compact size 19 x 5 x 5 inch (47 x 12 x 12 cm) bag, easy to put the tent on backpack, good for 1 person backpacking travel, camping, or cycle touring.

    【Waterproof Tent for 1 Person】Up to PU5000 MM waterproof grade with the outer tent fly, and the tent floor is PU8000 MM, fully seam taped and double stitching, provides protection against heavy rainstorms, mesh windows on each end provide air flow to prevent condensation.

    【Easy to Set up】Two-pole frame system with shock-corded aluminum poles allow for fast easy set up and dismantle. Only takes 2 min to erect, saving you time. The mesh door allows the air to circulate & provide ventilation.

    【Large 1 Room Space】The Tent measures 7 ft 7 in x 2 ft 6 in with a height of 24 inches, suitable for a single person, enough room to turn over, for eating or reading. More spacious and provides a comfortable camping experience for you.

    【3 Season Single Tent】A lightweight backpacking tent perfect for camping, hiking, climbing, self-driving tour, fishing and other outdoor activities in 3 seasons.

 

    Key Features
  • Cross aluminum pole design to increase the strength structure of the tent.
  • Aluminum tent stakes paired with strong tent feet to prevent tearing in gale winds.
  • Mesh in the top of the tent and in the two ventilation windows allows for greater airflow throughout the entire tent.
  • Taped sealed seams ensure waterproofing.
  • Portable: Even with all the included features, the tent still easily fits in a standard backpack.
  • Internal storage pockets are perfect for holding phones, keys, wallets or any other small items you want close by.

I recently bought the Geertop bivvy tent from Amazon (although I could have also purchased directly from the Geertop web site) and I am extremely pleased with this item. An estimated delivery time provided by Amazon was 24 days but the parcel was delivered in under two weeks. The first thing that stood out for me was the weight and size of the bivvy - despite having read the specs I was completely surprised at how light and compact the actual package was.

This is everything I was looking for in a bivvy. I was initially searching for a Dutch Army hooped bivvy (as scarce as hen's teeth) when I came across the Geertop Plume II Bivvy & was immediately sold on it. This is an excellent, well made product, that is lightweight & packs away compactly and in my opinion a superior product to what I was initially looking for. Great for cycle touring or solo tramping. It is quick & easy to erect, and inside is spacious with plenty of headroom.

Of course I immediately erected the bivvy and here again I was impressed at how easy it was to pitch and at the amount of headroom provided inside. Without reading the instruction sheet (attached inside the storage bag) I had the tent erected in double quick time; especially important if pitching in wet weather.

The double zips (with rope pulls) allow you to position them at any position you find convenient for locating in the dark, and the velcro tabs on the outer door fly keep it secured over the zips. Mesh pockets provide storage for small items such as keys, wallet etc. The only modification I would suggest that Geertop make to the bivvy to improve it is a small gear loop on the inside above the head area (preferably directly under one of the poles) so that a small LED light could be hung there.

The flap covering the ventilation window at the head end can be rolled up and secured with two small toggles.

Although I have yet to test it in heavy rain conditions a YouTube video I watched convinced me that it should be suitably waterproof.

However, to provide additional waterproofing underneath and to protect it from stabby sticks and stones plus dirt & water, I intend to pair it up with a Geertop tent footprint.

My expectations are that this bivvy will provide excellent lightweight shelter for me on cycle tours or solo backpacking expeditions. I am happy to give this bivvy a hearty recommendation and a thumbs up.  I couldn't wish for a better bivvy.