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. layer Ripstop nylon upper / 10,000 mm hydrostatic head / 10,000/m2 breathability / width: Shoulders – 80 cm; Foot – 50 cm As Rab’s cheapest and lightest bivvy, this is well suited to campers looking to ditch the tent for the first time. The Trailhead is crafted from hardwearing 40 Denier ripstop nylon with a breathable yet waterproof polyurethane coating on both its top and base. This durable combination ensures that any rain is kept at bay, while a zipped mesh vent enables appropriate ventilation. All seams are taped, completing what is an impressively watertight product. The Storm Bivi is constructed with a breathable 40D ripstop nylon on top and 70D nylon at the base, with a PU coating for rugged, waterproof protection. The fabric is treated with a fluorocarbon free durable water repellent (DWR) which helps to create extra resistance against elements like rain and wind, whilst being a more sustainable choice than your average bivi. Fluorocarbon free finishes are much more eco friendly as they don't use any chemicals that would cause harm to the environment.

It’s certainly a distinctive product due to the high, clam-shaped opening at its head, which utilises a single arcing pole to create a high (for a bivvy bag) ceiling. This makes for easy entry and exit and gives the user plenty of head space – after all, no one wants a claustrophobic bivvying experience.We’re really pleased to have scored Rab Storm Bivi so highly, givimg it 8.2 out of 10, making it well above the average for all shelters & bivis. Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Rab Storm Bivi in more detail in a moment. The material the product is made from is often a sign of the quality for shelters & bivis. Take a look at the product details over at Cotswold Outdoor to get a feel for this. And why on earth would you use one when tents exist? Well, such an approach – with your head open to the elements – offers an even more intimate interaction with the wild. The sounds of night creatures are unmuffled, the stars dazzle above you, and your senses are highly attuned to every raindrop and every gust of wind. The Rab Storm Bivi is a lightweight, breathable, waterproof bivi designed to wrap around a sleeping bag, offering optimised protection from the elements.

Bluesign approved Pertex Shield Diamond Fuse 2.5L / 100% Nylon, 30D ripstop upper / 100% nylon, 40D with TPU lamination floor / bluesign approved100% polyester mesh / single-pole system / reflective Logo and Trims / two stake loops / one guy line loop / high volume toe end / clamshell opening / two Internal fly fasteners. There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it. This made it into our Outdoor 100 for 2022, with our Test Team all impressed by its superb fabric and lightweight qualities. Ripstop outer with 5000mm hydrostatic head / 5000g/m2 breathability / 70D Ripstop floor / 8.5mm aluminium poles / supplied with ultralight alloy pegs. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Rab Storm Bivi below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget.

Compare to Similar Products

That got us thinking though, that we’re looking at every possible item from Rab so it would be good to narrow our search down even further and only look at Rab branded products within the shelters & bivis category. The cost of Rab shelters & bivis Hyperlite Storm fabric / end zip entrance / small mesh panel vent zip rand / wide sleeping bag profile design To give that price some context we then looked at all of the products available from Cotswold Outdoor in the shelters & bivis category. We found 9 items in total. What’s the price of shelters & bivis?

The Hunka comes in three different colours: green, red and blue. It isn’t the lightest, but at 330g it’s still a big weight saving on any tent. It has a hood that goes nicely around the outside of your sleeping bag hood, with a simple drawstring at either side so it can be tightened around you and your bag. It has no additional venting or faffy zips and the bag tapers towards your feet. You can pair it with a tarp for added protection from the elements, if you like, but many choose not to. And that’s it. There’s not much else to say. The Hunka is a simple product with no-frills. But, on a clear summer’s night, where your aim is to feel at one with nature with your face exposed to the fresh air, then it’s absolutely the best value product on the market. It has an open-face style with a snap opening and stiffened peak. This is in contrast to the zipped face designs commonly found on most bivvy bags and Rab champion it as being less constricting. An integrated rain gutter manages precipitation effectively. The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first. When buying shelters & bivis, the quality of the product is going to be one of the factors that you really scrutinise before you commit to buying. This thing’s made from Pertex’s impressive Diamond Fuse fabric, a 2.5-layer ripstop nylon with specially shaped yarns that are intricately woven together to create a robust, abrasion resistant and highly durable fabric – one that’s both waterproof and highly breathable too.

There’s so much information available online when we’re shopping now, that it’s easy to find lots of detail about products like Rab Storm Bivi. This is of course really helpful, but there’s almost too much information available, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for. Top: 40D ripstop nylon with PU coating (108gsm) with fluorocarbon-free DWR HH: 10000mm MVTR: 10000g/m2/24 hrs

This new version of the Helium, released only this year, comes in 14% lighter than the previous generation, and from what we can see there’s been no downgrade in performance either. To put into perspective how waterproof this fabric is, the hydrostatic head of your average tent flysheet (basically, the amount of water it'll withstand before allowing it to pass through) is around 3000mm - the Storm Bivi's is 10000mm. Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Rab are of course extremely well known, especially for shelters & bivis.It’s no-frills, but no-frills is sometimes fine if the bag is light and protective, and that’s certainly the case here.