OEX Bush Pro Salamanda Bivi Tent for 1 Person, Compact and Lightweight 1 Man Tent, Ideal for Backpacking, Wild Camping and Fishing, Camping Equipment, Grey, One Size

Product Information

I am sincerely hoping I never get discovered by a bear at night: that would be incredibly stressful. His expert advice has helped countless individuals gear up correctly, plan effectively, and cultivate a deeper appreciation for outdoor adventures. The bivi bag is compatible with the OEX Expedition Tarp and the Bush Tarp Pro, allowing you to expand your shelter if needed.

This is a great product and I have been using this for a number of years on multiday hikes in the wild. It packs down to a compact size of 43 x 11 x 11 cm, making it easy to carry in your backpack without taking up too much space. However, if you’re looking for a truly lightweight shelter, there are other options on the market that may better suit your needs.Currently averaging two bivis a week and, once you stop thinking of bivi bags as a lightweight alternative to a tent, but rather as being something different, allowing you to utilise often poor ground in a more discrete way than a tent, then hooped bivis start making sense. Yes if a bear did find me one night and the pepper spray worked I doubt I could sleep anymore that night, I would probably pack up and find the nearest village with a park bench and sleep there instead. In terms of appearance, the OEX Salamanda Bivi Bag is sleek and unobtrusive, blending well with the natural surroundings. With the front rain cover open and the mozzy net zipper down, there was a nice breeze flowing through.

coming from a normal bivi bag it’s a gamechanger, the extra space for you head and ability to sleep sideways and not get all twisted up in a cocoon certainly helps with a better night’s sleep. I would still choose a mid+inner over tarp+bivvy though, because I find enclosed bivvys claustrophobic and if they have mesh uppers mosquitoes will still annoy you anyway.I will be accepting lifts every now and then though if offered, which will make the journey a little shorter. The OEX Salamanda Bivi Bag is a solid choice for solo campers who value compactness and ease of use.

I think they are more useful in the mountains where you don't have room to pitch a tent (even there a small bivvy tent is much better if you can find space for it. However, some users have noted that it can be quite heavy for a ‘lightweight’ shelter, and there can be issues with condensation. This has particularly been true over the last 12 months when I have not wanted to be tarnished by association with the Covid fly camping fraternity. My friend swears by this and I've read about a cycle tourer finding one invaluable/life saving in Turkey.

If a bear did happen to encounter a sleeping person, I'd wager the most likely outcome is that the bear notices the person and goes elsewhere long before the person has much chance of even being woken by the bear, let alone attacked. A bivi bag can be a real joy in the right conditions but utter misery when the weather turns against you. I plan to stay in hostels most of the way, however I want a backup bivvy bag which I can use if I whenever I don't complete a segment by nightfall. The compact design of the OEX Salamanda Bivi Bag provided just enough space for me, my sleeping bag, and my pack. I used to think like Damascus above, but I’ve spent much of the last year out in an ex-army Dutch bivi bag that weighs more than either the Alpkit or Snugpak hooped bivis.

It’s a piece of gear I’d recommend to any solo camper looking for a compact and easy-to-pitch shelter. I am hoping to fit both inside the bivvi bag, or maybe I can just have the self-inflating mat underneath the bivvi bag.With lightweight aluminium pegs and guylines, the bivi bag is quick and easy to pitch, even in challenging conditions. If they do get aggressive, the best thing is to stand your ground, pick up a stone and raise your arm as if to throw it. When there's a breeze, you can set it up so there's plenty of venting, or leave the porch side wide open.