Good open honest review. There appears to be another contender on the block. The. Defcon 5 Bivi. Any thoughts on this vs Snugpak?

The Alpkit is certainly not a ripoff of the Snugpak. The North Face Soloist Bivy was around in 1998 and it's identical. Also the Carinthia Observer Plus predates both as well. This design, although unusual, had a long history that predates both.

I've been using the stratosphere for about 3yrs long time distance hiking especially in the black mountains wales. I know this is counter productive when it comes to weight but I found that keeping my snugpack special forces bivvy bag on my sleeping bag sorted any condensation problems. Added advantage is I can open up the main bivvy for ventilation or taking a waz in rainy weather. I can winter bivvy down to a comfortable -10 and add a dd ultralight tarp with my walking poles and im pretty much bomb proof. I have incredible versatility for pitching in a very wide set of conditions. Its all about adaptation after all.

This is exactly the video I was looking for. Thanks.

Good review. I just bought the Alpkit. For occasional use, there was no justification for spending that much more. It's better than my old Karrimor.

Just got the elan for £85 in the alpkit sale, used it a couple of nights, one fine, one absolutely hammering it down. Both were fine. Bit of condensation, but to be expected, nothing major, be a bit careful opening it when wet, but its a bivvy bag/tent, you are not going to be 100% protected, thats what tents are for. Cant argue with it for the money. I think the snugpack is just a bit too pricey compared to the alpkit, it does not justify the hike in spending, thats a whole new piece of kit you could be buying instead.

So….waterproof? Condensation?

I'm sure many people are deciding between the two. This video puts together a great comparison.

Spoken and explained clearer than I can think ❤

Great review thanks for taking the time to make it no waffle just useful information. Cheers! Mike.

I've looked at the Stratosphere for some time but haven't decided yet so was interested when I saw Alpkit had released something similar. A few points that you didn't mention, the Stratosphere groundsheet is 70D Nylon Taffeta with PU coating (8000mm HH), the Elan is 70D ripstop nylon (5000mm HH), you mentioned height but it appears the Elan is significantly narrower at the shoulders compared to the Stratosphere at 77cm or thereabouts tapering to 72cm, the Stratosphere is 105cm or thereabouts so almost a foot wider. Regarding weight, Alpkit claim 900g not including pegs, Snugpak claim 940 for fly & poles, not sure if Alpkit are including the stuffsack weight but there's virtually no difference in weight which is surprising given the size and materials used in the Stratosphere. Finally price, the Elan is only available through Alpkit so the RRP at £99 is likely to be what you pay, the Stratosphere has an RRP of £159 but can be had from as little as £119 from some retailers and most are selling it around the £130 mark. Given that the Stratosphere is roomier (could be beneficial re.condensation?), appears more durable, has a tougher groundsheet and in reality isn't much more expensive or much heavier the Elan really needed to bring something significant to the party which doesn't appear to be the case. You asked who was 1st to produce a 2 pole bivvy, I'm pretty certain a US company produced one a few years ago, certainly Carinthia make the Observer which is a 2 pole design but using Gore-Tex and costing €650, Defcon 5 make one virtually identical to the Stratosphere which can be opened at the head end (a useful feature IMO) however it's quite a bit heavier than the Stratosphere but around the same price. I have a single pole bivy made early 90's by a UK company called Bivybug, the sleeping bag part was made from Sympatex, sadly mine has de-laminated.

Yea, I would choose the alpkit all way up to the size head room diff. Being I am not good in small spaces the extra bit wins it for me on the snugpak. I would probably just grab smooth rock and some cordage and stick peg it out making a tie out point on the leg box like the other Bivy.

I love alpkit.

Great comparison I think I'd go for the stratosphere. Do you think there will still be enough room inside when using an air matt such as a big agnus rapide? Cheers

Given that I'm in the market for a hooped bivvy and these two are both in the shortlist, this is very helpful video. Cheers.

can some explain why u should choose a bivy pack such as these over a normal one person tent? only thing i an think of is that yeah they might be -300g ish lighter, be a little more stealth?, take up a tad bit less space both in packing and use. however u loose the space of a one man tent, the ability to cook food in the tent, the bivvy is on ur feet so when rain comes wont it soak through?, cant keep gear under shelter i just dont see that many positives? imean u can always add a tarp but if u do why not just drop the bivvy and save the kilo?, or then go for a one man tent? i got one for free but cant quite grasp why u would want this over a proper 1 man tent.

Why dont all hooped bivvies have the little loop on the bottom like the Alpkit? Small difference but nice feature for very little cost.

Can pick up the Strat for 116 quid, has been that price for some time now from outdoor GB.

Great review, just bought the Snugpak based on your opinion and I’m a happy subscriber cheers and thanks

Spot on revue mate.

Great review. Thank you… The music is too loud though! Could have been lighter so that your voice is more clearly audible!

Excellent and very useful. Thank you. The only query I have concerns lengths and widths, many of the vendor websites are inconsistent about this, where there's any info. at all?

Great info cheers

One stupid thing that the alpkit did was not having straps on the exterior! I went with snugpack because its easy to attach it somewhere outside your bag because of the straps. Also who wants reflectors when you buy this to be stealthy and camp anywhere xD

Pretty cool review, I didn't even know about the Alpkit. I've seen in the clips there that you've used both with a fairly thick mattress and a sleeping bag, did you have enough space to keep your feet in there? was it ok to roll around? I was about to get the snugpack and started second-guessing myself on these... Cheers!

Been waiting on this - good comparison! The big issue for many folk though will be breathability/condensation - any thoughts on that please? Cheers.

Identical in real world terms . Just got the Elan . Pack size is tiny . Price wise 60€ cheaper than Stratosphere, definitely worth buying the Elan . 🇮🇪🇮🇪

Great review, thank you.

still think the Vaude P1 is a much stronger option than either of these, the condensation is a killer in low hooped bivies

Great video, I've subscribed 😄

I love the snugpa but i cant stand the smell of the nylon so i now use the rab ridge or lightwave bivy ..its a shame there is a funny smell to it when i camp out and i can't get rid of it .....shame they should make the stratophere with upgraded material such as the red x or event...come on snugpack do it!

the condensation in this bivi is bad i used this for a 1 night wild camp in the highlands of scotland when it was heavy rain n 30 to 40 mph winds

I used my snugpac last night, clear night,vents open still got wet with condensation, rubbish waste of money! It needs a vent at the foot end and a support pole like the head end!

Great comparison. Are they both waterproof and breathable?

Hi Will, really helpful review. I recently bought the Exped Synmat 7 (wide) Do you know if it will fit in either of these Bivvys? Cheers.

Still recommend one of these bivys?

I had a snugpack (for 1 night) and the condensation wasn't bad, no it was horrific, worst night ever, no breathability at all and as a result my sleeping bag was absolutly drenched. Are they both a copy of the Carinthia bivi?

My alpkit elan leaked horrifically, had to bug out at 0100 in the morning. Puddle in the head end and sleeping bag soaked. Anyone else had any issues with this?

Great comparison, thanks. Can both be pitched without the pegs?

Does these designs have a bugnet while the top door is opened if not, how do you deal with watching the night skies without getting your face reconstructed by gangs of mosquitos?

nice

Alpkit gets it for me.

I'm just curious to know how much Alp Kit invested in this channel. I mean, to only talk about the cons of the Snugpak just shows how biased the video is. I can say a cheaper Geet Top Bivy with a similar design smacks them both because, it at least have more head room and foot room. Does that make it overall better?

One question re the Snugpak... It seems the material is std polyurethane coated rip stop nylon and not breathable, so likely to suffer condensation, as reported by some users. I know bivis and tents suffer this to a degree but that’s why bivi makers are using gore tex or Event. Any comment on this please?

no horses? ;(

What annoys me no end about these and some other brands is that for some extremely odd reason they design these for left handed people and no right handed option. 99% of people would benefit if the door configuration was opposite to what it is on these.

How about a Carinthia XPII Plus review

Both of these are put to shame by the military versions.

BOTH are a rip off from the Carinthia XPII. A FAR FAR SUPERIOR bivi to those two.

Good review :-), annoying background music :-(

both designs are rip off's of the Carinthia Observer. The crucial thing you failed to mention is breathability and gas exchange. Both of these bivvies are much smaller ( and lighter) than the Carinthia and spending any significant time locked in one during poor weather needs to be addressed. Often these cheaper fabrics need to vented to stop you suffocating and have a limited time you could stay inside them without gear getting damp and diminishing its function over time. Have you actually used these items you are professing upon ? A bivvy is a really hard piece of kit to get right and I feel your review is a very poor effort in not addressing the most important points of a safe and comfortable bivvy experience.

Can’t believe you didn’t mention the ridiculous amount of condensation in the Snugpack! Snugpack were not the first to design this, so saying Alpkit ripped it off is wrong.

Ellen? Really? Eel-lan, like the Lotus Elan (or eh-lon if you want to be a bit French. Means style and energy.

Alpkit Elan Bivy chipper better...

do people really think any of these bivy's are a good design ? ! They are terrible . Far too many mistakes .The level of condensation in a Stratosphere is terrible !

Albeit has awful reviews for leaking

Why this stupid, irritating, distracting noise in the background? Surely people just want to hear a clear considered , well paced , fair and balanced review! You just need to loose the rubbish music

Alpkit stuff is not very well made!