fair I don't really find it to hard to get changed and stuff once in but im not a fan of the front entrance, would rather a side entrance.

Yeah i do typically sleep head by the door, not a huge fan of the front door though is a bit of a hassle getting in and out.

@@KeepSmilingAdventures lol yes it can be I also use this tent with a DD tarp for storing the bike and cooking or use the OEX bobcat 1 great little tent bit heavier than the soloist but both great tents. Thanks for the reply mate keep up the great videos enjoying them 👍🏻

If you wanted to cook when its raining you would need a way of holding the door up as it would be to small to cook with the door closed. I have just got back from the great north trail using it and find the inside space plenty big enough. I don't bother cooking though

Hi Tim thats good I'm not in the market to sell you one, just show it in action. 😄 I don't actually bother using a mat. Never have used one. I literally used to strap a sleeping bag to a backpack and just sleep in a field no bivy just a cheap synthetic bag. when i first started doing multi day rides You definitely could spend that easy, but depending on what you already have you could buyer a cheaper less warmer sleeping bag and combine it with a warm jacket. Thats what i had been doing for years. And when i went around the coast of Britain i just bungee cord a cheap synthetic bag to my bars. Id say just use what you have got until you decide what and where you want to spend your money on.

@@KeepSmilingAdventures You know what I mean LOL - you didn't sound 100% convinced. It looks like it could catch the wind and I'm not liking that end entry. Still, lightweight is often 50% of the battle. I'm liking my Phoxx II, need to actually get out and bloody sleep in it now!

Yeah so for me I don’t always use a tent and a big reason for that is that don’t normally make them long enough for me. I thought this one would be a good one to try because it’s actually made for taller people. And at a ok price point, I already new it would be a bit annoying to get in and out, openings like that always are. And I was a bit concerned about the wind with the shape, but to be fair I used it the others night and it was really windy and it’s was fine. You just need to think how you are pitching it which is true for all tents. I would love something like the six moons lunar solo but at around £300 and prob not long enough it’s just to much money for something that I won’t use on every trip. Personally my favourite bit of kit has been the aqua quest hooped bivy, for me it was the perfect balance of speed and ease of setting up/taking down, still stealthy like a normal bivy but with a nice side opening and nice head room and could also lift the lower of your bag with guy rope. Packs small and only has one pole. And that cost me £99 but I can’t seem to find a uk supplier any more. You should get out for a night mate the nights have warmed up since last week 🙌

@@KeepSmilingAdventures they have warmed up and got very damp! But I might just get out this weekend

Aha yeah it has i just got back yesterday from doing the king alfreds way and got pretty lucky mostly the rain kept missing me 😁

So i don't have experience with alpkits hooped bivy but i did for years use the aqua quest hooped bivy, which is similar and id say probably a bit easier to live with and better as it has options to lift it of you as it has guy attachment points and it is really well made, i literally lived in it for about 3 months through the winter. it also as a bug net so you can leave the rest open if you know its not raining and at 6ft6 i felt i had enough room. However hooped bivis and bivis in general id say are more for the just crashing anywhere for a few hours here and there. if you were going to use one as your main shelter you would probably want to pair it with some kind of tarp. This tent is good for the price and it does pack really small but you have to factor in if you can live with the front door it can be a pain especially when it is raining.

You can sort of see the aqua quest hooped bivy in this video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p7qRg8Z4uq-Ve6s.html&ab_channel=KeepSmilingAdventures

They look basically the same tent, the only reason i wanted to try this one is cause they had an xl version. Typically tents are to short for me. But its been good on the trips i have used it on so far. I dont actually bother with a sleeping mat, never used one and never felt the need for one

@@KeepSmilingAdventures thanks for the reply..I'm 5'11..will the regular size be adequate for me do you reckon?

Yeah i think the normal size would probably be fine I'm 6ft6 and its just about long enough for me. So if you wanted the little extra room could go for the bigger one as it doesn't have the biggest of porches. And there isn't much of a weight penalty and its packs down really small.