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The Ridge Raider Bivi was one of our earliest pieces of kit we tested and reviewed for UOG. This was also our first venture into a hooped bivy bag having before very much adopted a very basic bivy tactic. We viewed the Ridge Raider to strike a mark between a tent and a bivy bag. The overall weight and pack size baffled us as to its use, but there was no denying it was simply a joy to us …

We’ve spent most of this season taking a minimalist approach in either a lightweight bivy bag or single skin tent, so it made for a nice change to receive a more comfortable option from Sea to Summit with their new and highly innovative Telos TR2 Plus tent. Weighing in a just over 1.6 kg this is a freestanding, two-person, 3+ season shelter that, in pack size and weight, is very sim …

Sea to Summit have thought about the design of the  Alto tent very carefully, trying not to recreate what's already available and fans of the brand will not be disappointed with this tent. We took the Alto TR2 Plus version out for a three-day backpacking trip at the beginning of April when the weather was very cold but quite clear. The cold conditions (sub zero) required largis …

The Stargazer Bivy has made my bivying experiences much more enjoyable than with my older, basic unhooped bivy. I think a hooped bivy is more than worth the extra weight penalty for the additional room and comfort it gives you by keeping the fabric away from your face. The intelligent design means that the angle of the hoop gives the bivy a reasonably stable structure. Using the 2 peg i …

A bivy adventure for us is all about feeling connected to the environment you wish to lay in. Tents are great and offer a lot of comfort and safety, but once you close the doors you miss that immersive experience with what’s going on outside. Bivying also avoids many of the issues surrounding pitching a tent for example, due to unsuitable ground or finding a large enough area, especially whilst ou …

Wechsel tents are mostly unknown in the UK but don’t let that put you off. Wechsel are a German brand designing tents for use in Northern European conditions which makes them ideal for the UK.Wechsel's Exogen 1 Backpacking Tent uses a similar cross pole design to the MSR Access, increasing stability in the wind and making the Exogen truly freestanding. Combined with a fly sheet which is cut low to …

The Lightwave Sigma range of single skin tents is unique. Lightwave claim that they do not to suffer from the condensation usually associated with this style of tent. The breathable X-Tex fabric is carbon coated to absorb moisture and actively transport it through the fabric.The Sigma tents perform significantly better than any other single skin tent that I'm aware of when dealing with conden …

The MSR Pro Bivy is currently one of MSR’s lightest bivy bags. At 246 grams, it packs down small with MSR describing it as being “Designed for professional alpinists and serious adventurers, the Pro Bivy delivers quick-pitch protection in cramped spaces too small for a tent.” On first appearance this is a bivy that’s very much on the simple side. The fly fabric is made up of brigh …

The Rab eVENT Ridge Raider Bivi is a product that had us a little baffled at first. It weighs in at a little over 1kg and packs to about the size of a 3-season sleeping bag. This makes it quite a sizeable bivi bag with modern solo trekking tents coming in at a similar weight and size. So why would you choose a bivi bag over the comfort of a tent? With all good products the proof is in ho …

Extensively tested and reviewed by Cairngorm Treks throughout late summer to winter 2018/19 in the Cairngorms, and surrounding mountainous regions. If you're familiar with the Copper Spur HV series, then you will instantly recognise the distinctive shape of the latest edition of this popular shelter. Big Agnus claim the HV2 Expedition to be a beefed up, burly, take-anywhere version, rea …

Extensively tested by Cairngorm Treks in the highlands of Scotland. I think we have a strong claim to have used this tent more than most.We received the tent shortly after its release and have used it on all our multi-day treks this season.As a lightweight operator in some of the harshest UK mountain conditions, we were really excited when the MSR Access solo and two-person tents came on the marke …

To begin, Ultralight Outdoor Gear asked us to pick a few products that we believe would fit into our approach to lightweight multi day trekking. One of the shelters we picked had to fit the criteria of an ultra-light and compact shelter, which incorporated a walking pole to reduce carrying extra poles, and also most importantly had full midge protection. We are big fans of the versatilit …