Review: Alpkit Elan Hooped Bivvy Bag

Alpkit describes the use case of the Elan bivvy perfectly; ‘when you want more protection than a standard bivvy bag but don’t want to pack a tent, Elan provides lightweight and packable shelter’. This is exactly what I’m after for multi-day summer hiking trips. Lightweight, compact and functional are the key criteria.  

 I’m looking to pack everything into a 42L Osprey rucksack so want to minimise on bulky items, saving space on shelter, my sleeping set-up and cooking kit. Having grown up hiking over Dartmoor, I know that the weather can change in an instant, so I also want to have a shelter that gives your adequate protection in a spontaneous storm.  

The Elan hooped bivvy does exactly this. It’s small and lightweight enough, but the additional space and stability inside the bivvy gives a welcomed level of comfort when the rain comes in. 

The Elan was taken on a four day hike over one of the most remote parts of the Pyrenees. Having travelled from Toulouse, the trip started around Pont de Espana, ending in Gavarnie. This was in early August, so it was expected that temperatures would be high, especially with the weather that Europe has been having this year. However, from experience, the Pyrenees can produce some wild storms, often during the night.  

Biovauc sites varied from pitching up next to refuges at 3000m to a stunning campsite on the outskirts of Gavarnie with a view of the natural ampitheatre created by the Cirque de Gavarnie.  

Whilst temperatures were in the early 30’s during the day, they plummeted to nearly single digits at night, especially at altitude. There were three dry nights and one night of heavy showers, so the bivvy was put to the test needing to perform in all conditions. 

The Elan Bivy is brilliant value for money. As with a lot of Alpkit’s products, you feel like you’ve got a very high-quality product, for a competitive price. Here they’ve hit the sweet spot – at just shy of a hundred quid, it is a considered purchase, but you’re paying for quality that will reward you time and time again when you’re out in the mountains living your best life.