Hawk Bivi Bag - ArniesAirsoft

Author

Marlowe

Now with added Nam.

Registered: November 2004
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 306,008

Review Date: 29/10/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Good-quality, breathable fabric, wire-support hood, mesh face, all-in-one design
Cons:	Design means bag takes up more space and weight when packed

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This is the second of two bivi bags generously offered for review of Gordon of Highlander. For those who are unfamiliar with the term �bivi bag�, this is a lightweight portable alternative to a tent, used for when sleeping in the field to keep your sleeping bag � and you � dry. A bivi bag is a must for any airsofter intending to participate in any milsim event involving sleeping in the gaming area, as well as being a convenient, quick-to-deploy alternative to a tent.

First Impressions

My first impressions upon examining this bivi bag was that if the Rip-Stop bivi bag already reviewed was the no-nonsense solution to a bivi shelter, that this one is by comparison the Hilton.

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The thing that immediately struck me was the innovative storage design of the bag. Rather than coming in a separate pouch for storage, the Hawk bivi bag is the pouch. Upon unzipping the pouch and pulling out the bivi bag, I realised that the pouch was in fact a reversible component of the bivi bag which, when the bivi bag is fully extended, sits at the foot of the bag. Whilst this is most likely not intended, I found that this made for an excellent place for storing small valuables at night (such as a wallet and watch), rather than having the discomfort of sleeping with them in the bag or worrying about them getting lost in the wilderness.

First things first though. The pouch is and the exterior of the bag are both composed of a breathable waterproof nylon which feels even more resilient and better quality than the rip-stop material used for the rip-stop bivi-bag, being a slightly thicker material that I suspect may help a little with heat insulation. This however is not the only difference. The first thing which struck me was the mesh over the face. Whereas your average bivi bag is open to the elements at the face meaning you could have all manner of undesirables biting you in your sleep, the Hawk has a mesh face screen, which is support by resilient and malleable wire hood, ensuring you do not have to sleep with a piece of material resting across your face.

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The one downside I found to this improvement in quality and innovation in design is the weight. The Hawk bivi bag weighs in at 600g (twice the weight of the rip-stop bag), and when packed the pouch appears to take up almost twice the space of the rip-stop variant. However, I found that the weight and space was barely noticeable when stored in the bottom of my daypack, which I tested by carrying around throughout a tiring and somewhat hung over day at Operation Morning After!

Post Skirmish Evaluation

I have a slight confession to make � with the best of intentions, I never managed to sleep at this bivi bag at a skirmish. So instead, not wanting to let the side down, I slept overnight in my own garden (much to the bemusement of my neighbours). The things I do in the name of accuracy!

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To best simulate the most likely usage of the bivi bag, I waited till after dusk to deploy the bivi bag and insert the sleeping bag. Although lacking the accessible drawstring approach of the Rip-Stop bivi bag, I found that the hood & side zips made access to the bivi bag simple and relatively hassle free. As a result the sleeping bag was quickly inserted, and after that, I as well!

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The wired mesh hood was a novelty to me, I must confess. Initially I found the screen somewhat irritating, as despite having erected the wire hood to hold the screen aloft, it continued to rub against my nose and lower face, which grew tiresome after several minutes. However, after quickly unzipping the bag and tinkering some more with the wire, I found that the hood held up sufficiently to make the mesh little of a nuisance.

After the main issue of the Rip-Stop bag � that of the condensation on the inside, I was curious to see how the waterproof breathable nylon of the Hawk would hold up. The night was partly clouded, with light drizzle throughout. I am pleased to say that with the use of a poncho over my head (the mesh is there to keep insects, and not liquid out, after all), I awoke the next morning comfortable and dry. No amount of liquid had entered inside the bag, even against the side zip area which was my main concern, and there was none of the residual dampness inside which could be attributed to condensation. If anything, I found in my opinion that the slightly denser material used in this bag helped to a slight extent with assisting in maintaining the temperature within the sleeping bag � although a bivi bag should never be considered a suitable replacement for one of these.

Conclusion

All in all, I felt that the increase in weight and space is more than justified by the comfort which the bivi bag affords. I admit that I am not the world�s biggest fans of insects, and seem to attract bites whenever I skirmish, so I was glad to see such a bivi bag on the market. The peace of mind of having the mesh of my face made for a relatively peaceful night�s sleep, and thanks to the good quality materials used in the bivi bag�s manufacture, also meant that the night was spent in relative comfort.

It may be a somewhat overused analogy now, but as with the comparison between Highlander�s NATO and Sigma boots (the reviews for which can be also be found in this section), I think that the Hawk and the Rip-Stop bivi bags both perform excellently and suit their target audiences and price ranges very accurately. Make no mistakes, the Rip-Stop performs the basic needs any individual will have when using a bivi in the field. However the Hawk bivi bag, with what I consider to be its superior design, performs these basic duties while going a long way to ensuring that the sleeper will have a relatively hassle-free night�s sleep.

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