Tiny Tent Camping Is The Worst... 

A Terrible Time Camping In A Cave: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-thTZWCjnl_U.html

As a 20 yo soldier this would have been my dream piece of kit As a 60 yo my back and knees are screaming rude words at you.

As someone riding hard on the heels of 70 with considerably less flexibility than I used to have, crawling backwards into a coffin and crawling out again in the morning before my back has had time to unstiffen is just a big fat NO. All my tents are side entry so I can fall/roll out in the morning.

Hi Stephen. 😊 In the morning when you crawled out of the tiny tent all I could think was "Look! Now he's a beautiful butterfly!" 😂 Cheers from South Australia.

Having to get out of it twice just for camera shots. Priceless

Beans, cabbage and shoes... oh the fresh air.

As ex-military, I’ve always found a bivi bag and a small tarp can get you through any conditions in the UK hiking. I’ve still got a Survival Aids GoreTex bivi from the 90s that is still perfectly functioning and big enough for a bag and all my gear

Accidentally hotboxing yourself with gassy veg in Italian is priceless.

Beans and Cabbage, a flatulence Nightmare. I’d be lucky to survive the night!! Absolutely howling!! 😂😂😂

“I would have appreciated some artificial flavoring because it seems, you weren’t able to find any natural flavoring”. Pure gold 9:10

I love the professional production alongside the hilariously real character

The most camping ive ever done has involved hot showers and electricity but theres a real draw to this. Also your exit from the tent was cinematic masterwork😂

It’s a great video! They can’t all be winners anyway, that would be boring. You still went out there and did it, providing valuable intel for us couch warriors back here for gear etc! As long as you enjoy it, I say keep going buddy!

On the contrary this video has actually hooked me on your channel again. Really enjoyed the concept of putting more novelty camping products to the test. More please!

you squeezed out of that tent the same way ace ventura squeezed his way out of that rhino

I was backpacking and camping in Ireland for 3 weeks back in 1978. Except for two days it was raining every day. Although I did not have any cooking gear with my, I was so pleased that I could sit in my tent, change my clothes and keep everything inside the tent without getting everything wet. Next year I hooked up with my new girlfriend, bought a tiny 3 person tent (Trio Tupek) and cycled around southern Scotland for 3 week. We were cooking (Trangia) just outside the tent and having an excellent time. Although we had bought the best gear we ended up soaking wet on several occasions (cycling for 4 hours in pouring rain etc.), but our tent was always dry. We used that tent for ten years camping in Denmark, Austria and France with our daughter, and we only dumped it when it was ripped by a drunk man tripping over the wires in the dark at a jazz festival.😢 I still miss it because it was so tough in winds, but we have moved on to bigger tents and now, that we have retired, a tiny caravan. Tents can be too small.😊

My brother, greeting from Serbia first of all ... Second of all, just have to tell you that there is something so soothing and relaxing about your videos, and I have no idea what it is, but I damn love it

Its the one man bearrito. some of the best sleep ive gotten have been in these during my time in service. always amazing to be able to look out and see the stars on a clear night.

I had a tiny tent and upgraded to a Nemo Dragonfly 1p and will never go back to that tiny tent. On my second trip, the weather changed and I was stuck in heavy rain for nearly 11 hours. I was able to sit comfortably and even cook under the vestibule (not safe, not recommended -- I know) I couldn't imagine getting stuck in my tent for over my 11 hours. I bought the tiny tent THINKING I was going to do some stealth camping -- nope. Not once.

In my late 50’s I was using a military surplus bivy sack in lieu of a tent for backpacking. It didn’t have the rib poles to create a tiny tent, it’s more like a waterproof sleeping bag sleeve. I placed my trail runners under my knees on the outside. This kept my knees flexed for comfort & also to keep critters from crawling inside. I also placed my wedge shaped fanny pack inside the head as a pillow. The bivy lip kept it from sliding. Electronics & water filter in the sleeping bag toe to prevent freezing. A knotted length of paracord can be used to hang my backpack from a nearby tree, and I’m all set. This lifted tent would be an upgrade🤗

I already laughed at the thumbnail but you going in and out of it was top notch 😂😂

I hate these things. They're a compromise that gives up most of the benefits of a tent while delivering few of the benefits of a bivy bag. Thanks for a great vid!

So glad to see such an honest review and I could not agree more. I've tried "bivvy" camping (or micro tent....or tiny tent...whatever you care to call it) and POSTIVELY HATE IT. No functional vestibule, can't sit up, no room for some of the gear that's nice to have in a tent with you, no room for keeping your pack out of the rain, door arrangement lets in rain in heavy weather....and speaking of heavy weather you have to get out of any wet outerwear outside (and fast) because there's no way to remove it inside without crawling all over your sleep system in your wet gear....and even in good weather it takes a contortionist to get in our out of clothing inside the bivvy anyway so all that needs to happen outside regardless. Waiting out bad weather? You better like laying prone staring at the ceiling because they're pretty much only good for just laying there. Not worth the weight savings in my personal value system.

Great channel . Being only 4 ft11 tall my two man tent is like house to me sometimes I even sleep in different places inside it. Like if it’s windy I’ll go and sleep in another part of tent it’s great 😂

Watching this from my king sized bed, my claustrophobia has me coming out in a sweat just watching you getting in and out of that thing. Would be an extreme sport for me to get in that, and if someone zipped me in they'd be off my Christmas list!

Loved the video! Yeah, for the weight I would much prefer the X-Mid solid one, its 825 grams, if you must you can take 14 good long stakes to hook up all its attachment points, that will make it storm proof, it will overall come at the same weight, but you will have loads of room inside, double walled too, so no condensation issues. Your trekking poles are there anyway, so using them for your shelter is a sweet bonus.

So the chocolate moment felt almost like we were eaves dropping on a very personal moment 😉 I picked up a Eureka bivy years ago for my bike and felt the same way. Once inside it is a cozy little nest and you almost forgot how miserable it is to do anything beyond lay down

What is slightly entertaining, is that for 350g more a few years ago, Lidl did a 2 pole, single skin 2 man tent that is easily much nicer than this one. Perfect for one person and kit. The real kicker? It was 25 quid. Love it to bits. One of my favourite little tents.

Well you've just saved me a shit tonne of money 😂 Was trying to talk myself out of buying a ridge raider for the last 3 weeks

You had me rolling with your sense of irony and well-placed humor. I learned something, laughed a lot, and promptly started to make plans for some fall camping in the Appalachians. Subscribed.

I would have placed the slanted tent in front of the sleeping tent with the slanted end facing the wind for maximum protection.

My go-to’s are either a very roomy Oware two person bivy (14.3oz), or just a reasonably sized tent that you can actually use (currently a Big Agnes Seedhouse 2). The bivy is nice because other than an utterly torrential downpour it will keep you dry from scattered shower without any extra prep (obviously you can use a tarp for full rain protection), and it doesn’t matter if you twist and turn. You can move all about and you can get into far easier than you do your sleeping bag.

I have a Ridge Master myself, the fact it opens also from the side is a blessing in it's own right. Saves trying to go down the 'tube' when you're stiff and sore

Great video as always. I considered the ridge raider but ended up buying an Outdoor Research Helium Bivy which I use with a DD 3x3 tarp. Very similar to the ridge raider. Lightweight and easy set up even in high wind. Like yourself, the tarp is just for cooking & chilling under.

I came to the Ridge Raider after using the Dutch Army bivvy tent and waking up with virtual terror, full claustrophobia (bearing in mind, 30 odd years ago I was a keen potholer, so no stranger to tight places). Compared to the Dutch Army bivvy, the Rab Ridge Raider is a palace!😁

I'm in Western Australia and have a kiwi made bivy sack that has a long side entrance, suitable for a fella in his 70s. I was concerned about the coffin analogy to sleeping in a bivy, but I've found it really very cosy and comfortable. It seemed to me that your head was downhill from your feet, which wouldn't help you to sleep. I have a Big Agnes 2P tent, which takes about 8 minutes to pitch. The Bivy takes less than two minutes to set up and just as much time to pack up. The fact that it has a smaller footprint is also a benefit. I don't carry a stove so cooking is not an issue. It stood up well on 115kph gale force winds one evening down on the south coast. When packed up, it is about the size of a 1.5 L water bottle and weighs about 900g. It's definitely my Go To accommodation when on the track.

Those rocks where you camped are wild!

I've never had any desire to visit Ireland until seeing this video...amazing looking place! thanks for sharing

Had someone in our group do a bivy tent like that on our section hike. It surely was a talking point in our group about the way he did things since there was other things he did that were questionable from a hiking perspective but he still made it through the hike so can't complain. And wow, all that wind even with a wind barrier would freak and chill me out and make me all uncomfortable.

High wind inside and out 😂

I really enjoy spending the night in my Alpkit Elan hooped bivvy. Probably less room than your Rab but it has a zip that goes 2/3 of the way down the side which makes getting in and out a lot easier. Thanks for sharing.

If this was a "subpar" video I can't wait to watch the rest of your stuff! This was the first one recommended to me (as well as a lot of others, considering it's your second most viewed).

The shine and crisp crack of that chocolate bar speaks to very even and proper "tempering" of the chocolate. When solidifying, getting the chocolate to cool at just the right speed to get the chocolate crystals to align in just the right, efficient way is a whole process and skill.

5:36 this thing would profit so much from one more rod in the center that goes in a half circle and makes the entire thing more "tunnel"-like instead of it flopping around like this

First video I've watched of yours and I really like how honest and genuine you come across. You feel like a real person saying real things and I like it

2:39 looks like someone else already shotgunned the best spot

This tent has been in my basket for ages. Love the dream, wild camping/stealth mode in such a tiny tent is really appealing but not sure i could last a night in such a small space. Anyway love your content and 100% you should review camping food. Overly expensive and so much cheaper just pre cooking stuff before you go roaming, that said watching you eat those pouches is great entertainment 😂

Outdoor Research has several hooped bivvies as well, and the Alpine is probably closest to the Ridge Raider. You don't crawl through the end though, you just zip across the middle and down the side like a sleeping bag so you can just stand up. The kicker is that it also has a bug net and only weighs ~530g. That's mostly material savings as they use Pertex, like their jackets, and doesn't have as many staking points, but being low to the ground it's still pretty stormproof. You still can't stand up in it but it fixes most other problems.

It would be better if it had top entry. Similar to how you get into a kayak. Then it would be a step in, sit and shimmy down. You could also then use the tarp as a roof. Giving you a place to sit. And also allow the window to remain open when sleeping.

Love a bivvy camp, think I have 9 last time I counted, biggest wins for me are they pitch anywhere, stealthy and are totally bomber. Camped in the LD one year in my TN Saturn bivvy, got hammered by crazy winds all night, I got rolled about but slept through most of it, woke up to pals packing away their broken Quasar and Nallo. Autumn into the first frosts are my fave time for a bivvy Another fine vid 👌 Try the micro tarp near the door so you have a space to cook and store gear

I enjoyed that having just spent 2 nights with a bivvy tent paddleboarding the river Wye. The Rab was huge compared to mine.

I loved my first Bivvi bag. Original Gortex. I remember spending 9 days up in the Sperrins in the winter with nothing to attach a tarp to. Loved it! Have another Bivvi now absolute rubbish, haven't used it in 2 years. Great stuff as always Stephen 👍

14:46 Stephen being reborn!!!!😂

I have a Outdoor research Bivy I use here in Australia and winter or summer and its awesome for 1-2 night trips. It's also a lot warmer than my tent i guess because the volume is less in the bivy so your body heat warms the surrounding air quicker.I have used it in the blue mountains in spring when it's reasonably cold at night 8-10C with a 2-3 season sleeping bag and have been too hot and had to sleep outside the sleeping bag. The only real concern i have is keeping things dry if it rains at night so once i'm set up i stuff all my gear and pack in a bin liner.

I’ve always wanted a Ridge Raider, and I still do. Also chocolate, I want that chocolate 😁👍🏼 Cheers, Gary B

Your realization of what your dinner was made up of made me laugh so hard I woke up my wife!

Found your channel looking at bivy and left your video laughing at the thought of eating beans and cabbage before entering it 😂. Amazing. Subscribed man!

I'm shocked it weighs 1kg! I've had fellas mock me a little for taking my "massive" tent up the Mournes but it only weighs 1.3kg and you have so much more space!

Rrrrrriiiiidge Raaaaaaiderrrr!!!!! 3 people will get this attempt at humour.

I love my Tentroll (think cowboy bedroll but modernized) it's the closest setup I've found to mimicking the functionality of a typical bed without sacrificing on pack-ability and weight. The Rig: Canvascutter V1 Summit Bedroll, Zenbivvy Core Bed and Core Quilt, Nemo Tensor Wide Insulated, Nemo Fillo Pillow.

I've got the laser compact AS and I honestly love it (granted my other tents a Vango force ten mk1 FW) but if you can hold off I found it at a steal on some silly flash sale around Christmas time from a random outdoor shop online

You actually had a pleasent entry to your tent there. I had wet muddy undergrounds in the woods and after doing anything with heavy hiking boots in front of your Rad the soil just turns muddy. And then you circle your body into that thing without getting mud all over you. You use a garbage bag and after 2 times getting in and out its sure to have mud on the nice side as well. Also I have an older version but mine seems to come without the nice high little are for your feet. I tried to stick down that part with all my weight and it just didnt creat an area where I could put my feet up right without them touching the tent wall. I had to resort to sleeping on my stomage wich I usually never do.

Looks like a butterfly cocoon!

It looks so hard to get into that thing without bringing in a lot of wet and dirt. Absolutely beautiful trip. That was a great surprise from clicking on this

Flatulence nightmare- that one got me. 😂 ☠️

You getting out again to get your camera was so funny.😆

Ahh, my favourite place on earth. Slieve Binnian. Can't beat the Mournes. As to Bivi camping, I started having to do it as a career related hazard. Then I grew to enjoy it with a few comforts...like a hooped Bivi instead of a bag, and a proper Tarp to provide the 'living' space, I also carry a little fold up mat for stepping in and out, and sitting on. The things I hate about Bivi's.....1. Choosing between ventilation or midges on a warm day! 2. Waking up in a panic until I realise I'm not in a coffin (I still do that after all these years!) Things I love about my Bivi.....1. I don't slide off my sleeping mat. 2. Its so simple to pitch, or indeed not pitch. 3. I don't have to put up with anyone else's snoring....or flatulence!

i like these forays but the 2 berth dome/tunnel is popular and affordable for a reason.

Stephen. Love your videos. I’ve got a wee terra nova equivalent but never used it yet. Must give it a try in the wild but defo felt the claustrophobia when I tested in the house!! Anyway. Keep the videos coming! Brilliant!

2:07 first non gimmick and best overall use of a 360 camera i've seen. congratulations

I looked away at 21:00 minutes and given the echo I wasn half expecting to see the view from your toilet when I looked back at the screen given the beans and cabbage information!

This is actually a strange thing-this "coffin"-type tent. For my POV, you can't sleep well in this tent, and for 3-4 nights, you will feel totally exhausted. This will slow you; it's a high point for error and failure; it's unsafe; it's angry. I prefer to get more volume and weight to get good sleep, rest well, and get more energy and a good mood. Maybe it has a short track, but at least it still reasonably gets slightly more living space.

10 minutes after getting into a tent like that I would need to go for a wee. Sod’s Law.

Rab Ridge Raider is on my wishlist. Just love it so small

And here I thought my tent, the Vaude space lightweight 1-2 person tent was a small tent, but 1 x 2,15m floor space and 1 m of ceiling height is lots of space compared with this. And I'm happy to carry a 1,6 kg tent for the added space and comfort.

I CANNOT for life of me place your accent HAHA. I feel like it changes between 6 different accents in this video haha. Great video.

Was this in Scotland? What amazing editing and drone work. So professional and well done Thank you

We come to these vids to learn all sorts of things 😊thank you for sharing this

If you use it as a bivy and don't stake it, it is no different than sleeping in a sleeping bag with the benefit of weatherproofing and netting. You can sit on top of it and put your legs in and wiggle in, instead of crawling in and out of a tunnel. With a tarp, you can poke the lower section out from under the tarp, using the tarp to more effectively cover your head if you don't want to completely zip in. My gortex bivy only weighs one lb and a large 10x10 tarp another lb.

Video is so peaceful and entertaining with great views of nature, thank you so much for sharing

I have a Tarptent Notch Li solo double wall tent. VERY narrow but a lot bigger than your tiny bivy "tent". Because it is made of Dyneema (DCF) and weighs about the same as your bivy "tent". But at least I can sit up in it! Plus it has 2 doors and 2 vestibules, handy for pack storage in one and storm cooking in the other vestibule. The Notch model, whether of silnylon or DCF uses your 2 hiking poles and 2 guy lines to hold it up in even heavy winds. PROBLEM: The DCF version costs US $600. Buy hey, I'm not leaving money for my well off daughters!

Who would have thought that a twig was the tasty part of a bean and cabbage meal? LOL! Also, when chocolate is tempered, it becomes brittle and shiny.

never seen your vids before but you did make me chuckle when you were talking about the beans and cabbage

I’m not someone who’s normally claustrophobic but MAN that’s all I could keep thinking while watching that. Lord help you if you’re doing more than a small overnight and have a real back pack to try to shove in there with you. Right at the start of the video, I noticed all the wind noise. I wasn’t thinking so much about the sides flapping against your bag/body but about the constant random NOISE. Also, having to have your stinky hiked in shoes right up there with your head; NOPE. THANKS for a great video. I’m not sure I could in good conscience sell it to someone else!!!! LOL

2:24 sets up camera, hiked up. What we don’t see is him coming back down and hiking up a second time. A lot of effort to get all those shots man, good on you.

I’ve got the alton walkabout swag bivy tent and it’s awesome. Openes at the top completely, so getting in is easy, it has a bug net over your head so you can stargaze, fits larger sleeping pads and a bagpack, has a breathable and watertight membrane and packs down into a tiny package. Ive taken this tent on a 3 day mountain hike and it performed flawlessly. I love bivy tents, but the rab ridge raider is crap

The laser pulse has a "little brother" called the zephyros. It's the same company, making the exact same tent for one third the price. The downside being that it weighs three times as much (1.6kg) because it's made of 3000HH polyester, not 7D nylon, the pegs are aluminium, not titanium etc. The reason that Terra Nova made the zephyros is they loved the design of the laser, but KNEW that someone would come along and make a heavier, cheaper version, so before they released the ultralight, they made the lightweight and released them at the same time. My Zephyros did me on a 9-week motorbike tour of Australia, never let me down, was always comfortable and I'd 100% recommend it to anyone if you don't mind the little bit of extra weight. It's as they say "small, light, cheap - pick 2"

its always funny imaging them setting up the camera shots of them waking up from the tent then climbing back in to fake it lol

I really like my bivi for UK use. I just put my sleeping bag, liner and mat inside and roll it up. Reduces setup time to 1 minute. Army surplus bivi, went with DPM for the UK. Idiotproof which means no faffing about with poles and pegs in bad weather. Easier to get in and out of than this bivi. Just stand into it and pull it up like you're pulling up a giant sock. For many other countries might use a tent, but I travel by foot and often set up camp wherever is hidden towards dusk when I'm knackered. I don't want being spotted to be playing on my mind, so something so low-profile and camouflaged puts my mind at ease. Also, it's CHEAP. You don't need expensive gear for 90% of the UK. The rain+ wind combo is risky, but cheaper options offer 75% of the comfort at 25% of the price. Don't be tricked into shelling out hundreds for the cool factor.

lol, So precious saying hi to the sheep. A few more hikes and I’m sure that mouth’ll stay shut and you stay far back. Provoking a herding dog out there is wild bro, stay safe, recognize danger.

I have a Carinthia Observer bivy and love it. It is a side entry shelter though technically you could enter it from the front too. Not sure why you would ever want to in a normal hiking situation. Yours looks like a nightmare to get into and out of. Personally i hate proper tents as they are too large, visible and unsuitable for most places i end up sleeping. Never had issues in any weather, including heavy snow and damned windy peaks, though in heavy rain an additional tarp is pretty much a must if you expect any comfort and to keep your gear dry. For me the positives outweigh the negatives by far + Small, inconspicuous and able to be set up anywhere you have space to lie down. +Totally weatherproof and breathable + Set up in 1 min and packed away in 2 + Thanks to insect mesh above and in front you have almost 360° field of view without getting out of the shelter. - in heavy rain a tarp is almost a must for an admin area - too tight to have yourself and a rucksack larger than 40l in it

Aussie here, maybe check out Alton Goods swag. Wayyyy easier to get in and out of and most of the same benefits as the Rab

In my search for that chocolate I discovered a craft chocolate shop in Shoreditch London who are having a chocolate fair with tastings. So I booked it. I might not have wanted to learn about chocolate but I think it wins over that tent.

It looks like you had a good night anyway. My last camp was on the same mountain two weeks ago and I woke to very similar weather. I love the idea of the Ridge Rader as a summer tent but maybe not so much for our Irish summer's. Think I'll stick with my Laser Compact 1 for now though I've also been using the Abisko lite 2 this so called summer 🤔

Enan or Tarptent moment might be a good replacement

First time watching your content, and I thought the video was great. I think you might take for granted just how good it looks, and how professional it looks. I wouldn't never do YT because I am not arty, and it really would look like rubbish. Again, your vid as great

I don't why anyone goes for these. You could learn two knots and have a more versatile shelter in a 2.8/2.4 tarp. I've gotten really great nights sleep under a 2x1.3 in a bivvy bag, on a basic groundsheet carrying zero poles (just grabbing two sticks off the floor) 2 season bag and 1 season mat in 3 degrees. Whole system weight around 4kg. The coziness factor is there with the bivvy it's just the big open hole that's the issue. I use a headnet to keep bugs off me. I'm going to be modifying in a waterproof zip with outer storm flaps to my bivvy bag in the near future to eliminate the issue of getting in and out ( I tend to just get up and lower the bag to pee) Or you could spend a lot of money on an ultralight tent. Either way, coffin tents are beyond pointless.

red, white and blue sheep, makes me homesick for the USA. Thanks.

I would combine this with a 3x3m tarp and make sort of a funnel 🔻with the tent at the tight end to have more space to sit and be sheltered

Basically looks like a small version of our Australian swags