Bivy bags
A 397 g cover or a 1,300 g one — and what does the extra kilogramme buy?
Neither of these is a shelter with poles; both are covers that go over a sleeping bag. The normani publishes both numbers a membrane is judged on — 10,000 mm and 3,000 MVP — and weighs 397 g. The Mil-Tec publishes half that water column at a stated 1,300 g, and answers with a hood, a storm flap and a packed size.
| Compared on | bivy sleeping bag cover, 10,000 mm stated | Modular sleeping bag cover, 3-layer laminate |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Polyamide in a tear-resistant Diamond Ripstop weave, stated PVC-free | A 3-layer laminate with a breathable membrane; the face fabric is not named |
| Hydrostatic head | 10,000 mm water column | 5,000 mm water column |
| Breathability figure | 3,000 MVP, stated in the title | Not published — the membrane is called breathable and no figure is given |
| Breathability test named | Not published — MVP is given with no standard, unit period or test conditions | Not published |
| Seam sealing | Welded seams | Not published |
| Cut | 230 × 90 cm, given as 230 × 90 × 60 cm overall | 225 × 85 cm, with an integrated hood adjusted by elastic and hook-and-loop |
| Entry and closure | A right-hand zip; no zip length or storm flap is described | A two-way side zip with an overlying storm flap on press studs |
| Packed size | Not published — described as compact, and supplied with a drawcord mesh bag | 40 × 8 cm |
| Stated weight | 397 g | Approx. 1,300 g |
Each tick belongs to its own line and nothing more. The row of ticks is not a score: the two verdicts underneath settle the page, because these two answer different questions on the trail.
The normani is the cover for someone adding weather protection to a bag they already carry: 397 g, 10,000 mm, welded seams and the roomier 230 × 90 cm cut. It is also the only one of the two with a breathability figure, though 3,000 MVP arrives with no test conditions attached, which limits what it can be compared against.
The Mil-Tec is a different object at the same job: an integrated hood, a two-way zip under a press-stud storm flap, and a published 40 × 8 cm pack. Half the water column and a stated 1,300 g are the price, and its breathable membrane never receives a number. Choose it for the closure and the hood, not for the figures.
MVP stands for moisture vapour permeability — how much water vapour passes through a square metre of fabric in a given time. Without the test method and the period, a figure of 3,000 cannot be lined up against another brand's, because the two may not be counting the same hours.
Every closed cover has to deal with the vapour a sleeper gives off, and how well it does depends on the membrane and on how far the entry can be opened. The Mil-Tec names a breathable membrane without quantifying it; its two-way zip is the part of the listing that describes how the cover is vented.
Sleeping-bag cover · Diamond Ripstop polyamide · 10,000 mm water column · 3,000 MVP · welded seams · right-hand zip · 397 g stated
The listing in this hub that publishes both numbers: a 10,000 mm water column and a 3,000 MVP breathability figure — with no test named for the second.
Best for: A sleeping bag that needs a light, fully specified waterproof cover rather than a shelter of its own.
≈ 40 €
Sleeping-bag cover · 3-layer laminate · 5,000 mm water column · breathable membrane, no figure · 225 × 85 cm · 1,300 g and 40 × 8 cm packed, stated
A generously cut laminate cover that publishes its water column, its packed size and its weight — and calls its membrane breathable without ever putting a number on it.
Best for: A cover bought for cut and closure rather than for weight, over a bulky synthetic sleeping bag.
≈ $84 / £57 / 53 €
Prices in these summaries were read on the dates each review gives. The live figure sits beside every product.
