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When you are hiking solo through the mountains, you don’t want your pack weighed down by a heavy tent. What you need is a lightweight bivy that is perfect for a minimalist that just needs a durable and waterproof shelter. The Rab Ridge Raider is a very roomy bivouac with a small footprint that you can pitch anywhere. Read the Rab Ridge Raider review below to learn more.
Our Rating:
- Lightweight shelter
- Includes a small footprint
- Can pitch the tent anywhere
- Very roomy
- Made of eVent® Exchange Lite™ fabric that performs really well
- Large bathtub waterproof nylon groundsheet
- Front entry design is awkward, entry would be better on the side so you could just roll in
- Some users have issues with the zipper snagging on the may find snagging on the inner mesh and outer eVent door
- Need to clean the eVent fabric regularly to guarantee performance
- Inner groundsheet for the bathtub could be deeper to make more room for air mattresses
Key Features
The Rab Ridge Raider Bivouac is a single hoop and lightweight bivouac shelter that measures 31.5 inches wide, 100.4 inches long and 23.6 inches high. Made of Exchange Lite eVent fabric and a base of tough waterproof laminated nylon, the Rab Ridge Raider features a mosquito net door, an external pole sleeve with zip pullers that glow in the dark. It also comes equipped with a roll-top sack that is waterproof and contains twelve pegs.
- Lightweight, single person bivi that is waterproof and created for solo mountain use.
- Includes a single, head-end DAC Pressfit™ pole with a head door entry
- Perfect for minimalist bivi use when you are mountaineering or hiking in the mountains.
- Includes a sleek tunnel design that is quick-and-easy to set up
- Packs down to 12 by 6 inches.
- Made of Lite eVent fabric
- Includes a laminated bathtub base made of 10,000 mm nylon
- Designed with seams that are fully taped
- Includes a pole hoop that is made of single DAC aluminum and an external pole sleeve
- Comes equipped with a mosquito net door and zip pulls that glow in the dark
- Includes a waterproof stuff sack
Detailed Review
Overall Score:
Check Price at AmazonHow Does It Compare To Others?
Black Diamond Big Wall Hooped Bivouac
Designed to face any problems that you will have hiking in a harsh climate, the Black Diamond Big Wall Hooped Bivy is a robust bivouac that can handle the extreme elements.
This is a huge bivy sack when you compare it to its competitors, and it is perfect if you find yourself needing shelter out on an exposed rock ledge.
It is also weather resistant making it weigh just a little more, but remember that it is worth a few extra ounces for its comfort and storm proof features.
This is a heavy duty bivy that is made to withstand more than just small weather disturbances. The Black Diamond Big Walla hooped bivy can take on an immense amount of wind, water, and bugs with its heavy duty fabric.
Unlike the Rab Ridge Raider with its zippered vent, condensation can become an issue for the Black Diamond because of the fabric that is used, although it does come with a thick, but bendable wire. Compared to a pole, this saves weight and gives you extra headroom.
Users have found that even though it is heavy, it definitely makes up for the extra weight with the comfort you get. The outer shell keeps the water out with the DWR treatment and the ToddTex wall fabric is soft and feels like fleece on the inside.
This is a good bivy when you are headed to some hardcore weather areas such as sleeping on walls or in the mountains. Despite the added weight, it still weighs less than a tent and it is pretty strong and waterproof.
Rab Alpine Bivy
When you are looking for high quality, but still want lightweight and reliable in a bivy, the Rab Alpine Bivouac is definitely worth a look. This single-person bivy is waterproof and created to use on a summit attempt or a lightweight alpine expedition.
This is a waterproof bivy that has one of the smallest pack sizes on the market. The waterproof fabric is breathable and helps make the bivy comfortable to sleep in.
The Rab Alpine Bivouac is light enough to pack and carry, plus it has an easy set up. It also features a wide sleeping bag design with a zip door that is removable and made with no-see-um mesh.
The Rab Alpine Bivy has a mummy-like shape that fits technical sleeping bags, plus it has an end zip entrance that includes an external storm flap for extra protection. Constructed with a breathable but durable fabric, the Alpine Bivy gives pretty decent protection in harsh weather.
Users enjoy the standard, wide sleeping bag design and how lightweight this minimalist bivy sack is. Unlike the Rab Ridge Raider comes with poles and wires to create a suspended head area, but the Alpine bivy does not include that feature making it more of a minimalist bivy.
Despite its size, it does not have any issues with condensation. It is also suitable for mountaineers, climbers, and hikers as an emergency shelter.
Outdoor Research Helium Bivy
Although it shares some of the same features as the Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy, the Helium Bivy uses a material that makes it much lighter.
The Outdoor Research Helium Bivy is one of the more lightweight bivouacs on the market giving it an edge over its competitors. Also, this waterproof bivy takes up very little space in your backpack and when you set it up you feel like you are in a tent.
The lightweight and durable bivy comes with equipped with a curved pole that suspends the fabric from the ceiling, so you have tons of headroom in comparison to its competitors.
For those that want a little more headroom, the shock corded Delrin overhead pole is worth a little more weight in your backpack. Plus, the functioning zipper works just as well on the outside as it does from the inside.
Users have found that it does extremely well in rainstorms providing great protection from the elements. As a minimalist shelter, it has high volume toe end with a no-see-um mesh netting that is removable for increased comfort.
Unlike the Rab Ridge Raider with its zippered vent, condensation is also a problem with the Outdoor Research Helium Bivy making it a better shelter to take on trips in dry weather when it doesn’t need to be completely sealed.
Should you buy?
If you are looking for the ideal minimalist bivy, the Rab Ridge Raider will not disappoint. It is lightweight and designed to be used as a single person bivi in the mountains. The Ridge Raider features a single, head-end DAC Pressfit™ pole, plus a head door entry. If you aren’t into giving up weather protection in exchange for saving weight then the Rab Ridge Raider will be a great addition to your pack.