Price point strength!

Pram-hood style shelters are renown for a few things: strength, sturdiness and the practical space they provide for setting up home on the bank, whether you’re out for a single night on a local pit to a week-long stay abroad, are just three of them. But in most cases, a more substantial bivvy brings a bigger price tag – that is until you meet the Base Bivvy from Cyprinus, a shelter that contains another strength: a fantastically low price point! Interested? Obviously. You just can’t afford not to be…

The big questions

Go on then, hit me… how much is a “low price”? Three? Three-fifty?
Try £159.99 for the One-Man and £189.99 for the Two-Man version. Oh, and get ready for this: that price includes the matching overwrap as well!

Okay, very funny, you should have saved that one for April 1st…
No, straight up, we’re not kidding – that’s the price. We’re pretty sure we’ve said it before, but Cyprinus only trade direct to their customers through their on-line shop, eBay and Amazon. This reduces business costs etc. and one of the reasons that allow Cyprinus room to price products so competitively.

If you want a cool, air-circulating set-up, then simply zip-in the full mozzi panel provided

Right, well… that is cheap, but have they scrimped on features too?
Cyprinus may well use ‘no-nonsense’ designs, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be short on features, particularly when it comes to the Base Bivvy, which contains all the ‘must-haves’ you’d expect.

Beginning with the material, Cyprinus have used their tried and tested Hydro-Tec breathable material (10,000mm Hydrostatic head) with fully taped seams to provided 100% waterproof protection however severe the conditions. The door (that includes a zip-up mozzi panel) can be fished in the popular ‘letterbox’ style which in combination with the front peak allows you to view the water and your swim from the confines of your cosy bivvy whilst being protected from the elements. Rod retention straps, which again you’d expect to see on a modern-day bivvy, are also found on the front peak.

To help maintain the solid structure and tension of the shelter, a set of interlocking frame support poles are also included. Add to that list the heavy-duty groundsheet and T-pegs and you’ve basically got everything you need, including a strong, heavy-duty carry bag that is also supplied with the Base Bivvy!

It even comes supplied with a Winter Skin!

Sounds good to me, anything else I should know feature-wise?
Yes, a couple of things. The bivvy is pretty versatile too due the zip-on/zip-off front panel(s). So, as we’ve already mentioned, you can set-up the bivvy using the standard in-fill panel with zip door and perhaps set the door in the letterbox style. Should you wish through the summer or in mild weather, this panel can easily zipped out and removed to give the bivvy an open fronted wide field of view. If you like this cool, air-circulating set-up but don’t fancy being eaten alive by the insect life then simply zip-in the full mozzi panel provided.

The door in the popular ‘letterbox’ position

You mentioned an overwrap? What’s the point of that if the bivvy is already waterproof?
Well, the overwrap does quite a lot actually, especially in winter, as once fitted over the main body of the bivvy, a small band of air will be trapped between the two skins of the wrap and bivvy. This air will warm to provide insulation and a raised temperature within the shelter. What’s more, this dramatically reduces condensation at any time of year.

Rock solid, reliable and very friendly on your wallet

There’s got to be a catch. I know: if they only deal on-line it’ll be the postage, right?
Nope, there’s no catch or hidden extras. And Cyprinus offer standard delivery free in the UK! So just head over to cyprinus.co.uk and see for yourself.

How they shape up

Base Bivvy 1-man
Width: 280cm
Depth: 230cm
Height: 130cm
Weight: 8.4kgs
Price: £159.99

Base Bivvy 2-man
Width: 305cm
Depth: 250cm
Height: 140cm
Weight: 9.5kgs
Price: £189.99

Gallery