Rab Ridge Raider - Tested and Reviewed

Price: £199
Weight: 944g
Sizes: 1 Size
Colours: Green, Red



The Rab Ridge Raider is a classic single-hoop bivvy in eVent Exchange Lite, offering a small footprint solution for wild camping or emergency use. A hoop at the head end allows both extra height and the benefit of a small porch for storage, but with a minimal impact on overall weight. The bathtub Ground Sheet is laminated nylon, totally waterproof and durable and an inbuilt Mossie net offers security from biting insects.

Features:

• 10000mm laminated nylon waterproof bathtub base
• Side walls maximise sleeping bag loft
• Internal pitch Easton pole
• Glow in the dark zip pullers
• Mosquito net

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Real World Test:

The first thing we noticed about the Rab Ridge Raider was its similarity to the Terra Nova Jupiter - a design we've grown to love over the years, so it was off to a good start. Surprisingly the Ridge Raider weighs in about 100gm more than the TN Jupiter and costs pretty much the same give or take a few pence. Now you may think £200 is a lot of money for a single skin, one man, shelter when you compare it with one man tents or tarps at a similar kind of weight but you have to take into account that bivvys and tents are entirely different beasts with different uses. One of the great advantages of a bivvy is the tiny footprint, barely greater than the area of a prone body, compared to a tent whether single or double skin. In real life terms you can put a Ridge Raiser up on a 2.3m x 1m piece of ground in under a minute and have a stable and aerodynamic shelter for the night. Six pegs hold the bivvy firmly in place making set-up quick and simple and with the foot end towards the prevailing wind the wedge shape shakes off wind and rain easily. The eVent fabris compares well with the GoreTex used in the Jupiter, although like any bivvy this shape it's a good idea to protect the foot of your sleeping bag from condensation. Fully enclosed and zipped in the Ridge Raider is far less claustrophobic than a traditional alpine style bivvy with the extra headroom provided by the hoop enough to roll over and rest on your elbows. Pitched well and in resonable weather the front can be unzipped and left open for uncluttered views of the night sky, with a midge net available if necessary.

Verdict:
Ideal for the fast moving hill walker wanting a late pitch and early start, the Rab Ridge Raider combines the best protective features of traditional bivvies with the luxury of extra headroom for more prolonged use and additional storage space in the porch. At nearly a kilo its more suited to planned use than as an emergency shelter with a permanent place in the pack, but for high level overnight stops where there's restricted pitch space there's nothing better. There's little to choose statistically between Goretex and eVent, but for those who get on better with eVent the Ridge Raider won't disappoint