Mammut Lodge Bivy Tent - First Impression

Mammut Lodge Tent Bivy

Update - reply from Mammut social media team:

Finally, news about the bivy tent. The project has unfortunately been stopped.

The problem was that the material was either to heavy or not robust enough and the price for such a tent would have been too high for the market.
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Two things first:
  1. This is an unfinished product. A prototype. It's not available on the market (yet?).
  2. Your feedback and input are highly appreciated by Mammut. Whatever you have to say about this single person bivy tent, you're welcome to drop it in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
If there are outdoor companies that want to hear from you and get you involved in creating new products, then Mammut is definitely one of them. 



What's this?

It's a single person bivouack tent.

Mammut Tent Lodge Bivy - Valea Gaura Bucegi

What's it for?

For anything you want it to be.

I know this will be my new style to sleep in the snow from now on. But, as Manny from Video Trail Reviews said, it can be a great tent to take with you on mountain biking tours.

Ultralight backpacking? Of course.

Alpine mountaineering? Hmmm... Not really - unless you anchor it well and dig a snow pit to be protected from strong winds. It's worth a test on a short tour though.

Mountain Camping with Mammut Tent
Mammut Tent in Valea Gaura
Mammut Lodge Bivy Tent

Inflatable Bivouac Tent and Hand Pump by Mammut
Mammut Bivy Tent
Mammut Bivy with Inflatable Mat

Mammut Bivy Inflatable Poles
Mammut Bivy Tent Prototype
Mammut Bivy

Construction and features

As usual, Mammut's signature is high quality materials and attention to details.

Little things like the Sleep well written in a few languages (including mandarin) on the arched pole above your head and the Welcome Home written on the ground sheet before the entrance make you wanna have this thing even if you don't need it. :-)

Mammut Inflatable Mat - Air Inlet
Mammut Lodge Bivy tent
Single Person Bivy tent by Mammut

Mammut Tent at Tyulenovo, Bulgaria
Mammut Bivy Tent Prototype in Tyulenovo
Mammut Tent - Moon and Sea at Night

I love the incorporated inflatable mat (Therm-a-Rest style)! It's comfortable and gives you about 3 cm loft insulation above the ground.

You also get a ground sheet that gets attached to the mat - protection for dirt and moisture.

Mammut Inflatable Bivy Tent
Anchorage Loop in Mammut Bivy Tent
Bag for Mammut Bivy

The flysheet resembles the Gore Tex PacLite fabric - thin, waterproof and breathable. For ventilation, you have 3 mesh vents: 2 small ones in the ceiling and one down just at your head.

Update: The ventilation is amazing. With all vents open (including the one at the head), there's a constant stream of air flowing below the ceiling of the tent so you don't get the condensation (water droplets) as you would with most tents. This was tested during summer in Valea Gaura (Bucegi Mountains).

I'd add a large mesh for the entrance so you can sleep with the door open in the summer without being eaten alive by mosquitoes.



The arched inflatable poles that hold the flysheet are connected, so you have just one air inlet to work with. And if you absolutely need a pillow to sleep well, you have the hand pump. (she's a beauty, isn't she?) :-)

Bag for Mammut Inflatable Bivy tent with Air Mat
Ground Anchorage Loop in Mammut Bivy Tent
Ground Protection Sheet for Mammut Lodge Bivy Tent

The bivy packs down to the size of any regular sleeping bag when packed and weighs below 2 kilos - 1815 grams to be more specific. (I'll come back with the precise weight). You get pegs and ropes to anchor it. A repair kit with glue and patches is included.

Mammut Lodge Tent Weight - 1815 grams

Mammut Lodge Bivy - Welcome Home
Tent Pegs, Ropes and Repair Kit for Mammut Bivy

A bivy tent to use and abuse

That's what I'm gonna do with it. And I'll update this article with my conclusions.

Meanwhile though...

What do you think?

Based on what you've seen here,
  • Do you like it?
  • Would you buy it? How much would you pay for it?
  • Have any ideas for improvements?  
Let's talk. Leave a comment. 


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30 comments :

  1. Constantin, it seems like a cool idea.

    NEMO uses airbeams in their high end tents, and I've heard good things about them. What's kept me from purchasing a NEMO tent is the slightly-higher-than-necessary weight, and the fact that they're not freestanding. I can't tell from your photos if this guy is, but if not, that's a serious dealbreaker. As for the single wall design, Black Diamond uses NanoShield fabric, a non-laminate waterproof fabric, and that is great. The laminate ones on tents suck because they're just not breathable enough. A material for the tent that's not a laminate would be a big buying point for me.

    As for price, the size and utility of the tent seems to compare to the Marmot Eos 1, which is $220 in the USA. I would love to see a similar price point for this one, possibly less if they could swing it. Two reasons: first, any more than that for a solo tent is ridiculous, and second, the airbeams are still a new concept, and people might be unsure. The lower cost would help to reduce insecurity over the design.

    By the way, if Mammut is listening, a solo alpine tent that utilized airbeams, could be inflated sturdily from the inside, and weighed under a kilogram would dominate the light and fast market. I'd sure buy one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The inflatable pole makes the tent freestanding.

      Well, this may be very well under 1 kg in weight without the inflatable mat - that accounts for most of the weight (and there are the aluminum pegs as well).

      But the mat makes it very comfortable.

      Delete
  2. Looks pretty well-designed, though a mesh door seems like a pretty big oversight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mesh door would be a great idea - if it can be zippered out to save weight.

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  4. If it is long enough for guys over 1,95 meter, there is a market!

    How thick is the mattress.

    Is the outer material breathable?

    Is the sleeping mat usable without inflating the rest of the tent?

    1,8 kg is ok, for a mat and a tent.

    If it is not an Alpine tent I would use it and sell it from my store in the colour green!

    Keep up the innovative work!

    All the best, Mac.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Mac!

    1. I think the model I have is at the limit for 1,95 m high folks. I guess They'll manufacture an extra size if they go mass-production with this.

    2. The mattress is 3/3.5 cm thick when fully inflated.

    3. The outer fabric seems to be breathable. However they recommend you to keep the vents open for proper ventilation. I did so and there was no condensation on the inner part of the sheet.

    4. The sleeping mat is embedded (glued) with the tent. You can use the mat if you don't inflate the arched poles of the tent. Basically, you'll sleep on the flysheet which lays on the mattress.

    If you run an outdoor store, email me and I can hook you up with Mammut.

    Thanks for your questions. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's an interesting concept. I like the idea of the integrated mattress, although in some ways ti could be seen also as a limitation (especially for winter use, where you might want to use a better mattress). The weight with the mattress is okay, but far from ultralight I'd say. An Akto, for example, is 1.6, has way more space, and two walls. And Akto's are pretty heavy. A Laser Comp would be 980g, giving you still 800g+ to play with for pads.

    I'm not sure I'd use one here in Lapland in winter, but if it were around 800-900g with a thinner integrated pad, it might make an interesting three-season shelter.

    With different materials and lighter weight, it would make a nice winter shelter – quick to erect.

    Definitely an interesting prototype. It'd be fun to try it out...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your remarks, Mark! Mammut has an eye on these comments so every piece of feedback counts.

      Yup the integrated mat cab be seen as a limitation - but for better insulation (in winter) and protection against sharp objects, I also carry a light classic foam mat. It does the trick for me.

      Delete
  7. I like it so far!
    Would need mesh door built in though.
    Also is there room to Stow your back pack inside?
    Seems slightly heavy so maybe have built in sleeping Mat as an option?
    Can it be inflated by mouth as well as by pump?
    Thanks for sharing this with me!
    Chris.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Chris!

      You could stow you backpack inside if it's small. Or, if you have a very big backpack, you can take all the items out and spread them on the inner side of the tent.

      The sleeping mat it's built in - inflatable, 3 cm thick.

      The inlet valves seem to be for the pump only. I haven't tried to inflate it by mouth but that's something I should look into.

      Thanks for your comment!

      Delete
  8. Looks ok but weights a killer .'re scrap 1 1510 grams bomb proof or my trailstar under 850 inc pegs and custom bathtub floor.being able to remove mat Wed make it more inviting
    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Peter!

      Looks like a removable mat is a constant request.

      Delete
  9. Nice idea, but how does it work in the rain? If it's not going to rain, then a bivvy bag will be lighter and simpler. And if it's going to rain, then I'll take my Laser Comp (sub 900g).

    ReplyDelete

  10. Hey Chipps!

    I haven't caught any rain with it yet. I'll do a video when it happens.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great. Thanks. Single skin tents are OK if you've got lots of ventilation and don't touch the outer fabric when it's wet. I can imagine with this that there's no chance of keeping that far from it.
    Here's the BikeKamper (though they did a newer one with air beams in it...)
    http://www.topeak.com/products/Tent/Bikamper

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it'll be hard not to touch the sheet at all when inside. I gotta test it.

      Delete
  12. I'm not sold on this bivy. I don't like a shelter that has an integrated pad - I want modular gear that I can mix and match for different conditions. At close to 2 kilos this is also very heavy - there are many other options available that are far lighter, more wind resistant, and far more spacious.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi

    It looks like a nice bivi, as the above i'd like to know how it deals with the cold and also like to see a mesh door. I like the idea of a built in mattress though I'd question its durability - also how long does everything take to inflate... i can image getting soaked whilst pumping it up...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Seems a bit heavy for me??
    Idea is fantastic though!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Constantin, is there any news about the tent? Will it happen? Or did Mamut abandoned the idea? Th.anks for your answer. Peter

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would recommend having two different models. One with the sleeping pad worked in and one without. And what did they say about it happening or not?

    ReplyDelete
  17. hey guys, only one question. did you test the bivy in romania? and if so where?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Dragstar!

      Yup I took it out in Valea Gaura (Bucegi Mountains) and Bulgaria (rocky coast north of Balcic). But to be honest I have't tested it in pouring rain.

      Anyway it seems they won't build it for mass production...

      Delete
  18. OMG that's what i need :D...i want one.....

    ReplyDelete
  19. Would have been nice to see come to market. New materials are out there.

    ReplyDelete

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