LifeSystems online shopping search

LifeSystems - BingNovice

We tested the Lifesystems Hooped Bivi, hoping it’s the affordable shelter so many backpackers want

Hooped bivvy bags can be amazingly expensive, competing directly with some backpacking tents, and can burn a serious hole in your pocket – costing upwards of £250 or even over £400 in some cases. But there are a few affordable options when it comes to hooped bivvy bags. One of these is the Lifesystems Venture Solo Hooped Bivi, which hit the shop shelves for this first time in January 2024.It’s a hooped bivvy bag with a design very reminiscent of the popular Outdoor Research Helium Bivy. You get good headroom thanks to the arched pole, and all-round comfort levels are high. It’s waterproof (11,000mm HH), breathable (15,000g/m2/24hr) and very durable, courtesy of the sturdy 70-denier ripstop nylon fabric, and you even get a mesh face covering and four pegging-out points. All of this for £120 (at the time of writing) is impressive.

Lifesystems Heatshield Thermal Bivi Bag review: built for survival rather than stealth

Lifesystems Heatshield Thermal Bivi Bag: first impressionsIntended as an emergency item rather than a regular bivy sack, the Lifesystems Heatshield Thermal Bivi Bag is nevertheless reusable, thanks to its thin-but-tough metallized plastic. Indeed, the storage sack it comes tightly folded and packed into, expands to take the bivy even when you can’t fold it away as small after use. 

Barely the size of a tangerine, it is the kind of emergency kit that, if kept in a daypack, might make an unexpected night out infinitely more comfortable – or even save a life. Its two primary features are the silver inner surface, which reflects heat back from the body, and a bright orange hi-viz exterior that can be used to attract attention (with or without someone in it). But for bushcrafters it can be…

Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer review: a must-have for cold-dodgers

Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer dealsThe Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer is a step up from your standard gel hand warmer. It charges via USB, offers different heat settings and doubles up as a power pack in a pinch. At RRP it'll set you back £24.99 – so is it worth the extra outlay? I put one to the test on a chilly road trip around Scotland to see how it compares to the rest of today's best hand warmers. Here's my Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer review.Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer review: features and usabilityYour standard gel hand warmer has only one setting, and requires you to boil it in water before you can reuse it (you'll find out more in our hand warmer FAQs article). Not so the Lifesystems rechargeable hand warmer – you charge it via USB, which is a much simpler option if you're away on a trip. Charging takes around four hours, from low power to full, and four handy indicator lights on the side show you how much power is in the bank.When you need a shot of heat, you can choose between four different heat settings, which range from 40 to 50 degrees centigrade.…