New bivvy

[John Weddup]

Hi Anderoo

 

I have today erected both the tracker a lite and the maver 1 man base bivvy.

 

I initially thought I would want the day type shelter such as the a lite or dave lane sti. Having only used a brolly before its quite a culture change to become like a carp angler.

 

I must say now for me the added advantage of having the full front on the maver as standard is going to be usefull. I have decided that for night sessions when I want a couple of hours sleep to be able to zip yourself in will be most usefull.

 

It goes up and down just as quick as the a lite and does not appear to weigh any more.

 

You can zip your gear in and go for a stroll (suffolk water park has big bream tench and a good cafe) and I know its not secure but for someone to go into a closed bivvy not knowing if you in there is far less likely than the casual passer by picking up an open item of tackle.

 

If the rain gets horrendous like it can for short spells, I am sure you know what I mean, you can pull your rods in zip yourself up and hide away.

 

I don,t always want to fish all night as it can be on some waters quite quiet between say 11 and 2 in the morning but to be there setup and ready to go is the thing. I often leave home at 3am but a short drive to water get gear out make it up get bait in and its 5 oclock before you are properly fishing.

 

So I have decided that to be there and get some kip is a good idea.

 

If I can answer any questions for you please ask as its ideal to have both too play with. You have always been most helpfull to me in the past.

 

I will probably keep both as if I go for a day session only on those perfect big stillwater bream days when its pi**ing down and blowing a gale the a lite will be just as good and at the cost to me will be well worth keeping them both. It will lessen the wear by sharing between them anyway.

 

best regards

 

john

[Anderoo]

Thanks for that John, that's very helpful. I'm sure I'll think of something to ask! I agree that being able to zip it up completely is important.

 

For tench, I also like to get to the lake after work (often in the dark - it's a long way) and get some proper sleep in a zipped up bivvy, and be there ready to go at dawn. Magic! When my mind is on the bream, I tend to leave in the morning and aim to get everything ready and settled by about 4pm so I can cast before dusk. There doesn't seem to be any benefit in getting there the night before unlike the tench, I get an extra night in a proper bed instead

[Big Easy]

Andrew

 

I have been using the Armo Aqualite bivvy for 2 seasons now and it is the business. Not cheap but excellent quality and very light. It even fits my bedchair with some to spare - you will understand. I have been using it at Wingham this year, Richard has seen it. If you are interested I will bring it along to the Sept. meeting.

 

http://www.aquaproducts.co.uk/index.php?ma...p;products_id=2

 

Ian

[Anderoo]

Andrew

 

I have been using the Armo Aqualite bivvy for 2 seasons now and it is the business. Not cheap but excellent quality and very light. It even fits my bedchair with some to spare - you will understand. I have been using it at Wingham this year, Richard has seen it. If you are interested I will bring it along to the Sept. meeting.

 

http://www.aquaproducts.co.uk/index.php?ma...p;products_id=2

 

Ian

 

Thanks for that Ian I'm glad you'll be at the Sept get-together, I want to talk to you about perch... you know the ones!

[Anderoo]

In the end it was a toss-up between the Trakker A-Lite and the JRC STI, both having been recommended by people I trust. So it eventually came down to price, and I just ordered a new JRC STI with the winter skin and all the bits for £149 with free P&P from ebay. The Trakker would have been £50-60 more. In the end I decided I didn't want a second-hand one, just in case.

 

I don't know if this latest version is different to the older ones, but it claims to have 'Multi position zip door with P.V.C window and mosquito mesh sides', so hopefully the visibility out will be as good (or nearly as good) as the Trakker.

 

Roll on September and blanking in style!

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

[Kappa]

In the end it was a toss-up between the Trakker A-Lite and the JRC STI, both having been recommended by people I trust. So it eventually came down to price, and I just ordered a new JRC STI with the winter skin and all the bits for £149 with free P&P from ebay. The Trakker would have been £50-60 more. In the end I decided I didn't want a second-hand one, just in case.

 

I don't know if this latest version is different to the older ones, but it claims to have 'Multi position zip door with P.V.C window and mosquito mesh sides', so hopefully the visibility out will be as good (or nearly as good) as the Trakker.

 

Roll on September and blanking in style!

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

 

want to sell your old one?

 

 

Rich

[Anderoo]

want to sell your old one?

 

 

Rich

 

Go on then, make me an offer! I'll even throw in an old shower cap stolen from a hotel, just in case it rains

[Anderoo]

I may have made a slight error...

 

I realised today that what I have ordered is not the STI brolly plus the overwrap. It's actually the STI twin skin, a whole other bivvy! I thought the STI was one thing only, and that twin skin just meant the overwrap was included...

 

Oops.

 

There is also an STI-R bivvy, different again.

 

According to reviews, the twin skin is a good bivvy, but the main negative thing is its weight (15kg). Bearing in mind one of my top priorities was lightweight, this is potentially rather a problem. I just weighed my old cypry dome and that's 5kg...

 

Here it is: http://www.rodnline.com/2630505/JRC-STI-TW...-MAN-BIVVY.html

 

I think it's good, I just hope the weight isn't a pain. So, just in case other people are as dense as me, there is more than one STI!

[Rusty]

but the main negative thing is its weight (15kg)

 

Perhaps in getting it there yes, but when you're in it and another Wingham storm comes along you'll be grateful for that extra 10kg. A good big'un always beats a good little'un.

[Anderoo]

True, I don't want a repeat of the last fiasco I've had a look around for comparable weights and it's actually not too bad I think. Other similar bivvies/brollies which are sold without the overwrap appear much lighter, but add that in and they all weigh round about the same.

 

Fingers crossed...!