With the all the latest technology still coming through, what would you say is a solid bivvy for winter weather?

Not bothered about how long it takes to set up, more interested in the warmth and insulating factors.

In reply to Post #1
I may be wrong, but I think most manufacturers are concentrating on warm clothing and sleeping bags rather than insulated bivvies. For your shelter to be warm, you'd need a heat source. Tent heaters don't seem to be used much in the UK, due to the inherent ventilation requirements that, if not respected, could mean you wake up dead.

Having said that, I know plenty of anglers in Italy who happily spend all day in January in a flimsy bivvy with a kerosene heater wearing just a t shirt.

Safest option .. buy a decent coat and sleeping bag.

In reply to Post #2
Use your groundsheet, twin skin bivvy and a hot water bottle to prewarm your bag or the foot area of it

In reply to Post #1
Heavy duty groundsheet, inner dome, overwrap

Trakker have a few that are very good.

Slx
Armo v4
Tempest with the new Skull wrap

In reply to Post #1
You need a bivvy and a winter skin mate. The winter skin will prevent the dreaded drip, condensation which will soak everything through inside your tent if you go without one!

You need a dry place to keep warm, then warm clothes and spares. The good thing about a winter skin pending model, you can leave your boots and wet coats, buckets etc. In the porch area

In reply to Post #5
Thanks for the replies. I have an old Chub Vizor bivvy with no wrap. Can't get hold of the wraps anymore as it's an ancient old bivvy So looking to upgrade, especially for the winter months.

I used to use one of those cheap gas heaters which did the job whilst it was on. Not long after you turn it off the heat is lost quite quickly therefore I was hoping there might be some good solutions for warmth on the market 10 years later. Either way, I need to upgrade it.

In reply to Post #6
Queue blanket guys return ....

In reply to Post #1
Decent clothes and a decent bag + cover. Don't close the bivvy door and you don't get loads of condensation either.

Twin skins, capsules and heaters? How much crap are people messing about with? Winters are warmer now than they've ever been.

Your body is a heat source. Decent thermal togs and bag will use/retain that heat. The money is better spent here than on a bivvy which will have an almost negligible influence on heat levels in the depths of winter.

Winter bivvy

Typical replys, you don't want a bivvy you wanna be fishing in wool pants n socks mate, hard-core, you know the score

You can sit in a nice insulated tent with the door shut or you can sit under a brolly in a sleet storm that blows it out of the ground, you get out in the night to turn it around and re-peg it only to find out half your gear has blown away and you have got your nice dry multi layers wet

Thank God for choices eh

In reply to Post #10
I'm not saying a brolly is the one mate. I'm simply stating fact that the sole heat source (short of a heater) is you, and that money is best spent harnessing that heat source

In reply to Post #11
Don't disagree with that. 19 degree in the day, 10 last night. Sat in my 2 man armo, slept with the door half open and the other two back to the mozzi mesh, piss wet through inside, couldn't be bothered to put the wrap on

If I was fishing though winter, not that I do so much nowadays, eased off but I would want a twin skin for starters. Choices

A shelter for me in the winter months is more about keeping out the wind and rain which as we know can be savage at times....as others have said the correct clothing/footwear and a good sleeping bag is where the warmth and insulation comes from.

My shelter stays pretty much unchanged all year round, Tempest V2......strip it back in the summer to the basic shelter with mozzy overthrow and whack on the solid infil and skull cap when the weather turns.... ....I always use a groundsheet though, personal preference!

I do have a Titan as well which comes out with 12" bivvy pegs if the forecast is really bad!

In reply to Post #8
RE Winters are warmer now than they've ever been. 100% right

I am always AMAZED at people that zip their door shut

ok if the rain is blowing in then just letterbox it a bit
but FFS ? all you need is a twinskin or bivvy with a skull cap and a groundsheet proper warm layers and at night a decent sleeping bag ((and I find a Sim on the bedchair is great insulation )) and a Gardner bedchair cover you will never be cold and never need the door zipped up ?

At risk of asking how big your cock is and who can withstand -50 degrees in a bivvy with no groundsheet, what recommendations would you give for 3-layer bivvy systems?

In reply to Post #15
Just go and get yourself a lovely canvas bell tent and a wood burner

In reply to Post #15
Titan, Tempest or Arno with inner dome and winter skin.

In reply to Post #15
Cyprinus typhoon deserves a mention due to the inner vapor shield, 20k material (10k on the storm) and a choice of wraps. Heat rises so the vapour shield should help although not a full third skin. It also has a zipped groundsheet that is very thick (and heavy haha)

Or maybe the Nash double top with a 3rd skin but I've not used one of those...

Thanks to the helpful chaps

In reply to Post #18
So the inner section of the Typhoon comes with the dome. Am I correct in understanding that the skull cap is separate but there is no extra skin for it, other than a front extension?

In reply to Post #20
I think they are working on a wrap

In reply to Post #21
You bunch of big Jessie's. I've spent many a winter fishing under a brolly, no front, single skin and no ground sheet most of the time.

As others have said warm clothes and sleeping bag are key. Merino wool base layers help regulate your temperature and plenty of hot teas or wobbly coffees.

In reply to Post #22
Absolutely spot on... It always makes me laugh when I see a bivvy with a second skin. Are you a Mongolian camped out for the winter in the frozen tundra or are you in fact a carp angler angler doing a night with a bit of frost on the ground? But you know what? Who cares? If that's what it takes to get you out fishing in the winter... Respect.

In reply to Post #23
well the winter skin or skull cap stops the frigging rain storm of condensation you WILL get in winter times dunnit !!!!!!!

In reply to Post #24
I don't know if I'm a hard ******* or if I simply just don't care but condensation really doesn't bother me. On here it seems to be an issue of biblical proportions. Am I alone in thinking this?

In reply to Post #1
Trakker armo mk2 2 man had for years heavier than newer models but love it.

In reply to Post #25
I was thinking the same, must be a bunch of heavy breathers.

In reply to Post #20
Yeah the typhoon (not the storm) comes with an internal vapour shield, it's like a thin bit of material that clips to the top on the inside. You can get a full wrap, or a skull cap and now they are releasing cap wraps like the new trakker skull wrap. None of these will work with the utility front as far as I know.

I bought one with the wrap but it's big and heavy, so I've gone back to a tempest brolly

In reply to Post #25
Same. Never given a **** about condensation.

In reply to Post #29
Same, has never bothered me but it's definitely an obsession by some on here regarding condensation........

I've only bothered with a second skin for long sessions using an extended wrap to give a bit more room, I can't say condensation has ever been an issue to me, certainly not worth the weight and bulk to fix it for the night or two sessions I might do in winter

Same set up as the rest of the year for me apart from the addition of a top layer on fortis sleeping bag.

Open fronted tempest.

I put the unhooking mat on top on the Tempest to cut down condensation.

The tempest is a luxury compared to a 50 inch oval in the thick of winter for many years.

Done an awful lot of camping/bivvying over the years and never bothered about condensation and still don't. There again my max sessions are 5 days and things do get progressively more damp over time, especially if the weather won't let you dry out. Longer sessions in winter it may be an issue. Must admit 3 winter days with 17 hours of darkness are as much as I want to do.

In reply to Post #25
Well I am ****ed if I like water dripping on my face when Im in my bed or all over everything ?

when I can EASILY eliminate it its not ****in rocket science ? same as I would never dream of using a shelter of any sort with the door down whatever the weather or without using a groundsheet

In reply to Post #34
Gerry. In all my years angling ive never had condensation dripping on my face and all over everything
You must have breath like steaming cup of Typhoo mate.

In reply to Post #35
I think some people do suffer and or different materials suffer more with condensation, i remember many years ago after i bought my original aqua armadillo it was late october hardly winter conditions but i had already been on the lake for a night my mate came on for the second night fished in the next swim using his fox evo.
After just one night his bivvy was absolutely soaking with condensation the next morning yet mine had none at all over the two nights.

In reply to Post #35
as said ((due to my claustrophobia )) I can never have the door down or sleeping bag zip done up either and yes I drink shed loads of tea when Im fishing and if I dont have the skull cap on or a wrap on a bivvy

in the right weather conditions I will and anyone will get condensation not this time of year its too mild

In reply to Post #23
Nice finish!

Thing is, we're all different. Some don't mind the cold, others do. Some want different things from fishing than others. Personally, I'd rather have comfort when fishing as being the big I am isn't what I'm about. In truth, I hate the cold, yet I love snowboarding too. But I ensure I'm well equipped to withstand the conditions. Besides, it's a physical sport unlike fishing so it's difficult to compare.

Call me a pussy or whatever but I want warmth. Gimme warmth god dam it.

In reply to Post #12
Was in my Cayman last night, front fully open and in the morning there was just a bit of condensation (no drips) that soon dried out. I was too hot in the bag and had to push the cover off. By the tidal Trent that takes no prisoners as it's totally barren without a single tree or anything for shelter.

If the rain is blowing in then I'll put the sides down but won't ever close the door unless it's some mental sideways rain, I've only ever had to do that once.

In reply to Post #38
You say you want comfort. Because being the 'big I am'
Is not what you are about. Many that sleep under a brolly all winter are comfortable. If they weren't they wouldn't do it.

I also like to be warm. I've a selection of bivvies
And I don't belive they provide any warmth.
That will be from my merino base layer. Insulatd clothes
Snugpak jacket. 5 season bag. Bedchair cover.
An extra mm of nylon isn't going to make much difference.

In reply to Post #40
Like the previous post I replied to who “respects” we all like different things, I respect everyone's opinions as it's their own. It's those warriors who Ive seen recently sling insults that I have no respect for and who get ignored.

Will a 3 layer bivvy compared to my single layer (old school) bivvy not make any difference in your opinion?

In reply to Post #41
I imagine it wouod be mostly psychological
If a bit of nylon even in layers had any insulation
It would be all over the building industry
Rather than 2 foot of insulation on a loft conversion
They could stick a winterskin on it.

In reply to Post #42
So you're in the construction industry.

They should build bivvies with duck down between the layers. That'd do. It'd keep warm and dry off when wet.

In reply to Post #43
But then you would have to have ventilation
All over the place. And it would get cold again.
So you wouod need a heater. Just like with houses.

But we do have one warm heater when fishing.
Our bodies. Trap that heat. Clothing and a bag.

In reply to Post #44
Interesting thoughts mate

What's body heat, around 36.5 degree?

It's the hot air rising contacting the single skin barrier causing the condensation (dew point). With a brolly you have a lot less chance due to the open front, unless it's a Fox ultra

A twin skin makes a massive difference in dissipating the temperatures. The skin can condense but so what, the inside Bivvy is dry (like double glazing). Can remember my first twin skin, amazing, used to warm the bivvy with the stove and the lot, nice and dry. In fact, there's a though. On a cold night crack your stove up in a single skin and accelerate the process, I will guarantee your 100% it will be wet through in a single skin tent with the door shut, knock the tent, waterfalls

All part of the winter package though, multi layers, quality clothing and a good bag

In reply to Post #45
My views are that the winter skin does help with condensation and keeping the bivvy drier, the only thing i dont like about them is they make the bivvy darker in the daylight hours.

With regards to winter skins keeping the bivvys warmer then seeing how most bivvys have a door that certainly in my case is nearly always open unless driving rain i cant see it making much difference for any period of time, as others have said its best to rely on warm clothes sleeping bags etc

In reply to Post #46
I'm looking at this warmth debate at night time when sleeping, door closed. But now I think about it, 45% heat is lost through that head. So a good Merino wool hat should help with that. I had issues with condensation with the Chub RS 1 man bivvy (without the wrap) years ago when fishing in the winter months. Trying to eliminate that from happening again whilst keeping warm.

Anyone know anything about the Fox Retreat bivvy?

In reply to Post #47
Mate. Google that thing re 45% heat loss from the head
It isn't how you think. Its kind of been misinterpreted over the decades and then splurged out and copied. It's not anywhere near 45 but more importantly the only ref to original
Science was referring to IF you are wearing thermal clothing
And you leave your head uncovered then what heat escapes
Is X amount from you head. We are not a Swan Vesta

In reply to Post #47
The heat loss through the head is a myth that was debunked some years ago.... Lots of studies since have shown heat loss through the head is proportional to the surface area so around 7-10%...

I've not seen the fox bivvy you mentioned though..

In reply to Post #48
Beat me to it

we are not a Swan vesta

In reply to Post #40
Interested to know more about your bed chair cover and 5 season bag. I have a big snooze+, again, from years gone by like ALL my gear including my bedchair.
I see the value by investing in some quality baselayers. I have some good layers when snowboarding so will likely use them. My jacket and trousers are Pro Logic Jacket and brace. Not designed for maximum warmth however.

In reply to Post #16
Ahh I read Canvas

Hog single nights

Nash Canvas and Hog are awesome and warm. 2 nights

Powerplus Professional 3-4 nights with TV do tend to take a Coleman lantern that helps with drying cloths out etc.

Lanterns Do keep doors open and put outside before jumping into bed.

In reply to Post #45
I find a heat source will help dry the single skin out removing the condensation. I actually have used a lantern for that very reason for 25 years. See below.

I have never used a groundsheet but I have put my unhooking mat under my Bedchair when it's been minus 6 degrees. Makes a bit of a difference.

In reply to Post #54
Groundsheet through winter is better than a door/front on your shelter I'd say. Not sure of any science behind this quote but I'm not one for having a closed up shelter so it may be that.

Plus your swim can get filthy peak winter if the rain is bad

In reply to Post #55
The cold seems to rise up through the floor. Woken many times with a cold back in the past. That's when a quality bag comes into its own. I used to have a foam topper on my bed for comfort and insulation reasons. Now have an inflatable mat. Interesting about the unhooking mat under the bed as the post below

When it's proper cold I have felt the cold coming up the inside of my bag cover

Condensation iced up inside the tent with a wet patch above my head when using single skins

In reply to Post #53
This is with the doors open i take it?

In reply to Post #57
Door would be down however their is some gap to allow for air exchange so not a closed system.

Thermal energy flows from warm to cold, everything is a heat sink,
ground sheets act as an insulator so too thermarests (inflatable matts) used my unhooking matt placed on the ground under my bed to reduce heat loss as a kid.

Additional skins such as a canvas helps loads and a UCO tea light helps reduce condensation.

Mid winter freeze ups and waking up in the morning and watching the condensation defrost and start to drip over the bed chair. Cup of tea happy days

Just do what you are personally happy with.

I've fished all year round, every year since the mid70's so over that time I've used all sorts of shelters as the tech improved over the years. Nylon brollies with shower curtain sides, black bin bag over the end of the army feather sleeping bag, Nubrollie style brollies which condensate instantly the temp drops, nylon bivvies, Aquatex Bivvies, Overwraps etc.

Probably the warmest ones were the Nash canvas brolly wrap and the original Aqua Dome with the thick cotton/canvass inner. Both came with their own problems though.

I'm now in my mid 60's so for me in winter it's a bivvy and overwrap combo in winter but the door open, decent clothing (non fishing brands) good bag, thermal blanket etc. The days of waking up covered in frost are now well behind me.

An old army saying = “any idiot can be uncomfortable” still rings true.

Also If something makes you feel happier and content on the bank it is worth doing, regardless of whether the science behind it is totally sound. It's a bit like having a tot of something in your coffee. The science says alcohol lowers your body temp, but it does give you a feel good factor in a hot drink. On a cold,dark night on an inhospitable lake, if you can't say “this is the life” whilst eagerly anticipating a run then you aren't doing it right 👍

In reply to Post #58
Mid winter freeze ups and waking up in the morning and watching the condensation defrost and start to drip over the bed chair. Cup of tea happy days

Echo that mate

I used the tea lights for quite a few years. I gave up with them after I thought they were damaging the roof of my Bivvys, always seemed to leak above where it had the tea lights, strange considering it is burning wax vapour, would think it would have a reverse effect.

In reply to Post #59
Similar to me Neil, when I do nights in the cold it's a tent and wrap, try to be as comfortable as possible. Done the brolly and frost thing many times when I was younger, looking back good memories, must have been crackers!

Best item I bought for winter fishing: inflatable mattress with +5 R-value that I put on my Bechair

Coldest night I fished in was -8

The conclusion I've taken from all comments is that there is no wonder warm bivvy, which makes complete sense now. Condensation may have a slight impact on this (and comfort). Warm baselayers, outerwear, bag, shoes/socks and hat is the key for winter warmth survival. Nonetheless, still want to upgrade my bivvy but what I've learnt from this thread is that alone will not solve the warmth problem in winter.
Big thanks to everyone who has shared their helpful advice and experience. Always appreciated and is why I like this forum.

In reply to Post #63
Nice one.

In reply to Post #1
Trakker SLX V3.

In reply to Post #63

And if it gets really cold the lake will freeze anyway.

In reply to Post #63
That's pretty much spot on... A decent bivvy can only go so far and its a combination of things that will make you comfortable.

A lot of the time you can feel how cold the ground is, so a groundsheet will help, as will an air mattress/sim on the bed. You can also put things like unhooking mat or luggage under the bed to increase insulation.

A second skin will help with condensation if you get affected by it, but I don't have this issue... or at least I haven't been rained on by my single skin bivvy in years, even fishing right through the coldest months.

Merino base layers, layering and a waterproof removable outer will help you stay comfortable. Took me years to realise the benefits of a separate waterproof layer - you can take it off when it's wet and still keep your insulating layers on. A microfiber towel to dry the waterproofs gets them mostly dry.

In reply to Post #67
I've opted for the Cyprinus Typhoon M4 MH which I've pre-ordered this evening. Trying to future proof by having something with good head height so not to bend affect knees/back as I'm not getting any younger these days. Couple that with all the clothing and other items = best solution imo.

I started fishing nights in winter back in the 1990's, and have been through a few bivvies in that time.
From a Steadefast 50 brolly with Jekh shelter overwrap, original Fox Easydome, Rod Hutchinson Apotheosis, Fox Easydome mk.ll back to a TFG Hardcore brolly, and finally TFG Oval and overwrap.

The warmest Apotheosis and Easydomes were double skinned, and the Easydomes were quick to put up. Both of them were the warmest in winter, but you still needed to keep yourself warm with decent clothing and sleeping bag.

In the 1990's I had a standard sleeping bag that fitted inside an Alpine cold weather bag for winter use. Winter Clothing was one of these eternal, infernal tank suits over combats.

With the second Easydome I got a minus 12 Coleman polar bag, survival rating to minus 12, which was warm at night, clothing during the day was combat trousers and jacket with an inner polar liner.

The past few years I have used a Wychwood Morpheus Extreme bag with the TFG Brolly systems, (sometimes not using overwrap, even in winter), and clothing has been Hoggs of Fife Strathmoor trousers and jacket over combat clothing, not forgetting the Norgi top.

The only external heat I use is the gas stove, never in the bivvy, but just outside, for making regular brews of coffee and decent hot food. Porridge for breakfast, tinned pasta for lunch, and a proper dinner in the evening.

In reply to Post #69
I used to lust after the hutchy apotheosis not sure why really, just looked good in the pics, never actually saw one in the flesh. Can still remember that pic now... Haha

I had a titan from about 95 ish that lasted 18 years, back when things were made well.... Now I'm in a tempest brolly which is the modern day titan imo - not sure how Kevin dropped the ball with shelters he was way ahead of the curve with the titan.

In reply to Post #68
You did well with the typhoon in my opinion. I've just had a typhoon m4 normal height which was really good - just too big for me so it's going back and I've got myself a tempest brolly v2, had the V1 brolly up till now.

The material and build quality is really good, though you hear problems with nearly every shelter these days. The MH has a zip of front doesn't it? I really didn't like the pack down of the normal height typhoon due to the front poles and having the front panel always attached... The tempest is so much easier as you can zip the front off and don't have an unzipped door to deal with.

If they release the normal height one with a removable front I'll be all over it... Although not that horrible hybrid green one they do with a dpm front

In reply to Post #1
Personally always use a wrap summer or winter but that's mainly because with the ultralite you can leave it on permanently anyway - with dillos I never used to bother most of the time . . .

Best winter invention are those little magnetic hooks to hang stuff on - being able to hang (rather than fold or stash) damp and wet outerlayers / beanies / socks so they dry quickly is a godsend. Hate being wet/damp . . being wet/damp AND cold is enough to make anyone take up golf . . .

In reply to Post #72
I have been fishing and using a variety of coatings since the 2000s. I concluded that water droplets in the morning could be seen on the inner surface of the tent of any manufacturer, even if this tent is expensive and thought out to the smallest detail - it all depends on the conditions. Water vapor settles on colder objects than air. So, set up a tent where the wind can blow moist air out of it. Don`t close the ventilation windows at night, and don`t completely cover the gaps between the lower edge of the awning and the ground. If it is impossible to dry the ceiling, you can wipe it with a microfiber towel. Also, wetting the tent from the bottom helps to fight footprint (unique bedding for the tent). Good fishing to all and don`t forget about camping lanterns !

I think the biggest problem in winter is Condensation

and the sheer amount of thick T***s that confuse it with their bivvy leaking is mind blowing

lunatics that reproof their bivvies every year

boiling your kettle inside a bivvy produces a massive amount of condensation and pretty soon it will be raining condensation drips all over you unless you got a vapour shield or inner tent it will then get wet behind it you pack up leaving it on when you next go you got mould behind it !! that can over time cause a leak thru delamination
I carry a couple of microfibre sports towels and regularly dry off any condensation inside my shelter they absorb it and dry very quickly takes just a few mins

In reply to Post #74
I have the new trakker slx150. Comes with an inner capsule and got the wrap. Don't have any condensation at all due to the triple skin

In reply to Post #74
Gerry, like you I keep the front open on my bivvy and cook outside when I can. Never had a problem with condensation. If you must keep the door shut and cook inside you will get water vapour and and condensation. Also risk of carbon monoxide poisoning keep it well ventilated and you shouldn't have problems.

In reply to Post #75
If I wanted a winter bivvy I would get the trakker slx without a doubt

In reply to Post #1
Cyprinus typhoon MH with a cap wrap, bivvy comes with a vapour insert, great bit of kit.