First post - so thanks for having me.

Me and the wife both fish. And we have several two man bivvies.

I fish two week nights on my own, and now winters setting in I'm finding the two man bivvies restricting where I can fish, a pain to set up and slow / difficult to pack down when I'm in a rush / it's raining. I'm using a TFG Force 8 popup bivvy at the moment.

I'm thinking of getting a brolly system - potentially the JRC stealth 2g or Fox Eos. Only have a budget of around £200.

Would these shelters be adequate for winter? And they likely to save me time and effort during set-up pack down? Or is there anything better? Happy to buy used bargains 👍🏼

I tend to arrive in darkness (around 4pm and leave at about 8am) so 16 hours or so in the cold and wet.

Thanks in advance for your help!

In reply to Post #1
Whichever bivvy you go for, make sure you get a winter wrap also to avoid condensation in your bivvy.

I recently bought a Trakker Composite MB bivvy and overwrap from TFT for £250 (cheap because they were being discontinued). It's good, can't fault it really for quality, only thing I don't like is it hasn't got a pram hood so when it's tipping it down, you have to close the door fully.

Think Trakker bivvies have a good reputation, do a search on here and see what people rate.

Rgds
F

In reply to Post #2
Thanks for the reply 👍🏼

I was hoping to avoid a wrap as it's more to carry and extra time setting up and packing down 😭. My TFG popup has an inner capsule built in.

In reply to Post #3
For quickest to put-up and take-down I would say is any one of the Tempest models, see what you can find 2nd hand within your budget, you only need a skull cap with them rather than a full wrap.

In reply to Post #4
Thanks! Am I right in thinking skullcap and be left on?

In reply to Post #5
Yes they can, think there's a video on You Tube (might be Carpology)

F

In reply to Post #4
Will a skull cap stop condensation on the WHOLE of the inside of the bivvy, despite it just sitting on the top of the bivvy?

-RCG Alpha X1 (Inner capsule and overwrap option)

-Nash T1

-Slx v3 1/2 man (incl inner capsule)
-Armo v4 1/2man ( inner capsule option)
-Tempest

-Avid dual layer


Fox Eos: only the one from Total fishing Tackle is worth with overwrap Eos TT pro (don't expect top quality)
-Fox Frontier XD maby
This one seems great for 1 man sessions, fast to setup, inner capsule, skull cap, But not out yet, so no idea about the quality

Tip: Black friday

In reply to Post #8
Your recommending £600 bivvies to a poster with a £200 budget.

In reply to Post #9

In reply to Post #9
Lol missed that

If 200 is your budget watch out for Chub Cyfish then with inner dome or overwrap

In reply to Post #9
Always lol

In reply to Post #11
I'll keep an eye out 👍🏼

In reply to Post #7
Nope I still get condensation even on the top

In reply to Post #14
What one do you use mate? I got the Trakker 100T and with the skull cap I have very very little if any at all even when I shut the door fully, I do get some on the sides tho still just not on the top under the skull cap

In reply to Post #7
no but it really does help to completely eliminate it on the roof which is really all your bothered about surely ?

I never EVER take my skull cap off and never get condensation on the roof and very little on the sides but my cold weather Coleman stove is outside and I never have the door down
and by leaving the skull cap on in the heat of the summer it really makes a big difference its much cooler

fact condensation is dependant on the angler to a very large degree VENTILATION plays a big part

people that zip up the door or boil kettles inside will get loads more than people who have the door open and the kettle outside

so much more the dumb ****s can even think their shelter is leaking and reproof it every year

In reply to Post #16
I agree that makes me laugh when I see that lol

In reply to Post #15
Just a v2 brolly with the skull cap

V2 brolly is great but without skull cap the condensation is horrendous

I have the wrap with my v1 brolly and it takes seconds to throw over and only takes an extra couple
Of pegs. What I like about it this time of year is it keeps the brolly dry and the wrap is easier to dry and hang up when packing away wet. Tempest brolly is so flexible , I also have the extension which is hand for when my daughter comes.
Have the skull cap as well which I leave on from early spring until late Autumn.
Easy to put up and relatively light. Such flexibility I haven't used my armo for about 3 years.

In reply to Post #20
These where the very reasons why I brought a tempest, the versatility is unbelievable