Has anybody else had problems with this product?

I fished in France from the back end of October and into November taking in the delights of storm Ciaran. I erected my T100 and the Guest Extension - used for extra kit rather than chit-chats - and soon found that the Velcro straps were incapable of keeping the extension attached in gusty conditions. A couple of wraps of Gorilla tape sorted it but shouldn't it be better made?

The extending poles also fell out during heavier gusts which was annoying, it destabilised the bivvy and was a pain refitting them during the night.

The pegs were as firm as I could get them on a compressed gravel base but, when the big storm hit me, the extension was ripped from the bivvy. The same gust saw the main bivvy take off but was saved by me grabbing one leg of it and the tension strap wrapping itself in the groundsheet and pinning me to the bedchair. I was stuck as all of my kit was spreading downwind. I could not move.

I eventually found my phone and called a mate for help, he rescued me and took the weight of the flying bivvy off my arm. The rain then started and everything I had got wet.

Okay, it was hilarious but potentially dangerous, what if the tension strap had gone over my throat?

I've contacted Trekker and asked if there have been similar incidents and questioned the design. I do not recall who I bought it from and having changed banks, cannot trace the transaction. It's not the money that concerns me, I believe the potential for other calamities I'm worried about. Trakker told me it was a matter between me and who I bought it from which is far from satisfactory.

Doesn't sound like much fun, but conditions sound extreme and not sure it makes much difference in terms of the equipment you're using.

If you were not able to get the pegs in the ground then that would have been an issue regardless of the manufacturer.

Not sure about the social front, but I wouldn't expect velcro to withstand an Atlantic storm and would have taken it down to be on the safe side.

There's a fine line between equipment being unfit for purpose and the user determining whether their gear is appropriate for the conditions.

Trakker's response is underwhelming, and completely expected.

In reply to Post #2
I damaged the poles when I put it up in the garden to test it the first time on a moderatly windy day.

Had to buy some new poles.

It's not something I use in bad weather due to this.

I only bought it for extra space and shade when I take the dog.

In reply to Post #1
Cant say Ive ever had a problem with mine - is it the social cap you're on about ? - if so I had the one on my 150 up in a recent storm. Not sure what you mean by a tension strap though - mine just attaches like thee skull cap to the back of the tempest where you bolt the blocks on, then the poles a the front push the front tight, and then its a couple of pegs either side next to the poles on the tempest, and pegs at the front. Admittedly, in the storm I battened down the hatches so to speak and put the full front on - it was blowing about a bit but stood up to it quite well. But if you don't have the full infill in the door way, I'd imagine any shelter is going to have problems with the wind blowing into the front.

I use the clips on the ground sheet for my bivvy, and on the brolly (when I use it) I usually unclip the strap after pegging it out anyway - too much of a trip hazard for clumsy me otherwise. Did the same with the M3 too, which reminds me - I need to sell that.

In answer to a few points. It was firmly pegged down but would have been better on heavy mud.

The 'tension strap' was the bivvy's and, once it had rolled up some of the groundsheet, it went over the edge of my bed and pinned me to it.

The Velcro couldn't resist a breeze.

There was a full front on the extension.

Trekker have not specified what conditions one can use it in and are a much use as rubber hook.

It was bloody windy.

I blanked but my lad had a 60.

In reply to Post #5
Sounds like you've got some dodgy velcro.

I use one on a Frontier X, it fits surprisingly well, and I've never had a problem. The side bars (and the top one) tension against the velcro, so if that's dodgy I can see it being a pain. Can't you just thread the velcro through the slot and put a knot in it?

In reply to Post #5
I think your on a hiding to nothing basically, sorry but someone had to say it.

Pegged down as well as you could, if that's with the standard pegs they're basically useless in those conditions, maybe even most would be.

I'm unsure of the design of that extension but the common denominator is fishing brands are still playing catch up. In fact its like 2 steps forward, 1step back at times, like removing extra guy rope attachments. Velcro attachments on a lot of modern camping tents have a second velcro wrap at 90 deg to the main, its usually a lot smaller but that in itself stops the main from coming apart, perhaps you could get some fitted if absent by Army Andy. Alternatively as a secondary you could use a ladder lock buckle or similar.

At the end of the day, squalls over there and proper storms aren't to be messed with and any tent will be tested full stop, even though you don't think it, you were probably quite lucky!

I look at some of the videos nowadays with people set up particularly on large open waters with no mention of any special precautions in case of squalls/sudden storms. I'm talking the sort of weather that'll take your inflatable and launch it over your tent if not into it if your unlucky, irrespective of how its tied down or to what. Setting up with less than a foot in elevation from the water when a decent storm can whip up 3' waves. Even if you can pin stuff down so it won't move its only at strong as the weakest link.

Its like playing Russian Roulette from Oct onwards, even in summer it can happen, sometimes it appears in minutes, gone just as quick, but by god you know you've been in it

In reply to Post #7
I'm not looking to mend the thing, the bars are all twisted and I left it with the lake owner to dump or repair.

I did have some long pegs with me but I couldn't find them in the car when the storm was blowing -my bad. I have experienced French weather and have had a well-pegged bivvy moved a couple of feet by a gust in the past. Once it was just the storm vs the Tempest I was cosy as it was rock solid. They are great bivvies - until you build a porch.

I learned a lesson and, due to a few health issues, that will be my last big carp trip. I wanted to go out with a bang but instead went out with a splash. Such is fishing.

In reply to Post #8
Think all social caps / extensions are for 'holiday' fishing use only . . and are not by their nature designed to survive a hooligan wind like an original pram-hood bivvy for example - too much fabric / not enough structure / areas for the wind to get under together with an un-aerodynamic shape is asking for disaster - personally would have packed it away until the weather subsided. . .had to do this earlier in the season with my normally bomb proof Ultralite Skull cap - fishing into the teeth of the wind it was acting like a sail and lifting the whole bivvy up even with extended pegs!

In reply to Post #8
I learned a lesson and, due to a few health issues, that will be my last big carp trip. I wanted to go out with a bang but instead went out with a splash


EDIT, laughing at the splash bit.