Bivvies, Shelters & Brollies

Exclusive First Look! I remember when Trakker launched these for the awesome Pioneer a good few years back, and now the Yorkshire-based bivvy market leader is doing likewise for the hugely successful Tempest. This is music to my ears, being a Tempest brolly user, and I can’t wait for them to actually hit the shelves of Trakker stockists. Available in different sizes to fit the brolly, V2, Air and two-man, they are simple to attach via three small poles that fit straight into the front poles of the shelter itself. The material then just clips to the other poles around the respective Tempest and that’s it.

The Fast & Light brolly has been hugely popular with its initial target angler, the guy who travels extra light and doesn’t want the hassle of having to carry a full-blown system around. Groundsheet, infill panel and any additional extras mean burdensome loads to these guys. However, the brolly is so good that lots of other anglers took a shine to it – those fishing slightly longer session and wanting a little but more from their shelter. So, by popular demand, Aqua introduced these wraps to create more significant coverage for those who want it.

Many modern carp anglers look for ease of use in a product, and why not? With limited time on the bank you don’t want to waste it setting things up when you could be looking for fish or getting those rods in the water. This is why brollies have come back in fashion, but they aren’t very good when used as a long-term session shelter. Bridging the gap between convenience, ease of use and unrivalled weather protection, the XTI Supadome was born. Erected in no time via a push brolly-type system, the Supadome provides a large internal footprint capable of housing all your tackle, food and more while out on the bank.

Few companies boast the heritage for superbly made, top-end and respected carp gear than Aqua Products, and with that came the range of Aqua classics made in modern, more hi-tech materials. This is exactly that, the original Aqua Brolly, with the same dimensions, but Aquatexx fabric. Anybody who was anybody in days gone by recognised Aqua as being the leading maker of bivvies and brollies, initially hand-constructed by founder Chris Manifold from a tiny workshop in Cheshire. If you were really somebody then you owned one, but the superb quality, UK build and limited production made it difficult to buy them at times.

Not every angler wants to set up a goliath bivvy with overwrap to keep them sheltered through the summer nights or even surprise daytime showers, and that’s understandable. However, what about a simple two-rib structure that can be erected in seconds and boasts tension poles, groundsheet and even rod-retaining straps? Ideal for the angler wanting a little more protection on day sessions or for a quick to erect night-time shelter, the Discovery CX Low Rider is ideal and a great item to have at your disposal. Lightweight with a supplied carry bag and pegs, this is everything you need to keep sheltered yet not weigh you down, so you can move quickly and effectively when needed, and we think it is pretty cheap too. (DM) £74.

Summer can predominantly mean warm nights and quick sessions, and there is nothing more annoying than having to lug your large two-man winter bivvy around the lake. Well you no longer have to. This awesome little shelter boasts all the features you would expect to find on larger bivvies but without the weight and bulky nature. The bivvy alone weighs in at a rather minimal 5.