Fair point, Andy - after all, you get what you pay for! But considering the amount of use a bivvy would get from me, I can't justify spending ?200-ish on one... there's no way you'd catch me doing even one night, let alone more than one, in the depths of winter... I just don't have that dedication. I just fancy doing the occasional night here and there on one of my local pits for the cats and eels, and come the end of August no doubt the shelter will be put in storage ready for next summer! But I do wonder sometimes whether tackle IS worth what you pay for it - take this example. I bought a basic Optonic a few years back - cost me ?35 (and I then got a 2nd-hand one for ?15). One of my mates bought an alarm (not sure of the make - Fox, I think) that cost him ?150... but at the end of the day, they both sit on top of a bankstick and go ''beep!'' when line pulls through them... So, getting back to bivvies, I'd love a really good, totally weatherproofed, all mod cons one... but I don't need one, as it'd just be a shelter for me and my gear in the event of any summer showers (LOL - saying that, I remember the opening day of one season 5 years or so back, I'd set up ''camp'' with a couple of brollies - one for me and my chair, one for my gear, food, etc - only to be set upon by the worst thunderstorm I've ever seen - I had to abandon the swim at 3am and go sit in the car till it had died down! Needless to say, everything was soaked... I ended up going home that afternoon! So yeah, a decent bivvy would have prevented that - but that was a one off, let's face it). As you said yourself, m8 - get one that suits your style of fishing... as far as I'm concerned, that's exactly what I HAVE done... Good luck this season Andy - let us know how you get on.
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