Best sub ?350 bivvy

I am currently looking for a new bivvy up to the 350 price range .

At the moment i am planning on the nash double top extreme mk2 1 1/2 man as i lyk to have a lot of space for weekend stays /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

anyobdy have any ideas on any other bivvys that compete wiv this bivvy?

thanks

I've got a Nash Double Top Professional MK2 and couldn't ask for more. Personally I don't like overly large bivvies because they restrict the pegs you can get into and that definately applies to the Extreme. You may get it into your current venue but what about future ones? I'm not one for brollies cause I don't handle the rats too well (the built in groundsheet on the double top is especially useful for this, and on a pram hood bivvy as well!) and like the home from home feel. The Pro version isn't overly spacious but once you think about the room under the bedchair then I find it more than adequate for a 24/48/72 hour session. A week session stay on the continent then i'd say the extreme is ideal but I think you are going for overkill with that one mate. If you are definate on the space issue tho i'll list my Pro's and Con's for the Pro model (just the same but smaller).

Pro's:
Pram hood - Very strong in the wind

'Chav' Peak on the front - Very useful so you can have the door open when raining. Becoming more common and i think will be standard in a few years.

Great ventilation - Between the mesh inner panel, door mesh and back window mesh it is very well ventilated.

Inner living area - A must for me but if you aren't fussed then maybe a space waster. Sewn in grounsheet is why I bought it.

Con's:

Groundsheet may be a touch too thin although this is to save weight. A heavy duty one is available but should only be needed for the worst ground or coldest weather.

Winter skin may be needed in the harshest conditions (cold more than rain), only really the current weather i guess.

---

Anyways, If you ain't bothered about groundsheets then there are a number of avenues to try that others could help you with, Take a look at reviews via the 'Tackle' section at the top. Should be of help.

forget the nash mate buy the best and get a trakker armo it will beat the nash hands down on quality

Looking at the price of the Extreme version then I'd have to agree with Richard if aren't considering the pro. Its only another 100ish for the Armo and they are meant to be reliable. Will come with a decent groundsheet and the material is supposedly very good. Nash DT Pro is perfect for me tho, so think about what you need from yours.

Yeh iv been looking at the new black one. very interesting thnx for help everyone..

the sti defender is a good bivvy and easy and quick to erect . but if i was going to go for the more expensive one go for the tracker armo./forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gifps happy new year all.

dont go for the nash mate crap /forum/smilies/sad_smiley.gifand they weigh a ton , go for trakker or aqua ,you could go for a ultralite in aquatex goes up in secounds ans the aquatex is the best out there will last you a life time , i think with aqua or trakker your getting a bivvie for life not just for xmas/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Can't say my pro weighs a ton, dunno bout the extreme. Not crap though, compared to the quality of Trakker biv's tho they won't compare, hence the price. Have you owned a nash DT nik?

Tbh i think im goin to go for the double top extreme with winterskin aswell.Had a look at the trakker bivvys but i lyk the look of the pram hood style tht the double top holds.

thnaks everyone

?? The trakker armo's are pramhood... fairly similar as well except the peak isn't as extended.

ah ive been looking at a diffo trakker 1 yeh just seen the 1 with the pram hood /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

so hard choosing ;p

carpless, had a couble top and was to heavey to move swims quickley and be on the fish and the seems on the bivvie started to come away, trakker or aqua all the way ,lets face it if he is payin 330 you might as well go all in ,in my mind you can not beat the aquatex material. cheers/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Was it the extreme nik? Yeah I agree with you on the 'all in' front. At the price that the extreme is listed i'd definately go all out for the trakker/aqua. My pro version isn't that light but its lighter than my old JRC STI and only cost me 170. If you are willing to pay that amount of money though sonny, I would DEFINATELY go with the ARMO.

carpless, hi mate didnt have the exteme it was the first d-t one they done,the problem i had was where the poles fit in to each other the sleeves that they are in the stichin started to come away/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif,and the pegging points started to rip,was really peed off because it did cost alot/forum/smilies/angry_smiley.gif, my other point where they could have made the d-t better was the mozzie net , i think it would have been better if it zipped open from bottom to top , they done it top to bottom and when it was not being used it had to be rolled up on the floor ,and they give you that silly bit of square grond sheet to stop it getting muddy which never worked, i think they called that silly bit of ground sheet a anti tripping device/forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif ,. with my aqua ultralite i find if you tuck the the flaps on the end of the bivvie under the ground sheet it works as well as sewn in ground sheet. my mate was thinking of getting a d-t untill i showed him the aquatexx ,i tipped a pint of water on mine and done the same with my old d-t the water on the aquatexx just falls off on the nash you can still see where the water had been tipped/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

oh yeah i agree the aquatexx is one of the best materials on the market having seen an Armo after one of the worst storms i've been in, although my STI held up well as well but did get a little saturated.

As for the d-t i wouldn't have gone for it as it was back then. Without a peak on the front it can be such a pain when it starts raining as i found out with my STI, and sometimes the pegs you get into prevent you from having your back to the wind. Having only seen a promo vid on youtube for the orig D-T i have to say that it doesn't seem to built as well as the new ones but thats one for time to decide eh?

Also, I thought the velcro groundsheet on the STI would help create a 'sewn-in' effect but i still had a few run-ins with some less than desirable rodents.

The door device isn't too bad but i agree it woulda been better going bottom from top. As for the little heavy duty square of groundsheet; i've actually found it quite useful for keeping the inside bit clean.

But anyways, theres a big difference between 170 and 350+ so if you got the money, go for the ARMO.

carpless, i was really lucky because i cant afford a brand new 350+ bivvy i sold mt old d-t for about 160 i think, and kept my eyes peeled in carp talk , and was blessed by a bloke in southend selling a aqua pioneer ultralight never been used for £250,/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif now i did think this was too good to be true ,/forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gifso phoned the bloke up and asked ,he said i have 2 bivvies 1 armo and 1 ultralight and the ultralight has been sitting in the loft since he bought it, so i drove down and sat outside his house for about 2 hr so i would def get it sure enough brand new with quicksticks and winter skin and clear window,ground sheet all for just £250what a touch,/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif just didnt want you to think that i was made of money and just sayin other bivvies in a lower price range were all crap, i only buy what the wife thinks we can afford, ok maybe a few porkies told there lol/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

a few eh? just tell the poor lass they're for other things.. like bite alarms?... home security.

all it was is that i've found my d-t to be quite useful for my needs and haven't had any probs with it. Just didn't want prospective buyers reading the forum to think that the D-t's are utter crap and that you can't get a good biv without going all out. I do agree though that the Extreme is pretty pointless at that price tho..