Best Carp Bivvy (No More Condensation!)

This week we take a look at the best carp bivvy for night fishing. Undoubtedly one of your biggest purchases for carp fishing, there are hundred of carp bivvies available and we’re here to help you make a choice.

Whether you’re looking for something lightweight to move onto fish, or more of a home away from home, this guide has you covered.

We’ve tried to make this guide as extensive as possible, but also suitable for every type of carp angler. Throughout, you’ll find a host of different types of shelters, at varying price points to suit every budget.

Let’s get started! If you’re in a hurry, here are the top three recommended in this guide:

What bivvy do you need to stop condensation?

We’ve all been there, you wake up in the morning absolutely soaked, with condensation dripping all over you and your gear.

In order to reduce condensation, you need to improve ventilation in your bivvy. This is typically done in two ways:

• Using a bivvy with a higher-quality, breathable material such as AquaTexx
• Using a bivvy with a twin skin, whether that’s an internal vapour guard or external overwrap

Truth be told, cheaper bivvies tend to be the worst for condensation. They’re constructed with less breathable materials and are often available without the option of an overwrap. If you’re on a budget, always factor in the cost of an overwrap which will help you massively throughout the winter months.

Eliminate condensation with these bivvies

What to look for in a carp fishing bivvy

Carp night fishing bivvys have changed dramatically over the past twenty years. We’re no longer sitting under brollys on your nan’s old deckchairs (remember them days?!). We’re all striving for a little more comfort, our home away from home if you will.

For that reason, we’re seeing so many new features included in the new bivvies, all aimed at making your stay on the bank as comfortable as possible. Here’s what you should look out for when you purchase your next bivvy:

Overwrap/Second Skin

It’s good to know that the bivvy you’ll be buying has an overwrap available, so that you can continue to use it throughout the winter months. With an overwrap, you’ll enjoy your nights on the bank more, particularly throughout winter. Although it doesn’t matter too much if you are the type of angler to invest in a bivvy heater.

Overwraps serve two purposes, to keep you warmer, and to prevent condensation. Like layering up your clothing, warm air is trapped between the bivvy and overwrap, improving insulation and warmth within.

Even if you won’t need one straight away, it’s good to know that one is available for your bivvy! Most of the time they can be purchased separately, or you’ll see them otherwise called a ‘second skin’.

Most bivvies ob the market do come with an overwrap, although many are now starting to manufacturer skull caps or skull wraps. These serve a similar purpose and can often be left on the bivvy during pack down which makes your fishing trip a little easier.

Set up Speed

Let’s not forget, we go out to catch fish and that can mean moving multiple times in a session. When that’s the case, you want something that’s lightweight and ultra fast to setup and take down.

Most bivvies on the market are relatively fast to erect, and gone are the days of threading poles. That being said, some are super fast, particularly those built on a central block design like the Trakker Tempest. Watch videos of the bivvy being set up on YouTube, that should give you an indication of speed.

Tradition brolly style bivvies remain to be one of the fastest shelters to erect, although they come at the expense of a little more weight than the block-style bivvies.

Vents

Most new bivvies on the market include mesh air vents, but some don’t, so be sure to check. Vents allows much needed air circulation, preventing condensation in the winter and cooling you down in the summer.

If you don’t like waking up with condensation all over your gear in the morning, these should be a must-have on your list. Just make sure that if you are an overwrap user, any bivvy that you buy has matching air vents on the overwrap too, otherwise they’ll be deemed pointless if they’re covered up all of the time.

Bivvy Size/Footprint

Choosing the right bivvy size is really important to ensure a comfortable night on the bank. If you’re someone who takes minimal gear, then just a one-man bivvy will be more than sufficient.

However, if you like to take more of your home comforts, or if you’re planning to take a friend or the mrs night fishing with you, then you’ll probably need a 2 man bivvy. Most of the standards are just about big enough for one man and his kit. To really remain comfortable with a second person (including a second bedchair) then you’ll need a two-man.

It’s also worth taking into account the size of your carp bedchair. Some of standard bivvies are too small for the wide-boy style bed chairs that have taken over the market in recent years. We recommend checking the measurements of your bedchair and bivvy before purchasing.

Height

Consider your height when choosing a bivvy and pick one that will be comfortable for you to get in and out of on a regular basis. Some of the standard bivvies on the market are around 125cm high, which takes a bit of bending down for someone over 6 feet tall. – That can make for an uncomfortable session if you’re on the bank for more than 24 hours.

Luckily, the manufacturers are aware of this and we are seeing more models for the taller angler being released, such as the Trakker Tempest 100T Brolly, which we recently reviewed on our Tried & Tested Series.

What type of bivvy should you choose?

Central Block Bivvies

Bivvies built around a central block/hub are the most popular on the market right now. They are fast to set up and pack down, whilst remaining incredibly stable. On these types of bivvy, the ribs essentially come together into one central hub which makes them really easy to ‘fan out’ and clip together in a matter of seconds.

Perfect for all seasons, most of the central block style bivvies come with a host of accessories including skulls caps, internal vapour guards, social caps and skull wraps. With these accessories, your bivvy can be adjusted to suit various types of angling, from day sessions with the front zipped off, through to socials where you need a little bit of extra space in the front.

Another major benefit of these types of bivvy is that they are often free standing, meaning that you don’t need to peg them down which is great if you’re fishing on a platform or concrete jetty.

Pram Hood Bivvies

Pram hood bivvies have been around for a long time. They remain to be the choice for anglers looking for a comfortable, spacious bivvy for a night on the bank. Pram hoods are simple to erect, although take a little more time than the newer central block style bivvies.

To erect, simply connect the poles, then pull the front rib up from back to front. Most pram hood bivvies come with tension bars too, so you can really tighten up the pram hood when the weather turns.

Like most types of bivvies on the market, almost all of the pram hoods come with optional overwraps too. This helps to insulate the bivvy and provides an extra layer to prevent condensation build-up too.

Brolly Systems

Carp brolly systems are very popular for carp anglers who fish shorter sessions. Whilst they may offer less protection that full pram hood bivvies, they are very adaptable to various fishing sessions, whether you go for day sessions or weekend sessions.

As the name suggests, they are based on a traditional umbrella design, featuring ribs that open up with the use of a central pole. Typically, most brollies on the market are 60 inch brollies, giving more than enough room for a decent sized bedchair and your kit. You’ll also find that most of them feature storm sides which gives you a little more protection from the elements.

How we picked these recommended bivvies

Top Pick: Fox Frontier Bivvy

Fox have been known for producing well-designed bivvies since the early 90’s, so it’s good to see them finally bring back the Frontier line in the shape of a ‘block-design’ bivvy.

It’s taken a while to put together, so we can only imagine that a lot of work has gone in to getting this right.

Similar to the Sonik AXS (which we’ll cover shortly), one thing you will notice about this bivvy is its steep frame which give it excellent space and height inside, even for the biggest of bedchairs. Thanks to the height of the frame, it’s easy to sit up on your bedchair and watch the water without hunching over and hurting your back.

Constructed from Fox’s 20,000 HH VenTec material, you can rest assured you’ll remain dry and condensation drip free. This is backed up four vents that surround the bivvy, letting all important air flow throughout in the summer months.

So what makes it different to the others I hear you ask? It seems like many of these bivvies offer the same functionality, but Fox have tried to stand out with a new addition to the groundsheet. Incorporating a new mud flap, you can roll back the ground sheet of the frontier to stop muddy boots in the entrance.

If you’re mad for Fox’s Camolite colouring, you’ll be pleased to know that this is featured throughout the design of the mesh vents, so it can blend in with the rest of your gear! That’s Carpy, as Mark Pitchers would say!

Trakker Tempest 100 Bivvy Aquatexx EV

Trakker have been known for their hard-wearing fishing gear since the mid 90s, so it’s no surprise to include them in our list here. The Tempest range has gained worldwide acclaim amongst carpers since it’s launch, and Trakker took in one step further with the 100 Bivvy Aquatexx EV.

Set around their popular block design, the Tempest 100 Bivvy is rapid to set up, and includes some good features that make this a an ideal choice for the session angler.

Constructed from Aquatexx material, the Tempest 100 Bivvy is both breathable and waterproof, so you’ll no longer be worrying about that dreaded condensation in the winter months. The material is an upgrade on the Tempest range of brollys, giving you a much warmer and darker feel within the bivvy itself.

Trakker have also incorporated vents pretty much around the full width of the bivvy, so you can keep the air flowing if you want to.

What we like most about the Tempest range is how adaptable they are, which makes the price a little more palatable!

Instead of having a full bivvy for the winter and a lighter system for the summer, with the Tempest you have it all in one. You can fish without the infill panel and groundsheet in the summer as more of a open-fronted setup, then convert it to a fully insulated bivvy with an overwrap, skullscap or skullwrap when the cooler nights set in.

Mid-Priced: Sonik AXS Bivvy

Built with an aluminium frame, the AXS is extremely quick to set up, so ideal if you’re looking for a bivvy that you can pack up quickly for when you’re moving on to fish. As you can see from the video, the AXS is slightly squarer than some of the other block type bivvies in the market, and that gives you one distinct advantage; you can maximise the floorspace by pushing your bedchair right to the back of the bivvy.

Not only that, but there is a nice design feature on the front too. Unlike the Trakker bivvies, where you need to buy an additional skull scap to gain some protection over the door, the AXS comes with an extended peak as standard. This helps to eliminate any driving rain entering the bivvy whilst you’ve got the door open.

Weighing in at only 9.2kg, it’s a decent weight too in comparison to other bivvies, and comes supplied with two 48” quick connect storm poles, heavy duty clip in groundsheet, four vent spacer bars and heavy duty T-pegs.

Another handy feature is the oversized compression bag, so gone are the days of trying to stuff a wet bivvy in to a tiny bag!

Nash Titan T1

Do we need to even write anything about the Nash Titan?! (I think they were around before I was born!!)

Again, the titan is a block-design bivvy, meaning that you benefit from rapid set up times as well as a solid frame capable of handling anything the UK weather will throw at you.

To make things even more comfortable, the Titans come with a removable inner capsule, something we are seeing more of amongst the higher end bivvies. They’re not for everyone, but if you’re looking for more luxury, and to keep the bugs at bay, then they are a great addition to your bivvy.

What most people like about the Titans is their front ribs, which extend to give a peak to the bivvy, eliminating any driving rain coming in whilst you’ve got the door open.

Overall the Titan is a solid choice for the session angler, particularly those who like a bit of comfort. Probably not the one for you if you like to move a few times per session though, as they are a little bulky.

Nash Titan Hide Camo Pro

The Titan Hide Camo Pro has been a huge hit since it’s launch a few years ago.

What once started as a lightweight version of the Titan T1, has now turned into a full bivvy system that’s ideal for all year round use.

The main benefit of the Titan Hide Camo Pro is that you don’t need to buy this bivvy as a full set. Like the much loved Tempest Brolly, it comes in various parts so that you can configure it how you like.

In it’s simplest form it is basically an open fronted brolly. This is then turned into a bivvy with the addition of an infill panel. It can then be extended further with the addition of a winter overwrap.

The opportunities are endless and that’s why it’s become such as popular bivvy recently. You no longer need to have multiple bivvies for different situations. The Hide Camo Pro covers them all.

Technically, it’s more advanced than you would expect too.

For starters, it has a 20,000mm hydrostatic head material, only bettered by the Tempest on this guide.

For those who want to use it without an overwrap, you’ll free yourself from condensation drip with the integrated vapour guard. An excellent addition from Nash.

In terms of size and space, the footprint is more than enough for the session angler who likes to take everything but the kitchen sink. You can even upgrade to XL version which gives you that extra head room and saves the constant bending down to enter the bivvy.

Overall, an excellent bivvy system. One that has us wondering why the original Nash Titan T1 still exists!

Aqua Pioneer Bivvy System

The Aqua Pioneer has been around for years, so had to make it on to this list. Made using Aqua’s exoskeleton design, the Pioneer is a rigid shelter that’s ready to stand up to any weather.

In terms of the footprint, it resembles a traditional 60″ brolly, but all of the pole mechanisms are on the outside, maximising your internal head room.

Designed using Aqua’s own AquaTexx material, the Pioneer will keep you warm and comfortable all year round. A zipped infill panel allows you to quickly adapt the bivvy to match whatever conditions you’re fishing in. If you want to trim it down the the summer months you can do.

For the winter months, an additional skull cap can be purchased to keep the warmth in and eliminate condensation.

Avid HQ Dual Layer Bivvy

If you’re looking for a true HQ for a weekend on the bank or longer sessions, then you may consider the Avid HQ Dual Layer Bivvy.

Built on a three rib design, the Avid HQ Dual Layer bivvy is constructed from Avid Carp’s 20,000mm Hydrostatic Dura-Stop fabric, to provide protection from whatever the weather can throw at it.

As the name suggests, inside the bivvy you will find an internal skin which offers complete coverage inside, eliminating condensation and keeping the bugs out around the base. Carp bivvies with built in groundsheet are becoming a more sought after feature for those who like more comfort whilst on the bank.

What separates this from any bivvy on the market is the removable rear end, meaning that you can open it from front to back and allow airflow through on them warmer trips. – Or perfect if you’re looking for something to keep you cool on a week long European trip.

Fox EOS 1 Man Bivvy

Moving on to the more budget friendly bivvies in the best carp bivvy guide, we had to include one from the EOS line, which represents aims to represent value for money.

Giving you protection at a price point that you can afford, the Fox EOS 1 Man Bivvy is for those who are new to overnight fishing. Made from a traditional pram hood design, the EOS is extremely stable once set up, making it ideal for even the harshest of weathers.

Lightweight yet durable, the EOS comes in at just 7kg, so you won’t feel the strain too much if you like to keep mobile.

If in the winter months you want to take it to the next level, there is an overwrap available with the EOS which will give you a second skin, keeping in the warmth.

The only downside we would see to the EOS is the lack of rear vents which are becoming a given in almost ever new bivvy designed.

Fox have always been good when it comes to budget friendly bivvies, and the EOS is no exception.

What about bivvies with built in groundsheets?

There has been an emergence in bivvies with built in groundsheets in recent years.

They’re typically marketed as being warmer and eliminating bugs/mice from entering your bivvy. These are both genuine concerns for some anglers.

However, we don’t recommend them for everyone. Where they are known to fall down is when fishing uneven swims. Most of them are zip-in, so you effectively attach them after the bivvy has been erected.

If your bivvy is out of shape due to uneven ground, you’ll quickly find it hard to attache the ground sheet. Add to that the fact that zips have a tendency to sticky when muddy, then you can see how thy are only suitable for certain situations.

If you regularly fish venues like Linear Fisheries with perfectly flat, level swims, then you’ll be fine.

Care and maintenance

Bivvies can quickly degrade if not cared for. Given how much we spend on them, it makes sense to have a simple care and maintenance routine in place.

The main priority should always be to maintain the waterproof barrier that is applied to the outer skin. This will be fully intact when you purchase the bivvy brand new. You’ll know as you can see water droplets basically roll off the skin.

Over the years, this will degrade and you’ll start to see the bivvy holding water in certain areas.

As a first port of call, you should always try to pack your bivvy away dry, as this will help to preserve that outer waterproof layer. Whilst this is not always possible, you should open it up and air dry it as soon as you get home.

In addition, you should make a habit of re-waterproofing the bivvy every season. Trakker sell a waterproofing spray or you can use Fabsil Gold which is available from most outdoor retailers. Simply spray/wipe on and let it dry. by doing this you’ll quickly get your bivvy back to being fully waterproof.