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RE: "Where am I looking for quality bivvys these days "
there ain't none, they are ALL garbage! 
just lookout on market place for a... 1970'S SEND MARKETING CANVAS BROLLY CAMP...real proper old-skool gear that lasted a life time!  
if the tackle barrons are reading this post...ya get nought of me so... UP YOURS!  
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Few years ago I bought a Nash dwarf Bivvy and went to use it on the canal when I went to use it for the first time the tent pegs had dried mud round them and the base of Bivvy was also dirty from dried mud,I think it had been used and sent back for a refund they then packaged it back up and resold it,I contacted tackle shop(can’t remember who)but if I sent it back it would have been a charge due to the weight etc so I asked them rather than knock money off for me give me a couple of bags of bait(think it was sticky bait at time)and complaint solved and I had 2 kilos of bait to use and a Bivvy that was almost new and they was happy too.
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In reply to Post #20
No idea, but I remember my uncle buying a Titan Hi Top from Carp Cabin in 2002. He got it home to Manchester, put it up in the garden and it was full of pinholes, dozens of them. He didn’t drive at the time so I went and picked him up, and on the way back over the snake pass an old woman driver smashed into my car and wrote it off.
At least my uncle got the bivvy exchanged (Carp Cabin were really good to be fair).
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Today, sadly you often need some sort of clout to get results with some companies, and it's not just fishing related!
I spend a fortune with Air France. Last year they lost my brand new suit case. When it was returned to me days later it was smashed to bits. Three of the four wheels were ripped off. One of the handles was ripped off along with the locks. But nothing missing. It was clearly very deliberate. That much damage could never happen unintentionally.
My phonecall to Air France was an absolute joke. I can still remember Yousefs name bless him. Yousef informed me that I would need to take my smashed suitcase to a repair shop, who would need to present me with a written letter saying that the suitcase was unrepairable. The photos of all this damage were not enough. Only under these circumstances would I get a refund, after providing a receipt. What bloody repair shop is ever going to do that. Who's got time for that crap?
I asked Yousef for his full name or details. Then told him to check my Platinum status on Flying Blue and how much money I give them on an ongoing basis. That I would never be flying with Air France ever again. I would also be emailing all this to Air France with Yousef's full details as the reason why.
Two minutes later a manager called. I was asked how much the case was and for bank details (no receipt asked for). I told them an amount I chose, the money was in my account minutes later. If i was a once a year holiday customer, I was getting fobbed off. That's a billion pound international company.
I later found out from air crew it happened to very many Priority tagged cases during industrial action by French ground staff. Yousef was prepared for me. You have to do whatever you have to do to get the end result sometimes these days. That's wrong, but that's the way it is.
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In reply to Post #42
In this day and age of appalling service and mediocre input or product, anything is game.
I could go on but we've all been there.........
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In reply to Post #39
My missus does it all the time over the phone with not very accommodating customer service department. As soon as she says she works in Media they tend to change there tune. Working for the BBC seems to faze them the most. She doesn't work in Media or the BBC...   
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In reply to Post #40
I bought a mk 1 straight bar Titan ' to front mother nature and win'..it cost one pence short of 200 quid..
It was a lot of money..drove all the way up to Exeter angling,wife n kids in tow as well..I was so excited as no one ,had one in my area .
After a bit of use the material shrunk ,it was a night mare to set up ,it was also condensation heaven ,never in all the bivvys I've had did condo reign, supreme,when it rained on the outside ,the force of the rain sent the condo onto my sleeping bag etc ..
Anyway ,I phoned up Nash ,and actually spoke to Kevin himself, who said it was how I was setting it up ,after prolonged 'discussion'...it was agreed to send it back for repair...when I recieved it back ,all that was done was the webbing on the material was lengthened ..
Put me right off for gear from then on ,in the future..
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In reply to Post #39
The next time someone says do you know who I am say to who ever is around there’s a bloke hear who doesn’t know who he is
I to had an original titan where the tape seems where coming off I was told to put them back on with bathroom sealant
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In reply to Post #37
I agree that people should stand up for themselves and speak out.
My aversion is with the cult of celebrity in angling and the ‘names’ and media puffing themselves up with self importance. It’s only fishing after all.
I obviously don’t agree that somebody like Kevin Nash, who also thinks he’s gods gift, should be able to treat customers badly, free prize or not.
My point was that people who play the ‘do you know who I am, I’m in the media’ card are prats.
Maybe this isn’t how the conversation went, but that’s how it was painted, as if we should all be impressed.
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In reply to Post #34
That's a bit uncalled for.
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In reply to Post #36
Shame that there ain’t more folk like him who speak and stand up to shame those who believe it’s ok to treat folk in this manner.
Irrespective of if he’s well known or not credit to him for not sitting back and just accepting a total lack of empathy as I’d do the same.
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In reply to Post #35
No. For giving it the big ‘I am important’ about being the ‘speccy and journo’ world, whatever that is.
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In reply to Post #34
What, for taking issue with a bivvy that arrived broken ? Weird comment, to say the least....
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In reply to Post #32
Sounds like your mate is a bit of a prat tbh.
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In reply to Post #32
My experience with the Nash customer service is exactly the opposite.
They have a great service and handle it very well.
To be fair, they offer fast and permanent solutions.
For example: I had a Nash double top MK3 with had some issues with the inner capsule.
My MK3 got replaced with a brand new MK4 (newer version)
I assume it is also related to the shop and representative from Nash.
(Talking about Belgian based shops and experience)
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In reply to Post #31
A very good friend of mine won a Nash bivvy in an Angling Times competion.
Said bivvy arrived with two broken poles and unusable.
My mate rang Nash customer service and actually got the man himself on the line.
Nash's response to the issues with the bivvy was " Well, what do you expect for free ? "
Now, my mate was and still is very well known for his Thames Carping exploits, as well as all around angling and basically told Nash that he would take great pleasure in making his name mud in the speccy and journo world, if he didn't sort the issue.
End result was that a new bivvy was shipped to my mate, free of charge, after a bit of to and fro , with some fruity language thrown in from the factory end of the phone line. Mind you, I imagine Johnny ( oops ) gave as good as he got, never one to mince his words.
Terrific customer service, the like of which apparently still lives on some 30 odd years later !
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In reply to Post #29
Sounds like their customer service has always been the same.I won't buy anything Nash after dealing with some rude,arrogant **** about a Titan AS brolly
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In reply to Post #29
My mate had a old titan and the tape started peeling and it was leaking.
He phoned nash and by coincidence the phone was answered by him himself.
I've got a problem with the bivvy, it's leaking.
What bivvy is it.
It's the triton.
Do you mean titan...
No, triton, cos it's like a fookin shower inside.
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In reply to Post #20
I was probably one of the first to buy a titan back in 92.... I wasn't impressed. QC was awful and had lots of issues. Gave up when I was made to feel I was a thick northern **** by Nash.
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In reply to Post #26
The original Titan was an amazing jump forward in bivvy design, just poorly executed. The Armo was Chris' fishing version of a very old design, built superbly.
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In reply to Post #26
I'll 2nd this. Still using my Aqua Armadillo made by Chris, best bit of kit I've ever bought.
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In reply to Post #24
And then they had big problems dozens and dozens of titans and oval profiles with all the tape seems coming off it was a serious problem never thought they would recover from it
We need Chris manifold starting again he is a master craftsman
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Plus one for Solar, I’ve been using the compact spider bivvy and the basic sp c-tech bedchair for the past 3 or so years and have found them both to be bombproof.
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That's right. I seem to remember them saying that they had one woman working in a room at the very top cutting & sewing.
I guess as demand grew they decided to manufacture in china.
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In reply to Post #20
Yes the original Titans were made in their old factory in Rayleigh.
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I agree. They absolutely are capable of making very high quality products.
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In reply to Post #20
As engineer I’ve been traveling to China on regular bases for business.
You have the Chinese mentality which is something special but they are able to produce high-end product but it comes at a cost.
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Weren't the early Titans made in the UK? I'm pretty sure I heard that on one of their off the hook podcasts - not that it makes much difference now.
It can be difficult to find anything that isn't made in China these days, & not only fishing tackle!
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In reply to Post #18
What I meant was someone making quality products in the UK and not trying to compete with the Chinese made bivvies.
Look at some of the buzz bars, sticks and pods being produced here, north of £450 for a well made pod. Surely a quality bivvy would sell?
That said I don't have any issues with my Nash Titan.
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In reply to Post #9
Ask Kevin Nash about competing with the Chinese.
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In reply to Post #16
I have 2 trakker brollies one in nylon fantastic product light and drys so quickly. And the Advanced aquatex model nice but heavy i use the Advanced more in summer as uts got 4 windows and darker inside. If I was going to get a 3rd would be nylon model.
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Big gap in the market if you ask me...
Using DPM4 at the minute and well happy with it..
Would be perfect with more breaks in the poles...
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I have been very impressed with the new Solar gear that they are producing now. I have their bivvy, bed chair, rod pod and some of their luggage. All quality kit that will stand the test of time. In fact I am currently in the process of changing most of my luggage over to solar. In terms of bait it would have to be sticky baits and terminal tackle from ESP or Gardner.
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In reply to Post #2
Sounder alarms still about I remember hearing the stories about them being supper small but needed a sounder box back in the 90s
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In reply to Post #12
Anyone use the new quest one ??
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Problem is compared to the rest of Europe not enough folk like spending time under canvas so it’s never going to happen. Look at holland folk love camping same as the Nordic sand look at France, Italy and Germany
You would need one of the European manufacturers to participate but when you look at the established competition the market price (we all moan about the cost of x and y it’s just not going to happen.
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In reply to Post #9
I've asked Julie (Original Aqua) no money in it apparently unless charging ridiculous money
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In reply to Post #1
Have a look at Solar I have had the bankmaster quick up for a few years and its not missed a beat. I have not long purchased there new beadchair and you can tell its well made so I would have thought all their products would be the same
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I'm amazed that no one has started a company making bivvies in the UK, just like Aqua did originally. Lower numbers, but higher quality, there must be a market even at a higher price point than the Chinese made offerings?
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In reply to Post #1
Nothing compares with quality of a Karsten. Made in Holland NOT China. Heavy and pricey but different level in quality to any of the norm carp company offerings.
Besides my Karsten I’ve also got Chub, JRC and Carp Spirit bivvies/brollies. The Carp Spirit is better than anything I’ve seen from Trakker, Nash, Fox etc quality wise. My mate has just got the Prologic Inspire SLR system bivvy and is very impressed with it. I’d say that is better than the usual suspects from Trakker, Nash and Fox too.
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From what I have seen so far, the Trakker bivvy's are worse than the Fox Frontiers and yes that includes the RS range.
I am still satisfied with my Trakker V3 plus but I have already had to have it repaired 3 times on the canvas and will have to be repaired for a 4th time by the end of this year
Reels: I'm so glad I finally sold my Shimano's 14,000 XTE after 2 years and now have the Daiwa 23 emblems
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Just look at their accounts on companies house only 2022/23 available
24 not out yet but they are finding it tough
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it won't be long and trakker.will be pricing themselves out of sales imo, I have the v2 tempest brolly, I looked at upgrading and seen the price of the rs brolly, not a chance am I paying what they want
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I guess trakker is seen as the market leader now though they have been trying to diversify as selling expensive bivvys ties up a lot of cash.
Sadly as carp fishing became more popular in the 90s it was just too expensive to make them in the UK (doubling production meant the same for your material costs & staff or worse)
They are just designed here now
If China can make iPhones and other high end products out there why would anyone do so in the UK it does not make good business sense.when it’s fishing stuff in the main.
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I think most people would probably reccomend Trakker these days, more than likely on the back of the Tempest which is a bit of a rip off design and made in China.
I had a Trakker MK1 Armo with a super extended winter wrap and loved it. It got a lot of hammer with the bivvy being used on overnighters on a lake with a cinder path - not the best of surfaces. It lasted for ages and was still a going concern when I eventually sold it.
I bought a Trakker V3 Armo some years later when they first came out and the difference was quite obvious. The bars were made out of monkey metal, the stitching wasn’t too good and bit by bit the sewn on Velcro bits ( window flaps, rod straps etc) started to pull off. The fabric then started fading in weird pattern and despite reproofing didn’t bead off water and remained ‘flat’
So Trakker aren’t what they used to be unfortunately.
My go to bivvy now is my old faithful Aqua Union Jack M3 (UK made), 15 years old and still outperforming newer bivvies. I don’t mind if it takes a whole minute extra to set up compared to a fan out style bivvy. Life is short but not that short!
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In reply to Post #1
Most if not all bivvies come out of two factories in China. The Nash titans I have purchased in the last ten years have not been of the quality level of the original titans.
Aqua products are no longer made in the UK , hence they have by many people's reckoning gone down hill.
On this forum a lot of people seem to recommend the tracker bivvies and now that Cyprinus are back up and running they provide decent products at a good price level.
Fox also seems to have a good name with regards to bivvies , although again these come from China.
Rods and reels would be the usual companies , Shimano , Okuma and Diawa for reels and Harrison , Century and free spirit for rods.
Most of the terminal tackle is again from China and all much of a muchness.
Jag is superb for bank sticks etc and made in the UK.
Bite Alarms I would go with the German company Carp Sounder , they are designed and manufactured in Germany and are very reliable and about the same price level as Fox , Nash etc.
Hope this helps you .
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As per title been out the carping World for a while just wondering what's changed and which tackle company's is there to have a look at
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