Swim Shelter Bivvy

[chrish]

Hi everyone

Does anyone have or has anyone ever had a 'Swim Shelter Bivvy' and can therefore post a review?

I want to buy a new 2 man bivvy and these seem good value (some £100 cheaper than the usual brands) but I don't want to buy a piece of tack.

Cheers

[stoogi]

Do you mean the one on Ebay, from Import-able?

[chrish]

Yes that's the one

[stoogi]

I had mine a few months ago, when they were on offer for £150, i think. Best money i've spent in ages. Well worth the money.

I've only done a few 48hr sessions in it, but it's performed well in high winds & heavy rain. A mate is taking it to France in a couple of weeks, so that'll be the real test.

The 2man is big, well designed & solid. I'd recommend it

[hopefull]

[chrish]

Thanks guys I await the outcome but sounds good. Now to get the other half to let me buy one.....a bigger test.

[chrish]

Well I couldn't wait and got the nod from her indoors so went and bought one. I'm really chuffed with it. Not too big, but big enough and seems well built. The instructions came on-line and weren't the easiest to sus out (I need pictures) but pretty easy to put up by myself. Time will tell but great so far.

[hopefull]

I used Stoogi's last week in France, and I have to say it was absolutely superb. Warm enough at night and kept me completely dry, but a nice breeze through in the day due to the back panels (I just rolled up the overwrap a bit). It's also cavernous, holding me and all the junk I take with ease!

[boomerboy]

Hello,

I am looking at the 2 man swim shelter bivvy and think it looks the buisness:

http://www.import-able.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=5

Can people confirm for me that is stands comparrison to its more expensive counterparts and that it will not disintergrate in a light wind and shower.

Is the build quality there?

[vinyljunkie]

looks pretty impressive for the money !!!

i like the black one kind of half crossfire half limited black armo.

what the quality like feel of material ect ?

[jules007]

[gazmeesh]

[hopefull]

Here's a couple of pics of it in use in France, I had tons of room in there for the week

[crappercarper]

very neat and tidy

[louis84]

I simply cannot believe you have a table with white legs. Didn't you fancy paying triple the price to have them in rreeeaaaalll trreeeeeee?

I think you've totally blown your chances...

[hopefull]

[beanz]

[hopefull]

The bucket is the tea-making table, you've got to keep these things organised

[jules007]

so has any one bought the black swim shelter? if so any good?

[woodyofcastle]

Have you seen the continental

I want one

[nealy_uk]

I like the looks of this too, is it cheaper anywhere else?

[ixi_age_ixi]

I took the plunge and have bought the 2 man Swim Shelter bivvy and over wrap from ebay this week. Purchased it on sunday evening and arrived early tuesday morning Very fast delivery!

The instructions come online and to be honest arent great, no diagrams or pictures etc, but I didnt get the instructions until wednesday so I went ahead and assembled the Bivvy on the Tuesday morning in my Garden without instructions. It took me 30 mins to figure out how to do it, but now I have done it once I think I could do it again within 10 mins easy lol, I must say its very easy to assemble on your own.

The 3 metal ribs are already in the first skin and stay in there, all you do is unfold the skin and connect them together. You thread one of those bendy tent poles around the front to make the canopy, and then you start opening it up like a pram hood. To keep it open and ridged, there are 4 extendable poles that fit between the ribs. Lasly there is a long strap that goes under the ground sheet that joins at the base of the 3 ribs at either side. This provides tension to keep the bivvy up right.

As the bivvy has a canopy, like the new trakkers and fox bivvy's, this protects you from the rain and sun. I have also heard that without the canopys like the cyfish + and jrc sti, rain can drip down from just above the door on to your groundsheet causing a puddle.

I bought this bivvy for 3 reasons:

1. I currently do not have a brolly and on a day session this bivvy can put put up quickly without the the need for a ground sheet and you can roll up the front like the cyfish+ which enables to use it like a brolly system.

2. Just using the single skin on its own there is plenty of room for me, bedchair and tackle etc. At present I have the 2 man shakespere Cipry dome and as you know these are huge! too big if your on your own, I wanted a smaller bivvy just for me

3. Lastly, once the over wrap is on, and you roll up the door and sides of the first skin, it adds loads more room so that you can fit in 2 bed chairs and all your tackle to make a comfortable 2 man bivvy. The bed chairs can be put in with the heads at the back of the tent, with a space in the middle.

On the single skin, there is a door and 2 side panels. If you unzip the 3 wind shields, all three windows have mozzie nets. In the bivvy bag there are 3 clear plastic windows that can go over the mozzie nets so that you can leave the wind sheilds up and you can see out side. The are also 2 window vents at the rear of the tent, on the both the single skin and over wrap, all with mozzie nets on.

For a canopy style, pram hood bivvy, with different door options and allowing the bivvy to be used as a brolly or a comfy 2 man bivvy, I think for £209 its a right bargin!!! Cant wait now to go fishing in it to give it a proper test.

Only downside if any is that there are 2 bags. The main one is quite large and heavy and not looking forward to lugging it far, but saying that it seems very strong and the heavy duty tent pegs will stop it going any where.

I thought I would right this review to help people make up there mind if thinking about buying one of these as there is not alot of information on these on the internet. I will be happy to take any pics for people and try and answer any questions people may have

[ixi_age_ixi]

Ok took the bivvy for its first 24 hour session this Monday and to be honest I couldn't of pick a worse day. Heavy rain, sleet, snow and 20mph winds not to mention the frezzing temps.

I was extremely happy as to how the bivvy held out against the elements, I was nice and warm, no leeks/drips any where and very sturdy againt the strong winds.

I have taken some pics of the bivvy to give you an idea on the size of the 2 man version.

The first pic is just the first skin, no ground sheet and doors are rolled up to make a great quick day shelter.



Next is the first skin with the doors down



Rear of first skin



Winter wrap on



And lastly this surprised me, I wasnt sure if I could get 2 bed chairs in the bivvy and still have room to move around, but as you can see the bivvy accomodated 2 bed chairs within the first skin and with enough room down the midle and plenty at the sides of the bed chairs to put your bags etc. The porch came in handy for the cooker, boots, and keeping the beers chilled



PS. When I was fishing some one from the next swim came up and asked if this was the new aqua m3, just checked the m3's go for £500 lol