4 Best Compact Waterproof 1-2-Man Carp Fishing Bivvies (Brolly, Day Shelter)

It is important to make the distinction between a shelter and a bivvy. A shelter is most often called a brolly, based on umbrella design, or a brolly system in the angling world and the three terms are generally used interchangeably. These tend to be used primarily for shorter sessions and quick overnight summer angling. Bivvies, on the other hand, are more like traditional tents in the sense that they have a fitted door front and a ribbed construction. These tend to be used for longer sessions and, although plenty of anglers will use a bivvy for a quick overnight session, you’ll rarely see someone erect a bivvy if they are just planning on spending the afternoon and evening at the water’s edge.

TOP Bivvies/Brollies Comparison Table

1. The Best 1-Person Personal Waterproof Carp Fishing Bivvy

Top fabric is 50D nylon Rip-Stop with 5000 millimeter waterproof polyurethane coating; bottom fabric is 210t nylon with 8000 millimeter waterproof polyurethane coating. Features a rollaway No-See-Um mosquito net in the spacious head canopy; back mesh section offers additional ventilation to prevent condensation buildup. A basic repair kit is included; contains metal pole repair sleeve, tent guide rope tensioner, spare cord, elastic loop, patch materials, and a storage bag.

2. The Best 2-Person Compact Fishing Brolly [Rob McAlister]

3. The Best Carp Carp Fishing Bivvy (Fishing Day Shelter) [Lucx]

4. The Best Compact 1-2-Man Fishing Brolly [Lucx]

If you're in the market for a new shelter or you're just starting out on your carp-fishing adventure, then choosing between a bivvy and a brolly system is a decision that can leave you in two minds, which is why we've picked some bestsellers to guide you through the differences.

Classic Brolly System Based on Umbrella Design

One is the classic brolly system, it is the archetypal modern brolly system based on traditional umbrella design but with a stack of features to keep you sheltered and comfortable on the bank. The current trend for large, luxurious brolly-based systems means that you no longer sacrifice all your creature comforts if you opt for one of these shelters. Headroom can be an issue but this version has a space-saving mechanism. It also has two large rear vents for air circulation, a heavy-duty groundsheet and a really good peak system to keep out driving wind and rain. Another bonus for the brolly angler is the ability to modify the height of your shelter. Crank those storm poles down and you create a low-to-the-ground shelter that resists the worst conditions. The key advantage of a brolly is just how quickly you can erect it. Now, a pared -back brolly shelter is just about the easiest thing to put up, but be aware that modern systems, with their zip-on fronts and various storm poles, do take a little bit longer. That said, even with a system you can get the main frame up in seconds if you want to protect your gear from sudden rain.

Modern Bivvy Has Pramhood Design

And in the opposite, we've got the bivvy option. This is a classic modern design. This is a pramhood design, so called because it arches over a bit like the hood of a pram or a cabriolet roof. This type of design hit the market nearly 20 years ago and left old-school dome designs with their threaded poles and guy ropes firmly in its wake. This version has two ribs which makes set-up time incredibly quick. The front peak is a welcome addition but it can be removed for an even lighter shelter although this one is pretty light already thanks to its aluminium frame. With a bivvy, internal space is generally much more uniform. The height doesn't slope sharply away as it does in a brolly and the creature comforts tend to come as standard. With this model that means a large rear air vent, multiple door options and the ability to peel back the front completely for increased visibility. Another thing to note when choosing between a bivvy and a brolly is that bivvies are generally more sure-footed thanks to their rigid frames and all-round solid pegging points, so if you'd like to go fishing in extreme weather then bear that in mind. So, there you go, bivvies and brollies definitely have different features and characteristics but they've probably never been so evenly matched in the marketplace as they are today. Whichever one you choose will be down to personal preference. With a bivvy you'll definitely get a more planted feel and increased headroom, and with a brolly you've always got that advantage of quick set-up time whether you're moving on to showing fish or getting set up quickly after work. Bear in mind, too, their pack-down size. A brolly will always have a longer, thinner profile than its bivvy counterpart so bear that in mind if car space is at a premium.

Oval Brolly

If you're the sort of angler that spends most of his time on the banks on day only sessions then an oval brollies for you. It gives you plenty of coverage, enough and should the weather get a bit nasty as it does tend to do in this country there lots of almond supply for storm poles for a little bit of extra rigidity. This one's actually got two at the front and two at the side but you can actually take these two at the front away which gives you a little bit more front coverage. It's wide enough so that if you do decide to do a night then you can get your bed chair in there however it is a little bit tight. But if you do one or two nights then an oval brally is for you, furthermore this is your sort of cheaper end of the market as well regarding shelters and you can start picking up oval brolly from around 40 pounds. When you choose in which overall brolly to buy, look out for optional extras – for example, zippering panel, so if the weather gets really bad you can zip a panel across the front which gives you complete coverage from the elements and just makes your day on the bank that little bit more enjoyable, keeps you a little bit drier and in the winter it'll keep you a little bit warmer too. What you get for that extra cash is slightly better materials including aluminium poles, slightly more heavy duty material which puts up with the wear and tear that it's going to get from more use on the bank. The benefits of such a brolly system is what's your use to the system and putting it up it goes up in about 30 seconds. I mean I use this one for my angling and I can have it up in 30 to 40 seconds maximum, so if the weather's bad and you turn up for a session you don't have to worry about faffing about and getting all your gear wet. The other benefit of such a system which is why this is the shelter I use my own fishing is that it can be tailored to suit the swim that you're in and the conditions that you're fishing. In that you can pull the sides out making it wider and lower or should you need more headroom you can bring the sides together making a narrower and taller shelter. Therefore for an angle like me who's six-foot plus you can have more headroom if it's a lovely day and getting into the front isn't a problem, or you can pull it right out nice and low get your bed chair tilt right at the back and you say from all the wind and rain but still get a good view over the lake.

Quick-Erect Shelters

If you are in the market for a quick-erect shelter, bear in mind what you're getting for your money. Some will come with the ground sheet, some will come with an infill panel which covers up the front here should the weather get bad. Some will come with a storm pole which attaches to the little device giving them bivvy a little bit more rigidity and others come with none at all. Obviously you want as much as you can get for your money. And if you are parting with a lot of money for a bivvy make sure it comes with decent heavy-duty pegs, with a screw end so that you can twist it into really hard ground. Trust me, it's a small point but you will thank me for it.

Carp Fishing Bivvy System

If you have even more money to spend and are really into your carp fishing and you fish through the winter and maybe go abroad once or twice a year then a full baby system such as this is what you want to be looking for. This sort of thing will cost you 350 to 500 pounds. Obviously I'm talking about the higher end of the market but that's where you want to look as I've explained in a minute. What you get for that money is top quality material and a bivvy that will literally do it all. Whether you're fishing in the snow and the wind and the rain in the middle of winter you can tuck yourself away sit the door down and you're nice and cozy. Should the weather be a little bit warmer or you want a better view across the lake, you can actually unzip the entire front panel which then gives you a lovely open fronted shelter plenty of room to put your bed chair and all of your gear for an entire session whether you're there for a week it will take the lot. This is called a pram hood system and there's many products on the market the uses system as it's widely known as one of the most rigid you can get. Basically you put the poles together and it folds up just like the hood of a pram, hence the name and what that gives you is absolute rigidity, whether the wind picks up this worst you've ever seen this won't be going anywhere. Further still a lot of them especially the better ones are supplied with tension poles. They sit between the frames and just add that little bit extra rigidity to the whole system. It's as solid as a rock. Something you will need to contend with when doing a night on the bank is condensation which all single skin shelters suffer from. Now a winter skin which is available as an optional extra for most shelters and you can even get some for the oval brollies go a long way to reducing that condensation. Now just to summarize if you're doing mostly days with the occasional night an overall brolly and its cost-effective too. For a little bit more serious and a few more nights on the bank, especially this time of year when the weather is good, a quick-erect open fronted shelter. And then if you're going abroad or you're taking your carping really seriously and fishing all year round, you're going to need a full bivvy system. Just bear in mind that you do tend to get what you pay for. So if you're doing a lot of nights on the bank and your shelter is going to be subjected to a lot of use and a lot of abuse, then something that's more expensive at the higher end of the scale but better materials is going to last longer therefore represent better value for money.

Don’t buy cheap bivvy or brolly

If you buy cheap products, you will end up buying twice. There are some very cheap bivvies/brollies on the market, but these are the ones made from poor quality material and components, and they can break down after a few months. Buy more quality model as it will be worth price that you pay.

FAQ

Let's go over some frequently asked questions about bivvies/brollies.