B.C.

There is a low pro mk2 with an infill panel I believe.... Not sure by how much this effects the overall weight though bud.

The Fox Pop Up shelter is pretty good... I've seen them used and they offer more space than you'd think. Perfect for day sessions or overnighters in decent weather.... Wouldn't trust them too much in strong winds, but that is just by looking at them...... Incredibly light weight. A few lads that do work overnighters use them on the lake I was fishing, and they've all had good comments. If you are doing day sessions with a chair and not a bed chair, there is plenty of room for kit inside them...... Phil Dalts has got one. He may be able to give you some more info if he's about, if not, I doubt he'd mind a PM about it.

Nightmare scenario buddy, and I've been there..... If it's that bad, I'll try and get away with 3 pegs , 1 at the back and 1 each side of the doorway. I have "handballed" gravel out around the pegging points before to about 5 inches deep and used my foot to push the pegs in to below ground level and then back filled and buried them. ( I can usually find 20mins once set up , to do this if needed) I've also added elasticated loops to the pegging rings of my brolly, 5mm bungie cord, gives you a few more inches of ground to play about with in trying to find a spot for the peg to go in..... My little Trakker bivvy already has these and they are brill.

I've had banks like this and I agree , they are a nightmare. I find that pitching near a decent sized tree (obviously not in high winds) is best.... Years of leaf litter mulching down will usually mean there's a layer of earth, you can angle your pegs into........... Mallets mate, you just shouldn't really use them on the bank imo, the guy a couple of swims down who's been patiently waiting with his traps nicely set would be pulling his hair out, he might only get 1 sesh a month to fish...

Batten... Batton...... Potatoe, potartoe....... I've got an off cut off 2x1 roofing batton, I push down on that and onto the peg, works for me... There's usually only 1 or 2 pegs that need it

Yeah, I've seen them up for £25.... I'll read absolutely anything about carp fishing, there's always something that you pick up on.... Whether it reinforces what you already know, or if it's something different to your own way of thinking, it's a win win situation imo..

Cheers mate I'll have a look in future... I gave a load of old mags to a youngen last week and he seems quite keen to have any bits I've no use for, just gotta clear it with his parents first. It will be painful parting with some of it, but someone else might as well put it to good use.... Downside is, I can't put off sorting the shed out for much longer.....

I was taught a long time ago to look for pegs where the metal work goes all the way through, that way you are pushing down onto metal and not plastic, which will eventually crack.... A 4" piece of batten in your peg bag is a decent enough "palm saver", so no mallet needed equals longer life span of pegs....

Life times worth there.

I've never bought new pegs........ I've lost the occasional peg on the bank and borrowed one from another bivvy set if I think it will be needed...... Damaged pegs are usually the result of a mallet being used, something I don't do... Besides, most of the time you only need 3 or 4 pegs.... I think there is an age group/mentality group that these sort of products are aimed at, and it's got nothing to do with fishing.... I've been trying to offload some used gear, free of charge to any youngsters that are without certain bits..... Bed chair, bags, Rod holdall...... First thing they ask is "what make is it".... There is a serious fashion thing going on with the youngsters today on the bank........ Designer fishing gear, pointless imo.

£5.70 delivered Ebay.... From reading this thread, sounds like there would be some useful info/reminders ..... Easy to get tunnel vision in your own fishing sometimes....

The Emperor's new bivvy pegs..

My mate sold his 50" original last year and I jumped on it after quite a search for a lightweight brolly, after hearing good comments about the originals, on here... Glad to hear that people still rate them. Much lighter than any brolly I've had before. Tiny foot print on the 50" means you can tuck yourself away. Only downside I can see is that it's a bit of a squeeze into the original bag supplied, so I don't bother with the bag, which speeds things up a bit when setting up/packing down.

Judging by your comments, A size up should do me. Cheers bud......... Van goes in tomorrow for a service, depending on what they find, will determine whether or not the pocket money will stretch as far as getting a pair, but they are definitely on the radar.

I've never owned a pair of the original lace up field boots, but I know some lads that swear by them.. It's the laces that put me off. They don't look as if you could get them on in a hurry if you were jumping out of the sleeping bag.... In fact, I've tried as many different types of winter boots as I can over the years, lace up, zip up, Velcro straps and I have yet to find the perfect boot in terms of grip, warmth, waterproof and ease of getting on and off and all with a removable lining... Lots of products that promise a lot, but don't quite cut it..... Incidentally SPR, with those Skeetex Ultralites , would you recommend getting a size bigger, or are they a decent enough fit already. I'm thinking thicker pair of socks and ease of removal....?

That is a big plus mate, and I think they sell replacement liners too. I also read that the tiny bubbles in the material they are moulded from, not only make them lightweight, but add extra insulation. Glad Crusian asked you about these, as I was going to, lol..... Almost bought a pair, then the sun came out.. but looking at next weeks weather they may well be on my shopping list soon, even for just walking the dogs atm.... I had some fur lined wellies once, non removable inners... Ok for a few trips, but soon wore out and didn't smell too good either . And I found that once your feet sweated up in them it was impossible to get them warm again.. Those Skeetex or similar look just the job.

After a quick browse........ The only difference between the two DXR and RX Digital,........ The DXR has an extra adjustment dial on the face of the alarm. So there are 2 dials that have an "S" on them (The bottom two).. These are both for sensitivity control... The first of these, 3rd one down, is for adjusting the sensitivity of the roller wheel and is governed by how much line you want to pass over the wheel before an indication is registered........ The second "S" dial, bottom one, is said to adjust vibration, ...... A micro adjustment, if you will. The RX alarm has one single sensitivity adjustment dial. When you turn this dial all the way round to it's most sensitive, there is a "V" symbol on the dial reading, which stands for "vibration", in other words , it's mega sensitive..... IMO though Dan, I doubt you'd ever use an alarm set at its most sensitive as the slightest breeze or ripple even, will give you a lot of false bites. Basically, the single sensitivity dial on the RX, does both jobs, that the two dials on the DXR do.. Side note... Those dinky little dials on the older alarms can be fiddly to adjust, especially if a little stiff. I use forceps, gently , if I need to adjust mine,. which isn't often.

I've not owned DXR, but I would assume that the "D" in their title would stand for Digital...... Some of the differences on these alarms could be something like, tone control or sensitivity control... I know the RX have Volume,tone and sensitivity controls,...... Let me have a browse and I'll see if I can pick up on any real differences between the two...... Don't worry, you are not chewing my ear

Think "digital" just means wireless..... Older models would have wires running from the alarm heads to a sounder box, meaning a few metres of mud caked wire to trip on and for the rats to chew on. Gardner do a wireless "dongle" set up that can convert some older set ups to a wireless/digital one. might be other brands out there too.....

A deep and emotive subject imo........ I wouldn't say that I'm a complete anti-capitalist , after all, what's the alternative? But I do think it's taken a wrong turn along the line in general. Pollution and debt are what it thrives on. Lots of heads in the sand... With the environment taking the biggest hit world wide.......

They are decent beds mate, mine was recommended on here Yonny and Greeksi gave me a nod on it. I was prepared to compromise on comfort for weight, but no need to, slept fine on mine. I think once you pick one up you'll be sold bud......... Anyone looking for "hotel" comfort, shouldn't be out on the bank in the first place imo.. Enjoy your 40 winks mate

I use the smaller version, it's my best purchase of the year, very light... You sound like a big fella.... I'm 14st and the smallest one takes my weight no prob. The way they are put together means there is little if no sagging. A fairly stiff bed , which I prefer. A 1inch memory foam mattress topper (when it's colder weather) for around £15 of the Bay and you've got the equivalent of some very overpriced beds.

They are exactly the same, if it's the cammo one, prob from same factory.

I was chatting on the bank the other day, a fella was telling me that one year he thought he'd had all his koi stolen, double figure fish, in a large pond. He spotted a tiny fleck of colour in one corner on the bottom. There they were, all huddled together under the silt with just the tip of the odd tail poking through the silt. I've seen smaller goldfish hide beneath leaf litter in ponds when temps bottom out.... I forgot to ask him the depth of his pond. I can imagine quite a few fish behaving like this.

It's quite expensive getting set up , even with budget gear so it's difficult to get quality bits all in one hit. I'll have a look at most things out of curiosity. But if I'm actually upgrading, then it's a "buy once" mentality. Get some info off here, or even better from someone using certain kit on the bank, sometimes pay a bit extra, then that's one box ticked off. If it's looked after, then will last a lifetime....... Good idea to look after any budget gear too, you can always get a couple of quid back for it when you are looking to upgrade.