Advanta Discovery CCX One Night Stand Bivvy

The Discovery CX One Night Stand bivvy is one heck of a shelter for a shade under £240, and we reckon it’s going to get Advanta a decent slice of the affordable shelter market, especially when you see the features that the thing boasts! What’s more, they come in classic, understated olive green or ultra-cult DPM camo. Either way, if you’re in the market for a new shelter in 2018, do not part with your hard-earned until you’ve had a long, hard look at these, even if you thought you’d be spending a lot more!

The Big Questions

I was going to buy from one of the more-established brands, should I even bother looking at this one?
Right, let’s get one thing straight from the get-go: Advanta is Angling Direct’s ‘own-brand’ if you like. Think about that for a second. The UK’s largest tackle dealer has access to huge buying power, and all the contacts! So, don’t for a second think that because it’s a new brand, it’s cheap and shoddy. You’re only going to see more and more of the Advanta range out there on the bank, so if you can’t beat ‘em, you know what to do! Put aside your misgivings and you’ll see that these products are the real deal.

I’m keen on travelling light, is this going to fit my MO?
Absolutely, but its appeal doesn’t begin and end with the mobile angler. Yes, it’s a compact shelter that weighs just 7.5kg (you’ll barely notice it on the barrow) but, being a pram-hood design, there’s plenty of space inside – you’ll be amazed at the generous footprint, so weekenders who don’t take the kitchen sink, this one’s for you too! If you like to get on your toes at the first sign of fish, then the two-pole pram-hood design is perfect. Fewer poles means fewer breaks to make when wrapping up and more chance of beating the local terminator into the swim that fish just showed in front of!

It’s not going to fall apart on me, right?
The materials and manufacture are top-notch, so no worries on that. The CCX One Night Stand is made from thoroughly decent reinforced polyester (soft-touch, for that premium feel) with a hydrostatic head of 5000mm, which is plenty to keep even the worst storms at bay. The quality, or lack of, when it comes to zips is a real bugbear for us. Why firms can’t just spend that little bit more and guarantee the survival of the zips is beyond us. So, it’s nice to see that Advanta has prioritised in this area, fitting heavy-duty zips, which should survive being encrusted with mud and used nonetheless!

A winter skin is also available

Notable features?
We love the new generation of flat-back shelters, which allow you to tuck the bed right back, freeing up space in the bivvy, because it’s proper innovation! You’ve got the now-standard mozzie vents, front and back, as well as a 3/4 storm porch that’ll stop rain driving in. The door can be set-up as an awning too, with additional storm poles and pegs, which is genius, and we can’t understand how nobody has thought of it before! The lightweight groundsheet is detachable, which we like, because so many anglers prefer to go commando these days!

How versatile is it?
We’d score it highly for versatility, although it’s worth bearing in mind that the front doesn’t zip off. That apart, its size and footprint does mean that you’ll be perfectly comfortable whether you’re doing the weekend, or the briefest of overnighters. With the door up and the vents open, hot weather is no problem, and you can really batten down the hatches for foul weather too. £239.99