Brand New From Westlake
High street chain, Go Outdoors, gets in on the act with new bivvy and wrap—and both come with very attractive price tags…
Fishing’s soaring post-lockdown popularity wasn’t just noticed by seasoned anglers and appreciated by the accountants at established brands. It also piqued the interest of larger lifestyle retailers, as demonstrated by recent angling products from the likes of Decathlon and, now, Go Outdoors. The latter have launched a big range of carp items under the Westlake sub-brand available in their network of shops across the country.
Westlake? They must be new?
They are. It’s the in-house carp brand from Go Outdoors and they’ve hit the market with a load of products including bedchairs, sleeping bags and bivvies. And it’s one of the bivvies we’ve got here today.
Okay, so the Fragment 1-Man Bivvy, what’s it like?
It’s a classic pramhood design with two ribs, which makes it simple to erect and offers plenty of internal space thanks for relatively steep sides. There’s also a generously sized peak over the front door area, but that’s removable if it’s not to your taste.
Anything that sets it apart from other pramhood shelters?
Externally, it might look quite similar to other tried-and-tested bivvies, but there are some nice Westlake touches here. The key one is the addition of ‘loft space’, a section where you can stash clothes and other items you want to keep off the ground. Hopefully that’s free from condensation, because in its simplest form this is a single-skin shelter.
But there is an overwrap?
There certainly is. A complete outer sheath made from the same fabric is available to increase insulation in the winter or block out the sunlight in the summer.
Tell me about that fabric…
Both the bivvy and the overwrap are made from a dark-green ripstop material with a 10,000mm hydrostatic head, so it should be perfectly waterproof and durable.
Any other features I should know about?
Each bivvy is supplied with a high-quality PVC groundsheet and there’s a large rear window vent for air flow, which can be accessed from either inside or outside the shelter. The front window system offers multiple configurations including mozzie mesh panels, and can be partially or wholly rolled back.
How much will it set me back?
If you’re familiar with the Go Outdoors pricing model, you’ll be aware that they operate a discount scheme on just about every item for customers who hold a member’s card. If you’ve got one of those then the Westlake Fragment is just £179.00, which is a lot of bivvy for the money. The matching overwrap comes in at £69.00, which is a very good price indeed.
