GearHead: Summer Holidays
When heading off with friends for your annual summer jolly, the right gear will make every adventure easier, more fun, and more memorable. Here’s our selection...
Fortis Tech Slider
A more comfortable—and practical—take on the classic slider. Featuring a Velcro strap and clasp for micro-adjustment, this adds crucial stability and cushioning for all-day support when you’re chugging around your venue. Add in a padded mesh upper and comfortable EVA sole, and your trotters will have never felt so fresh. £24.99
Avid 420D Camo Waders
Waders: now a staple of UK bankside attire, but especially useful when venturing overseas. The 420D Camo Waders are Avid’s first foray into these murky waters and they’ve certainly given them the royal treatment: super heavy-duty fabric, reinforced knee and seat sections, inner pocket and branded shoulder straps. Sizes 7 to 12. £89.99
Wychwood Dry Bags
A cheap way to keep your expensive goods 100% waterproof and safe. Available in five sizes, ranging from 5lt ‘camera kit’ right up to a 100lt laundry-sized bag. Made from a 0.23mm-thick 210T ripstop PVC material with taped seams and a belt-and-braces ‘roll-top-sealing-and-buckle-fastening’ system. From £5.99
Nash Bank Life Micro Moon Chair
Scratch that ultimate bankside comfort itch with this micro version of the original Nash Moon Chair. Like its bigger brother, it’ll still swallow you up in its gooey embrace thanks to the microfleece-covered inner mattress and peachskin trim skirt. For a long session, whether that’s in the UK or overseas, this is a must-have. £59.99
Cobb Premier Gas + BBQ System
If the RidgeMonkey Toaster brought pub grub-style food to the bank, the Cobb offers up a Sunday carvery! A versatile, portable gas barbecue which will cook whole meat joints, stir-fries, pizzas and a whole host of other culinary delights. And there’ll be no upsetting fishery owners with burnt grass thanks to its ‘stay-cool’ base. £169.99
Trakker Armolife Silicone Utensil Set
Metal will scratch and wood stains. Silicone does neither, plus it’s heat-resistant up to 250ºC, is non-stick, easy-to-use and easy to clean. This set from Trakker includes a heat mat, tongs, spatula and spoon, all of which are dishwasher safe, and all will make cooking and dining on the bank so much easier. £16.99
Trakker Powerflo Tap
Covert your battered water carrier into a functional and convenient running water system with Trakker’s latest bank life gizmo: the Powerflo Tap. With no external power source required, this water carrier tap is perfect for on-the-go use. And before you fret that it won’t fit your water butt, it comes with three EVA collars. £19.99
NGT Bivvy Hooks
A pack of two handy magnetic hooks that can be attached to the inside of your bivvy via a metal plate, allowing you to hang items such as head torches, receivers and/or one of Gardner’s Mozzi Zapper that we rave about elsewhere. The hook is easily attached and removed when you pack up or set-up. £4.95; ngtonline.co.uk
OMC PB Fishermans Bucket Hat
Bucket hats keep the sun (and inevitably rain) out of your eyes, but this offering from OMC offers two other distinct niciests. One: that camo pattern! Two: the detachable and packable neck panel. If you’ve watched Nick Helleur’s ‘European Roadtrip’ then you’ll 100% appreciate why this will be a godsend in the 40ºC French heat this summer. £24.99
Nash Bank Life Fold Flat Storage Organiser
Whether you’re sitting in the same swim for two weeks (Rainbow) or moving every 24hrs on a European roadtrip, this fold-flat storage organiser really will streamline your bank life—whether that’s in the bivvy or out of the van. Sized to hold items up to 5kg bags of bait, waders/footwear, spare gas canisters, food and the like. £45.99
RidgeMonkey Vault Lite IR180
The Vault Lite IR180 is still our number-one choice for lighting the shelter, and it’s not hard to see why: three colours, a built-in 5200mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, smooth brightness control, infra-red wireless remote control and magnetic fittings. The result is the most complete interior light package around. £64.99
Fortis Recce Umbrellas
Stalking, walking, rambling, ambling, poaching or roaching (delete where applicable)—and that’s just for the UK. Fortis’s handheld umbrella is the perfect lightweight companion for when you’re recceing the lake at the start of the week during inclement weather, or for when you’re nipping next-door for a social gathering. £34.99
SRB - Self-Take DSLR Camera Kit
There’s a wonderful hint of old-school nostalgia with this DSLR self-take kit. Unlike wireless remotes, where you have to juggle holding the controller and the fish, this features a 20ft air-release system. By placing the bulb under your knee/foot, you push down when you’re ready and the camera will focus and take the shot. £34.99; total-fishing-tackle.com
Gardner Mozzi Zapper
A green mosquito smoke coil sitting in the doorway of a bivvy used to be the norm, but you’ve clearly missed the memo on electrical mozzi devices if that’s still your line of defence. Gardner’s Zapper is a flashlight, bivvy light and mosquito killer in one! The built-in solar panel will give you 12hrs of protection and it costs just £19.99.
Avon Skin-So-Soft
It may seem funny to have a skin-care product on our must-have list, but we’re dead serious. Recommended by many overseas experts, such as Bill Cottam and Brian Skoyles, this oil-based spray doesn’t just keep you looking young and handsome like James Armstrong, it also repels mosquitos and other bankside bugs. £14.99
RidgeMonkey CoZee Toilet Bag Refills
Whilst you may feel the whole toilet unit is a step too far and a 17lt bucket will suffice, these bags are a must—especially for venues where toilets aren’t readily accessible. Not only are they double bag and puncture-resistant, but they also contain odour-controlling absorbent granules. Sold in packs of five and just £8.99.
RidgeMonkey Vault C-Smart PD Solar Panels
Essex-based RidgeMonkey is perfecting the art of keeping your electrical devices topped up whilst you’re off-grid, first with their Vault C-Smart Powerpacks and now with two solar panels to keep those battery packs topped up. Available in two sizes—80W and 120W—they automatically deliver the optimal current via a range of ports. £239.99 and £319.99
RidgeMonkey Line Control Arm
With more overseas holidays comes a higher percentage of anglers using a bait or rowing boat, and this simple device spells the end to a host of problems experienced by users of those two vessels. The robust plastic arm clips to your reel spool and regulates the release of line when your bail arm is open as you drive or row. £12.99
ESP Artificial Hookbaits
An essential in every holiday bait bag, these fake boilies are a must for any crayfish-infested waters. Not only are they available in muted, ‘big fish colours’—‘Red Fishmeal’, ‘Brown Fishmeal’, ‘Nut Mix’ and ‘Washed-Out Pink’—but they also suck in flavour like a sponge and have a neat Hair-stop recess. £4.35
OMC Tungsten Putty
This stuff is INCREDIBLE. I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! Made from a blend of tungsten and “other” materials, it yields a putty which is amazingly strong and durable, and once applied, it just doesn’t move. Don’t believe us? Watch the video of Hamidi demoing it at an Angling Direct open day. It’s like watching Dynamo, but this is real, not magic! £8.99
Aqua F12 Torrent Jacket
Considered by many to be the “holy grail” lightweight waterproof garment, the F12 Torrent is durable, waterproof (it has a massive 10,000 hydrostatic head rating), windproof and has a 5,000 MVP breathability rating. Its three pockets are designed to allow zero water ingress and it packs down into a Walkers-sized crisp packet. £114.99
Aqua Staxx Storage System
Sure, those big plastic tubs from B&M will do a similar job for a fraction of the cost, but for those with a slightly looser wallet, these do offer many pluses. Waterproof, hinged lids, heavy-duty, moulded construction, twin padlock points and all three available sizes—15, 20 and 30lt—all stack. Now, deep breath… prices start from £36.99.
Solar SP 6 Hub Cube Shelter
When the holiday season comes around, we’re always asked if utility tents are “worth the money”, and while value is subjective, we can’t fault their ability to offer a great social/cooking area, even in the most extreme situations. There is no getting away from the eye-watering price—£519.99—but it is the quickest erecting utility tent on the market: up in under a minute.
