The Armo Bivvy
From past to present, this shelter is as firmly fixed within carp fishing history as it is on the end of a gale-force southerly!
The day Trakker first caught sight of the Aqua Armadillo Bivvy may now be over 15 years ago, but it remains a truly significant one nonetheless. It was the day they recognised the fantastic display of engineering expertise, and consequently gained a licence for distribution and added their manufacturing muscle to what was to become arguably the most iconic fishing shelter ever made.
Since then, the Armo Bivvy has continued to develop and evolve, with each new version of the bivvy adding new features and setting new levels of customer expectancy. The result is a bivvy that has not only stood the test of time, it has, to this day, relentlessly reset the benchmark for others to follow. We think you’ll agree that this impressive track record of forward thinking design, performance and durability shines through, as we look at the current model, the Trakker Armo V3.
The big questions
Do me a favour, a bivvy is just a bivvy, right?
Umm… no! It would be easy to believe so, seeing as the original ‘pram-hood’ style of Armo has been copied by other companies since, but just like some hatchback cars may ‘look-just-like-a-Golf’, they’re not, and the same can be said for the list of Armo wannabes. The term ‘you get what pay for’ really sums this up, with top-end pram-hood bivvies displaying numerous features, and the V3 Trakker Armo arguably at the pinnacle of this bivvy awesomeness.
Okay, hit me! What will an Armo V3 set me back?
The One-Man version has an RRP of £479.99 with the Two-Man bivvy priced at £549.99. Money well spent when considering these bivvies are built to house you and your kit in whatever conditions you may face at any time of year – and furthermore are built to last, year after year after year, taking on the harshest of conditions from the hottest summer sun (we do get it sometimes) to the extremes of wind, rain and minus temperatures in winter. Put simply: your desire to be on the bank no matter what cannot beat the Armo’s capabilities at beating the elements!
Sounds the nuts, but how does one bivvy achieve all this?
With a renowned track record of being the first to showcase various bivvy features such as the front peak, Trakker have designed the modern-day version to contain every element for comfort and endurance.
Zipped, Velcro mozzi panel vents at both the front and rear of the bivvy ensure a cool flow of air can be enjoyed even on the hottest of days or nights, and where you’re also protected from any insects sizing-you-up as its evening meal. The bivvy also comes complete with an interlocking frame-support system and heavy-duty pegs, and combine these with the upgraded, black powder-coated poles built into the bivvy and no amount of wind is going to easily shift your bankside home.
Essentially the main purpose of any angling shelter is to keep you dry. Well, say hello to the super-reliable Aquatexx® material that forms the outer skin of the Armo. Not content at being the bollocks when it comes to keeping you dry, this stuff also expands and contracts according to temperature, meaning less stress is placed upon the fabric stitching and seams – one of the common causes of leaks in cheaper ‘tea bag’ shelters.
Add a heavy-duty groundsheet, dual zip door to create a less draughty, letterbox opening, as well as some nice touches like the front and rear rod straps and NXG Carry Bag to protect the bivvy in transit and you’ve pretty much got the Ritz equivalent to fishing accommodation.
That’s a lot of features – the bivvy must weigh a tonne, right?
Far from it, the One-Man Armo weighs in at just 7.5kgs (without the pegs and groundsheet, which total 3kg) and the Two-Man version is just a kilo heavier at 8.5kg. That’s basically the weight of your average bedchair.
When I go to France for a week will I have enough room for the extra kit?
Dimensionally the footprint ratio to usable space within the Armo is excellent, there’s plenty of room for a large carryall, cool bag, clothes bag and other tackle items to fit around the position of your bedchair.
If you really want to increase this high level of space and comfort, Trakker also produce an Extended Wrap as an optional extra to both the One-Man (RRP £249.99) and Two-Man (RRP £299.99) V3 Armos. These wraps contain all the same features such as mozzi vents and Aquatexx® material found within the main bivvy and extend the front of the Armo for extra storage space, as well as providing a twin skin protection which eliminates any condensation issues that may arise in extreme weather conditions.
For all dimensional measurements and more info on the awesome Trakker Armo V3, visit the NEW responsive Trakker website: trakkerproducts.co.uk