Trakker SLX V3 150 Bivvy

The SLX 150 is Trakker’s 1.5 version – that’s what the “150” denotes, with the SLX 100 being the one-man equivalent. At a generous 300cm wide x 260cm deep, there’s room for two standard bedchairs side by side, though the inner capsule is slightly smaller at 280cm x 245cm, so a pair of wide-boy beds plus two blokes’ worth of kit will be cosy rather than palatial. The one figure to check before buying is the height: at 145cm it’s a fairly low-profile shelter, which is great for stealth and stability in wind, less great if you’re six foot four and fond of standing up. Plenty of solo anglers buy the 150 purely for the extra elbow room- a time-honoured tradition.

Both are included, which is a large part of why the SLX 150 offers such strong value. You get a fully enclosed, twin-skin inner capsule with a stitched-in groundsheet and receiver pockets – so insects, slugs and condensation drips are dealt with out of the box – plus a separate heavy-duty groundsheet, tension strap, T-pegs and a carry bag. The twin-skin design is the SLX’s party trick at this price: most rivals under £400 are single-skin, and anyone who’s woken up with the roof dripping on their forehead will know why that matters. The only common extras sold separately are the Trakker Clear Window (product code 203200) and the SLX bivvy wraps.

Yes, comfortably. Hydrostatic head measures the water pressure a fabric withstands before leaking, and 10,000mm is well beyond what British rain – even the horizontal Welsh variety – will throw at a bivvy roof. For context, 1,500mm is technically “waterproof” and most quality bivvies sit between 5,000mm and 10,000mm; the 20,000mm figures on premium shelters are more about long-term durability headroom than any real-world difference in a downpour. The SLX 150 backs its fabric up with a peaked front to keep rain off the doorway, frame supports for stability in rough weather, and that twin-skin capsule handling the condensation side of the equation. It’ll see you through winter without complaint.

The bivvy itself weighs approximately 10.4kg, with the pegs and heavy-duty groundsheet adding another 3.2kg – so call it 13.6kg for the full setup, which is respectable for a twin-skin two-man and noticeably lighter than the 20kg-plus premium session bivvies. Packed down it measures 110cm x 32cm, one of the more compact transport sizes in its class, so it’ll fit across the boot of most cars without the seats-down faff and sits neatly on a barrow. There’s no printed manual in the bag, incidentally – it’s a straightforward pram-hood design, but if it’s your first time there are plenty of setup videos on YouTube worth a watch before you leave the house.