With winter just around the corner, now’s the time to get prepared for those frosty nights out on the bank. As the temperatures start to fall the first thing I pull out of the cupboard is my trusty Trakker bed chair cover. To be honest, I can’t imagine doing cold weather overnighters without it!
There are all kinds of fancy all season sleeping bags out there designed to see you through the coldest of nights, but come the summer you’ll need another one to stop your self sweating to death – and the price tag for one of these all singing all dancing bags will also bring on a sweat! Me, I just don’t see the point. Why not just get a cheap two or three season sleeping for summer use, and simply chuck on a cover when the colder weather hits – not only will it keep you warm and snug, you’ll save yourself a fortune.
I used to have a really fancy sleeping bag; a proper all season animal. It was good, but really doesn’t compare to the warmth I get from my Trakker Big Snooze sleeping bag and cover combo – despite the fact they’re worth a fraction of the price.
The cover itself is made from a high quality waterproof and breathable polyester. The fabric is tough and durable – I’ve always got bits of tackle and gear all over mine and it’s still like new, and the inner has a lovely soft feel fleece lining to give ultimate comfort.
I fish with my bivvy open fronted throughout the winter months, and the bedchair cover really makes all the difference on those cold winter nights. The amount of times I’ve woken to heavy frosts, snow, and goodness knows what else, yet I’ve slept soundly throughout. Likewise, in the summer you can remove the sleeping bag altogether and just use the cover.
The cover comes complete with four straps with quick release clips for easy fastening to your bedchair frame, and the generous drop-down cut allows it to sit right over both edges and the bottom of the bed, which really helps to keep the draughts out!
The one-size cover will fit all standard sized bed chairs in four, six or eight leg varieties and comes with it’s own stow bag, though to be honest, I keep mine stashed, along with my bag, within the folds of my bedchair.
They say that it’s best not to compress sleeping bags within bed chairs and that you should air them and let them rise as much as possible, but for me it does not matter, as the cover is not layered, it’s like a fleece blanket with a heavy duty top layer, so it makes little difference. What’s more at just 1.5 kilos in weight, I don’t feel it when I’m carrying it with the bedchair.
Not only has it kept we warm in some seriously cold conditions, it’s maintained its shape perfectly, and despite being dragged over allsorts, has not plucked, ripped or even marked itself in the couple of years I’ve had it. What’s even more impressive is that I got it second hand of a friend, so it had already had a life of use before I even got it!
Shop around for the best prices; retail is around £40.00 but I’ve seen them, new, for around £30.00 on eBay. Look out for some good Trakker seeping bag and cover combos, too, for around £70.00. Sportfish, for example, sell them – CLICK HERE.
Highly recommended.
Julian Grattidge
Northwestcarp.co.uk
October 2011
