Winter Warmers - How to Keep Warm on the Bank

Whether you’re a frost hardened veteran of the bank, who has battled the elements for several winters now, or a beginner looking to get back out on the bank before Spring arrives, you will need some extra tools in your arsenal in order to keep warm whilst you’re fishing once the temperatures begin to plummet.

Bivvy

Your first port of call should be a good quality bivvy, one which is made by a reputable company, renowned for utilising high-quality materials with a high hydrostatic head value.

The added insulation that comes from installing a groundsheet – stitched in preferably - and accompanying wrap will also aid you in keeping warm and dry on those extra chilly sessions.

Other considerations to make include bivvy footprint, the smaller your bivvy capsule, the less space there is to heat. This is particularly important in Germany, where leaving your peg in the state you found it is of increasing importance, a small footprint leaves behind less of an imprint on the bank.

Alongside having less space to heat, a twin-skin inner capsule will help keep the heat in; a bivvy with a twin-skin capsule and a wrap fitted provides 4 layers of protection, once you factor in your clothes and sleeping bag, you can start to see that it is possible to see out a night on the bank in the depths of winter.

With all this in mind, we feel that the Trakker SLX 100 Bivvy provides some of the best winter protection available on the market (wrap sold separately).

Sleeping Bag

The effectiveness of sleeping bags is usually measured in seasons; with a 5 season sleeping bag being warmer and thicker than a 3 season sleeping bag.

Sleeping bag features to look out for include; draft excluder skirts, generous insulation and padding, and good quality zips.

Be sure to make sure the outer layer of your sleeping bag is waterproof. If you have a good quality bivvy and wrap this may not be necessary, but if water droplets are falling on your sleeping bag you need to insure you are not going to get wet. This can be combatted further by curing your sleeping bag with a waterproofing treatment.

We at Angling Direct believe that the Advanta Discovery CCX5 5 Season Sleeping Bag provides all the warmth and waterproofing of a more expensive alternative – the fleece lined top section is a real bonus too!

Shoes

The Nash Camo Deluxe Bivvy Slippers - not so much a go-to fishing boot, but a must have on cold nights in your bivvy - with their fleece lining will be your toes warm and cosy. If you had to rush out of your bivvy to a screaming alarm, you could, but its probably worth having a sturdy pair of boots for the mud.

Hot Water Bottle

The old faithful of cold nights, the trusty water bottle makes our list. You will of course have to get the kettle and stove out, but you will be thankful of a hot bottle placed at the foot of your sleeping bag.

Any hot water bottle will do, but if you’re a tackle tart, the Trakker Hot Water Bottle is our pick.

Hand Warmer

Handy, pocket-sized electric handwarmers can help take the edge off. Zippo produce a couple of models, a metal cased gas hand warmer, based off the companies Zippo lighters. The other is an electric offering, which doubles up as a power bank – handy! – check out the Zippo Green Heatbank 6.

Your other option is the traditional Strider Hot Pad, disposable after one use, but much cheaper.

Bivvy Heaters

When all else fails and you just can’t shake the cold, reach for the bivvy heater. Both offerings from AD are gas heaters, which means its important to ensure your bivvy is well ventilated, as there is a carbon monoxide risk if this isn’t done.

The Phoenix Parabolic Heater screws into a standard gas canister, fitted with a 1kW (3500 BTU) adjustable burner it will comfortably heat a one-man bivvy with a small footprint.

Elsewhere, the Highlander Compact Gas Heater operates on the longer, clip-in gas canisters and is slightly more powerful with a 1.3kW output.