Shelters, Night and Winter Comfort

In this entry I would like to discuss how to keep warm, dry, organised and safe whilst fishing during the night, especially in Winter. This is primarily aimed at the beginner but there might be a few bits to help everyone.

Shelters

Firstly look at where you will be putting your shelter, try to squeeze under a tree or tight to a hedge or a bush to keep you out of the wind as much as possible. Twin skin shelters are probably the best shelter you can use, as the air between the skins adds warmth by providing an insulating layer. This also reduces condensation that sometimes forms under single skin shelters that can drip over your sleeping bag, making your stay uncomfortable. 

Make sure you check your shelter is regularly water proofed, you can either use the Fabsil spray or the paint on variety. Make sure your Shelter is securely pegged down, i tend to push the pegs down at a slight angle to prevent them being pulled out so easily. For those of you who use brollies it might be worth you buying an over wrap, it won't eliminate the condensation totally but it does reduce it a little.

Arranging your shelter properly will pay dividends at night, try to use the same lay out every time you go fishing until you become familiar with the way it is set up. 

Soon enough you will know where everything is even in the dark and you won't be fumbling around looking for bits and pieces. 

Notice in the second picture i always have my foot wear to the right hand side of the door. Getting a run at night can be a very confusing situation so it is important that you know where all of your gear is before hand. 

Even the cook wear is always just outside the bivvy to the left hand side, i just find it easier to the left. 

Never bring your cook wear inside, always do the cooking and changing of gas outside. 

The floor i like to cover in an old army blanket, these are very warm to the touch in Winter, and stop some of the cold coming through the floor.

I also like to use a mat in the entrance of the door just to wipe my feet as i enter the bivvy and its also somewhere to keep muddy boots.

Sleeping Attire 

A decent comfortable bedchair is a must, what ever sleep you do get you will want to make sure its as comfortable as possible. I have a six leg bedchair version, which is just perfect for setting up on any ground. Also i never tighten the spigot joints down, i think it just gives you a little more freedom when setting up over uneven ground.

The sleeping bag i have is a five season sleeping bag, with a fleece inner, this particular sleeping bag has a hood at the top and the bottom of the bag which slides over each end of your bedchair.There is also a retaining strap just to secure the sleeping bag down about mid way. All of these points keep the sleeping bag nice and stretched out over the bedchair, which make for a more comfortable sleep. I also use a bedchair cover which has six retaining straps that clip around the legs of the bedchair.

This just ensures the damp air stays out of your sleeping bag, and i quite often only use this cover during the summer months when the five season bag would just simply be to warm. 

Make sure that when you are not sleeping, the bedchair is fully covered with this cover, there is nothing worst than climbing into a damp sleeping bag. For Winter months you might also want to consider purchasing a hot water bottle and put this in the sleeping bag about an hour before you intend going to sleep.

Cook Wear 

If you are using a gas cooker i would suggest buying one of these little converters.

This is just so you are not tied to purchasing one type of can of gas, a lot of the screw top versions are more expensive than the bayonet versions. This cap simply screws onto your gas bottle connector, so you can use both types of cans.

These shields really make a difference, wrapped around the stove, firstly protecting anything from getting burnt and keeping the wind off your gas.

I would just like to make you all aware of the dangers of using stoves, particularly the petrol stoves such as these.

These Coleman stoves are particularly dangerous when lighting, as many of you Coleman fans are aware, you can get burned very easily when first lighting one of these stoves. I always refill mine a day before I’m due to go fishing, and if I needed to refill it while fishing I would always do so well away from my shelter. I usually pump mine about twenty times and then light it, wait for a couple of minutes and then pump a further twenty or so times to get the nice blue flame going. Then you know it’s ready to cook or boil. At the end of each session I relieve the pressure by undoing the filling screw a little bit. This lets out all of the pressure and will prolong the life of the seals on the stove. Please make sure you do not use any kind of stove within the confines of your shelter, especially during the winter. Although your shelter may have a breathable skin, dew and condensation renders the breathability useless. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is very real threat whilst camping, many have died just from a few hours exposure. Just to reiterate One word should always be on you mind when ever using stoves and that's, !!!CAUTION!!!

Just think about what you are doing and stay safe. I have owned one of these stoves for many years now and they are fine in the right hands but that isn't without being cautious.

You may want to consider buying one of these long reach lighters to keep your fingers away from any potential hazard.

Important Note

While on the subject of stoves, please do not use your stove or lantern while your shelter is zipped up. The evaporation of CARBON MONOXIDE is greatly reduced by the thermal barrier in between the two skins of your bivvy, especially when your shelter is either wet, iced over or covered in snow.

The side effects of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning are as follows. Mild Frontal Headache, malaise, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and manualloss of dexterity. Headache with rapid heartbeat, confusion, lethargy, visual disturbances. Death can happen with in one to two hours of exposer.

If you want my advise, get a water bottle and use all heating appliances outside, its not worth the risk.

 Other Essentials

Torches, head torches and bivvy lights are all a good idea to have, always make sure you have spare batteries. Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged, just in case. I usually hang my head torch on the spigot joint of the bedchair. You might even want to consider getting yourself a little pocket radio, just to give yourself something to listen to during those long dark nights. Personally I like to take a book to read.

Something I have purchased recently is one of the wind up chargers for my phone, you’ll find these particularly useful on longer sessions. Remember it’s always good to keep in touch with friends or family members.

Keeping Warm

I always wear thermals and a good pair of socks underneath all of my clothing. Hats, scarves and gloves are also going to help keep you warm. There are many winter suits available now on the market but make sure they are waterproof and again if need be use Fabsil on these as well. Take a few towels and a change of clothes and a spare pair of boots, trainers etc....... just in case.

Contrary to belief you don’t lose most of your heat, out of your head you are just as likely if not more likely to lose more heat out of your arms or legs, so remember keep them covered. Make sure you have plenty of water for hot drinks and food and if your using a gas stove make sure the canister is wrapped in something warm as gas can and will freeze. In addition high calorie foods will help to keep you warm, I always cook what's easiest and quickest and eat little and often, soups, pot noodles, instant mash, tinned curries etc.......

The moral of the story is to be prepared, keep everything tidy, and get familiar with the layout of your shelter. Night fishing and winter fishing in particular can be quite hard, but with a few easy steps and a bit of thought, you should enjoy your sessions, no matter what the weather throws at you.
It’s all about keeping warm, comfortable and safe, if you are just starting out in night fishing, letting friends and family know where you are, particularly if you are young, should always be your first port of call. Go with a friend or a family member, take your time and stay safe. Make sure the day before you are well prepared and everything is packed.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Until next time, stay lucky