Putting up the Maxus bivvy for the first time was like a succession of little surprises, as I kept discovering clever little features which I hadn’t anticipated. I expected a quality product, but didn’t expect to get quite so much in terms of flexibility. There’s so much to describe here, it’s difficult to know where to begin, but here goes…
I think this is the ultimate base camp for a carping expedition: big, strong, flexible… The Maxus can be setup in several configurations, so no matter how short or long your session is, or even what time of year it is, you will be able set it up to perfectly to accommodate your exact requirements.
Flexibility is one of the four key aspects of the Maxus; the others being build quality, ease of use and value for money. The bivvy can be setup either as a full-size twin-skin dome or you can zip off the front and have the bivvy either completely open-fronted or with just the front of the flysheet missing, but with the mesh-fronted inner tent front doors still zipped up. This is perfect for carp anglers heading to the continent on carp holidays where the weather may be warm enough to have the front zipped-off but the flying insects make this unbearable. The full mesh front allows ample air flow to keep the bivvy cool, whilst also keeping out unwanted bloodsucking intruders!
The mesh doors are double-layered too, so if a full mesh frontage is a little too much, you can zip down some thin, inner blanking panels to cut out most of the light. Of course, the double-zipped main flysheet doors each independently roll-up and clip out of the way and the central door has a mesh panel with a roll-up cover with Velcro fastenings down each side to keep out wind and water. Altogether, I daren’t guess how many permutations there are for the front of the bivvy but I can safely say that the Maxus can be setup to suit any situation a session angler should find themselves in, at home or abroad.
Now onto the construction of the Maxus.
The four-rib pram-hood design is pretty self-explanatory to put up. The rib poles are permanently stitched into the flysheet. Each rib pole is split into four sections which are all bungee-corded together for easy storage and quick erection, so it’s a simple case of unrolling the canopy and slotting the sections together. A quick twist is all that’s needed to ensure the poles form the correct shape.
Once the ribs are setup, three telescopic tension poles easily clip between the ribs and adjust in length to suit whilst a fourth one braces the bottom rib to the ground, which keeps the whole bivvy upright. These tension poles store in a separate bag to prevent them from damaging the canopy and the pegs supplied with this bivvy are the usual Cyprinus ‘T-handle’ spiral pegs, which come in a hard-wearing carry bag, reinforced against piercing. As you’d expect, the whole system comes with an ample heavy duty carry bag.
The ‘Hydro-Tec’ outer shell material is not your average nylon tent fabric, this is a high-end membrane, designed to be exposed to the elements for long periods of time and is durable, functional and, crucially, breathable. All of the seams are double-stitched and the steel loop pegging points are bungee-corded and well stitched to the flysheet. The removable groundsheet is a dense, mesh-reinforced, rubberised material. It fastens into the bivvy shell by means of Velcro fastenings and features steel eyelet-reinforced peg-through points for pegging-down the inner tent. So you can rest assured that the Maxus has been designed with both performance and longevity in mind.
There is room to spare inside the Maxus, the depth and width takes two bedchairs and a load of tackle with ease, though it is the headroom that impresses me most. Even sat upright on my bedchair I have feet of space above my head. With the front of the flysheet attached you also have a large porch area outside of the main compartment, for leaving muddy boots or keeping your bait and cooking equipment sheltered from the elements when they’re not in use.
If you plan to fish a lot of overnight sessions during the winter, you may also want to look at the overwrap which is available separately, making the entire system triple-skinned.
I really can’t overstate the quality of the Maxus bivvy; it’s a top piece of kit, chock full of features and it seems to be built to last. Whether you’re targeting carp abroad for a week or more or bivvying-up for the weekend by a Scottish loch fishing a winter pike session, it will be more than adequate for your needs, with loads of space for two anglers and all of their gear.
The dimensions of the Maxus are as follows:
Internal dimensions:
Height = 158cm / 62“
Width = 325cm / 130“
Length = 353cm / 139“
Dimensions when packed away in the carry bag:
Length = 150cm / 59”
Diameter = 35cm / 13.75”
Weight = 37lb 6oz / 17kg
The Maxus 2 Man Bivvy has a retail price of £529.99 but it is available from the Tackle Discounts website HERE for just £199.99.
The breathable overwrap is available separately for £99.99.
