Gardner Tackle Sleeping Accessories

With winter coming to an end (hopefully) many anglers will be sorting their kit out getting ready for another years campaign. This is when many to there dismay find out that Mother Natures little creatures (Mice) have sort sanctuary from the bitter elements  and found new homes in anything warm and dry, which normally means our sleeping bags (bless em!!)  No doubt plenty of us (yes me included) are on the look out for something new and cost effective to ensure our bankside comfort over the coming months in all weathers.

About 6 weeks ago, a large package arrived in the UKMA office from Gardner Tackle which turned out to be their very cost effective and comprehensive range of sleeping accessories. On first impressions they had all the vital statistics we look for but how would they perform on the bank in proper cold and diverse weather conditions? So to answer these questions for you, UKMA have put the Gardner Sleeping accessories through there paces over the past month to see how they performed over 5 nights out in the elements.

Sub Zero (4 Season) Sleeping Bag

Supplied with a Stuff Bag.
Size: 235cm x 95cm,
Weight: 3kg (packed).
RRP £59.99

The Sub Zero Sleeping bag is manufactured from a soft and smooth to the touch 190D rip-stop polyester taffeta, that is designed to offer the angler optimum movement and comfort whilst eliminating any static cling and even when you’re toasty hot, this material doesn’t stick to your skin or clothes. To ensure heat retention a light weight hollow-fill fibre is used to fill the Sub Zero’s walls, this as any mountaineer will tell you are designed to encapsulate your body heat and reduce the potential for heat loss through the sleeping bags walls.

The bag is attached to the bed by using tried and tested attachments. At the top and bottom of the bag you have well proportioned retaining flaps and in the middle you have the fully adjustable quick release bedchair strap. On may bags you still have a bit of movement from side to side even with the bedchair strap fully tensioned? So what Gardner Tackle have done to try and eliminate this problem is fit an anti-slip strip, which is a rubberised material with a textured finish to the underside of the Sub Zero sleeping bag (Nice Touch)

Other features of note found on the Sub Zero include the 2 way crash zips down both sides with zip guards, these allow quick exit when you need to get out in a hurry. You also have the easy locate cords which save all that fumbling around trying to get hold of a small piece of steel when you’re in a hurry and Velcro retainers that help keep everything nice and secure when you’re asleep. Add to this the inclusion of a draw cord around hood, full shoulder & zip baffles and virtually every feature designed to help eliminate draughts has been incorporated.

Final Thoughts

Although I love and personally prefer a sleeping bag with a fleece lining, I found the Sub Zero was very comfortable to sleep in and had ample room even for a slightly chubby gent like myself. The bags cocoon styling and shape helped to keep heat loss to a minimum and made for a very pleasant nocturnal home. One thing I must point out is that even though it is called a Sub Zero, when fishing and you’re expecting the temperature to go below freezing. UKMA highly recommend the use of the Thermal Bedchair Cover in conjunction with the Sub Zero, it makes a huge difference.

Deluxe Thermal Bedchair Cover

Supplied with a Stuff Bag.
Length=254cm, Width=178cm.
RRP £45.99

Waterproof, fleeced lined bedchair covers are designed to serve a number of duties when out on the bank. They are primarily designed to offer waterproof protection from the elements in damp or wet conditions. To create a an outer layer in warmer months when the sleeping bag can be way too hot and for the die hard angler amongst you (psycho’s) who like fishing under the stars, they act as a layer to keep mist, fog and early morning dew off of your bed, sleeping bag and most importantly you! And the Deluxe Bedchair Cover from Gardner Tackle ticks all the above.

They use a unique 100% waterproof fabric that has been tested by UKMA and you can pour a bucket of water onto the cover when it is fully covering your bed and not a single drop will get on your sleeping bag. We found if your lift up one side of the cover, the water will run off leaving minimal residue every time. The Deluxe Bedchair Cover incorporates a soft, tight-pile, breathable fleece lining that makes it suitable to use as an alternative to your sleeping bag in summer or as an additional layer when the weather is cold enough to question your own sanity.

Final Thoughts

No matter what size your bedchair is, the Gardner Deluxe Bedchair Cover will more than give you all round protection from the elements. Once fixed and attached by the seven (7) retaining clips and straps that are stitched to the internal of the cover, even the worst of drafts can be eliminated by ample overhang created by this huge cover. The Gardner Tackle Deluxe Bedchair Cover is finished off in a Carpy olive green colour and is an essential buy if like me you have a bed that in proportion to your stature and you require a cover in proportion.

Camo Pillow

Just to make your night rest that little bit more enjoyable, Gardner Tackle also have a standard full sized pillow to accompany the Sub Zero sleeping bag and Deluxe Bedchair Cover. This light weight and comfortable pillow has a removable fully zipped and machine washable cotton/polyester case that has a distinctive Smokey Branch camouflage pattern. This 59cm long, 40cm wide, holofil fibre pillow offers in my opinion just the right amount of support for your head and neck without being too hard. The Camo Pillow sells for a very reasonable £12.50 but if you feel like giving it some bling for the winter months, you can also get a Camo Fleece Pillow Case to make your pillow nice and warm on those colder than cold winters nights and they sell for £5.99

More Information on any of the Gardner Tackle range please click the image below