JRC Quad Continental XL Bivvy

 
If you are either a session angler, a continental angler, an angler that takes his partner fishing, or just in need of a lot more space within your bivvy, then look no further as the all new JRC Quad Continental XL bivvy is the ‘daddy’ of all 2 mans.

When the box came into the UKMA office, I was surprised at how small this bivvy was when packed down, not much bigger than your standard 1 man bivvy bag. But it’s once it is out the bag and unravelled that you get a feel for how big it really is. The ‘paw print’ of the new rubberised heavy duty groundsheet is huge!

 
The design of the bivvy is a ‘pram hood’ type, whereby you interlock the framework on the ground (4 ribs, with 5 poles making up each rib) which eliminates any wind interference whilst doing so. You then have a built in strap at the one end where the ribs meet each other, which then clips to the opposite side of the bivvy via a carabiner clip, giving you the perfect arc in the tensioning of the bivvy.

Erecting the Quad Continental XL is easy enough, and the best way that we have found is as below;

1. First of all lay the groundsheet out along the floor. This serves 2 purposes:
   * It will tell you if you have sufficient space to erect the bivvy.
   * It will help to show you where to peg the bivvy down following the shape of the the groundsheet.
2. Lay the bivvy on the groundsheet and assemble all the pole joints together.
3. Thread the front and back ribs into the holes located in the joining blocks either side of the bivvy (the extruding metal piece simply slots into the hole).
4. Now take the carabena clip and clip it onto the appropriate eyelit point on the opposite block to give you the tensioning arc of the bivvy.
5. Clip the tension bars onto the frame by standing at the back of the bivvy and starting with the front 2 ribs, pushing the bivvy forward to allow the second connection, and so on.
6. Place a peg in the very back of the bivvy making sure that it’s vertically underneath the back rib.
7. Now place a peg either side of the door at the front of the bivvy making sure there is a nice tight tension throughout the material.
8. Work your way around the bivvy pegging the rest of the eyelets to the shape of the groundsheet.
9. Tuck the skirt of the bivvy underneath the groundsheet and Velcro into place (this eliminates and chance of rain making its way into the bivvy where the ground may be sloping).

 Once erected, with the use of the heavy duty pegs and tension bars (included), this bivvy isn’t going anywhere. Considering how tall this bivvy is (10% larger than the original Quad Continental) with the dimensions 280 x 320 x 185cm, that’s one impressive plus point.

Some of the details that make this a very versatile shelter include 2 huge vents / covered mosquito windows both front and back, as well as a main door that as the options to be a clear window, a mosquito panel or s standard dark green panel. The complete front can also be rolled up and out of the way for those that prefer an open fronted shelter.

 
The material itself I made from the double P.U coated 10,000 Hydrostatic Head Oxford Nylon, which is the standard quality that you come to expect from JRC, with all of the seams tape sealed throughout which guarantees 100% protection and ultra waterproof.
The weight of the shelter has been taken into account, and although it’s slightly heavier than most 2 mans (16kg), the sturdiness created from the aerospace grade 20mm aluminium poles more than make up for it in torrential weather (especially for those of you travelling across seas).
 
The JRC Quad Continental XL has a recommended retail price of £409.99, but by shopping around you will get a great deal on this bivvy for as little as £249.99, which gives you a lot of bivvy for the money. A highly recommended piece of kit!

For more information on any of the JRC products, please click the image below to visit their website.