Ridgemonkey Escape XF Bivvy: A Total Fishing Tackle Review

RidgeMonkey Escape XF Bivvy

The Ridgemonkey XF Bivvy range caused quite a stir when they were announced on social media. Now, 12 months on are they as popular now as they were when they were released? Our resident blogger Wayne Box takes a look....... I remember it very well indeed, there were rumblings around the carp world that Ridgemonkey were going to be releasing a range of bivvies, yet nobody could have predicted the reaction they were going to get! Over a year down the line and the internet carp anglers have long moved on to the next product to find fault in, the dust has well and truly settled and I for one have been seeing more and more Ridgemonkey bivvies on the bank so the initial signs are that Ridgemonkey may well be on to something...

So why did the Ridgemonkey Escape XF Bivvy range cause such a stir when they were announced? Well, personally I think it was due to a number of reasons, Ridgemonkey were not known for their bivvies so people were understandably hesitant. Secondly the price list was top end, starting at £699 for the XF1 Compact, rising to well into four figures for a two man plus porch extension. Now although this sort of money is not new when it comes to the price of a bivvy, the combination of the unknown and the hefty price tag set a few alarm bells ringing. Then there was the weight. The XF1 Compact comes in at whopping 28 kg combined weight of the bivvy, groundsheet, etc. To give you an idea, the Trakker Tempest 100 Bivvy System is approx 13kg all included. Weight was definitely going to be a stumbling block when convincing people to part with their hard earned money - or was it?

I was fortunate enough to borrow one of the XF1 Compact bivvies for a two night session towards the back end of the summer last year and yes they are heavy but once it was safely strapped to the barrow, it made zero difference whatsoever as my barrow was doing all the hard work for me, all I had to do was push! To summarise the weight issue, yes if you only fish overnighters then the Escape XF1 bivvy range might not be for you unless you don't mind carrying a bit of extra weight on the barrow. If like me, you vary your sessions from one night to 7 nights, then the Ridgemonkey bivvies are definitely worth a look, they are great! They go up in seconds, once you have done it a few times you'll be slicker than a eel on an ice rink. The material is second to none, I must say this is what impressed me the most. Once up, they are rock solid, nothing is moving them! All the comments about the shape being no good in high winds, absolute rubbish. If you are heading over to France and beyond anytime soon, the bigger versions in the range will be perfect, loads of room and they come down very quickly if you decide to move swims. There was one more thing I wanted to mention, the price. When you look at the prices of the top bivvy manufacturers now, Ridgemonkey are sitting in the middle of the pack, they are not the most expensive and they are certainly not the cheapest either, but then again the best rarely is. For me they are a winner, I fully intend to take one to France with me as soon as Boris and President Macron across the channel give us the nod,  might well report back again. Until next time stay safe and good luck if you are out day fishing.