Fox Easy Shelter +

How well is it built?

Fox have used a hardwearing green polyester on the Easy Shelter +, and the frame is a pop-up design built for rapid erection and fast pack away rather than a traditional set of bivvy arms. It's a simple construction, and that's exactly the point of a shelter like this.

The integrated peak is a sensible upgrade, because there's no peak rib to thread on, and Fox have added support-pole retainer mouldings to speed things up.

The front panel can come off completely or be used letter-box style, and two vertical toggles and pegging points at the base of the skirt let you roll back sections of the door and peg them out for more room inside.

For me the build is right for the money, because it isn't trying to match a heavy-duty bivvy and the fittings are well thought through, and the extra size over the original Easy Shelter gives you a little more comfort.

Stability & Weather Resistance

The 8000HH rating is a reasonable figure for a day shelter and should keep you dry through showers and steady rain on a short session. Premium bivvies go a lot higher, though, so I wouldn't choose it for a winter overnighter when a storm is forecast.

Pop-up frames are quick, but I don't think they have the rigidity of a fast-erect frame, and on an exposed bank in a strong wind that's where I'd be most careful. I'd make sure it's properly pegged down every time rather than trusting the frame to hold its shape.

Ventilation is good, because the front and rear mozzy mesh panels can both be opened and closed from inside the shelter.

You can get a breeze through on a warm day without going outside, and with the front panel in letter-box style you can keep a lot of the weather out while still looking out at the water.

Ease Of Setup & Portability

Speed is what the Easy Shelter + is all about, because the pop-up frame is designed for rapid pitching and fast pack away, the integrated peak saves you threading a rib, and the support-pole retainer mouldings speed up both jobs, so it's a shelter you can have up quickly when a shower rolls in.

At 3.8kg it's light, and packed to 70cm across by 10cm deep it's flat enough to slide into the car beside the rest of your gear. For anglers who move swims during the day, I think that combination is hard to beat.

To be fair, pop-up shelters can take a bit of practice to fold back down neatly, and I'd have a go at home before your first trip. Once you've got the knack, it should be one of the quickest shelters to pack away at the end of the day.

Is it good value for money?

The Easy Shelter + sits at the cheaper end of the shelter market, priced close to the Prologic C-Series Bivvy and below the Daiwa Mission Overnighter Plus, and a long way under fast-setup shelters like the Fox Frontier Lite and the Solar Tackle Undercover Camo Brolly System.

For that money you get a light, quick pop-up with an integrated peak, a removable front and mesh panels front and back.

It can't match those dearer shelters for weather protection or space, but as a quick shelter for day sessions I think it's good value, and the upgrades over the original Easy Shelter are well worth having.

It suits anglers who fish day sessions and short stays, move between swims and want a light shelter that goes up fast when the rain comes. If you fish overnighters in all weathers, a proper bivvy like the Fox Frontier Lite is worth the extra.