Compac Framed Carryall

When it comes to products, you don’t always have to try to reinvent the wheel and often some of the ideas that have been around for years are still the best, just with the benefit of some tweaks to bring them up to date.

That is very much the case with the Compac Framed Carryall, which came about as a result of Damien Clarke getting fed up with the underside of his luggage being sat in liquid mud on the flooded lake that he was fishing, in combination with him thinking about an old style of carryall that he had used many years before.

The old carryall in question was the Effgeeco Super Seat model, which many older anglers will either have owned or will remember, and Damien himself had owned one back in the early 1980s when he first started carp fishing.

So, with the idea in mind, he then set about improving the original as much as possible to bring it up to modern day standards and make it as functional as possible, but also whilst still retaining the original features – such as making sure that you can sit on it if you wish to.

DAMIAN CLARKE:

The key to this product is the welded frame, which not only provides the strength needed to allow it to be sat on, but also the fact that it is this frame, which extends below the base of the carryall, which keeps it from sitting in water or mud.

That is achieved by the additional of a strong, articulated foot on the bottom of each of the four uprights, and which provide enough movement that you only have to stand it on uneven ground and the feet will settle themselves in the best position. These feet are big enough to help prevent them from sinking into soft ground – even when the Framed Carryall is sat on – and to also help provide stability so the carryall stays upright and doesn’t topple over.

The body of the carryall is constructed from the same olive green coloured hard-wearing military grade fabric used throughout the Compac luggage range, meaning that you can expect it to last for years to come and to keep on performing as it should.

The main compartment is accessed via a lid featuring high quality zips, and which has also been made totally rigid, so that if you do choose to sit on it, then it is more comfortable due to the wooden board inside. The inside of the lid features a zipped mesh pocket, which is perfect for storing items such as your fishing tickets which you want quick and easy access to.

Not only can the Framed Carryall be used as a seat – and actually one that is a nice, comfortable height to sit on – but is also the perfect bivvy table, thanks to an injection moulded tray just inside the lid. This is perfect for keeping items such as rig bits, keys, mobile phones etc on and it has a raised edge to prevent them from sliding off, and should you need to access the inside of the holdall, the lid is simply clipped off of the frame – if it isn’t being used as a table it can just be lifted up, as the two clips which hold it in place also act as a hinge.

The main compartment can be used for storing all sorts of items of tackle, or even clothing and cooking gear – basically, anything that you want to ensure stays dry, clean and away from any water/mud on the ground – and two different sizes of Framed Carryall are available, with the larger of the two having a slightly bigger capacity at 31 litres versus 25 litres for the smaller of the two. This means that the smaller carryall is 2cm shorter, but that doesn’t adversely affect its ability to be used as a seat or table.

A large zipped from pocket is just the right size for the Tackle Box, and also features two removable fabric dividers, that can be Velcro’d into place, and with one of those being of a size where it is just right for items such as a Rig Safe, and the other having three tubular pockets that are ideal for things such as the PVA Funnel Web System tubes, Kutters, torches, or even market floats.

There are two zipped side pockets – one on each end of the carryall - which have been designed for use with power packs as they feature cable ports and will hold most of the larger power packs on the market, and you can keep them zipped away and with just enough cable sticking out for what you need. They can of course also be used for storing other things.

There are a further two pockets on the back of the carryall, which although not quite as deep as the side pockets, will still have plenty of room for items such as your scales, Katapults, and various sizes of Compac EVA zipped pouches, a Lead Pouch, hook baits, or anything similar.

So overall, the two Compac Framed Carryalls are extremely versatile and practical and can be used instead of a conventional rucksack or holdall, as they will hold all the bits of tackle that you need for a session, whilst also ensuring that the contents all stay dry and out of the mud as well.

Both sizes feature a removable, padded shoulder strap, should you wish to carry the Framed Carryalls, as well as having a padded handle on each end, at the top, to allow them to be easily lifted on and off of your barrow, or in and out of the car.

The large size has overall dimensions of 59cm x 36cm x 44cm, with the internal compartment being 31 litres in capacity and with internal dimensions of 45cm x 22cm x 32cm. The small size has overall dimensions of 56cm x 33cm x 41cm, with the internal compartment being 25 litres in capacity and with internal dimensions of 41cm x 20cm x 30cm.