Review - Keenets Catch Carp Roving Rucksack

I've just bought this 58 litre bag for £11! Read the full review now I've given it a week's thorough field testing at the River Wye in Hereford.

Having used this bag quite extensively I have a fairly mixed opinion of it. Size-wise as the capacity suggests, it's massive, possibly even too big for the roving angler so you have to be careful not to over-fill it and make it too heavy or you won't want to move from your first swim!

The shoulder, hip and chest straps are well padded and the stitching is sound but even with maximum adjustment the bag sits too high on my back and the hip straps sit on top of, instead of around my hips. Despite this, a reasonable level of comfort can still be achieved and I walked with it fully-loaded for half an hour or so without much of a problem. The plastic clips are well made and are big enough to use even with cold fingers.

Due to the depth of the main compartment, the back of the bag has a tendency to sag which is annoying but could probably be solved by inserting some ply down the back and across the bottom of it. There are four spiky plastic mud feet on the underneath of the bag which is made of plastic and as such isn't difficult to clean, but don't go putting it down in deep mud as the moisture will creep in given time. The bag seemed to be shower-proof but it never got a full soaking as I carry a separate waterproof rucksack cover to protect it during heavier downpours. This seemed like a sensible precaution due to the nature of the thin plastic lining.

All-in-all it's not a bad rucksack but the overall quality is reflected in the low price. Some more thought at the design stage would have paid dividends in the form of a more comfortable fit and a more rigid structure, but the plethora of pockets – six in total – and the quality zips, clips and straps go some way towards making up for this. More suited to the static carper than the river rover.

5/10