Luggage

I’ve spent years trying to find a soft cool bag that I’ve been happy with. Having never been successful, it’s led me to either not bother taking many supplies with me or having to lug a big, rigid Icey-Tek one around with me. This is far from ideal.

However, I couldn’t help noticing this one’s hugely impressive performance after reading a cool-bag test. I didn’t get one at the time because I was only fishing overnighters, but I never forgot just how well it had performed. Then, on a trip to Johnson Ross I treated myself to one and I haven’t looked back since. It has performed brilliantly, keeping food and milk chilled for a couple of days at a time. Obviously, this is improved the fewer times you open the bag but even when regularly dipping in and out it has stood up remarkably well.

I think the key to this is the generous, elasticated baffle that covers the zip entirely when closed. This is the first bag of its type that I have seen utilise this, although I have noticed it is catching on with some other firms’ cool bags.

Obviously this is in conjunction with a generous thermal insulated lining, but I’m convinced it’s the baffle that makes the difference. Sure, this adds an extra element to opening and closing the lid, but it’s nothing of any real consequence.

I’ve got the smaller 7k-capacity version but there is a much bigger one for the session anglers, or greedy buggers, among you. Finally, it features two carry handles and a shoulder strap, although I took this straight off because the cool bag fits perfectly inside my barrow’s under bag so I don’t need it. Okay, so the Polar isn’t cheap but I make no apology for saying that it’s the best soft cool-bag I have used.

MARC COULSON’s VERDICT “the best soft cool-bag i’ve used”

£43.99 to £54.99

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