Carp Life Eclipse Camo Elite 60L Rucksack

How well is it built?

The main body is a heavy-duty fabric made for regular, long sessions, while the base and every external pocket use extra-strong webbed PVC. That's a sensible split, with the tougher PVC where the bag meets the ground and takes the most wear from wet grass, gravel and rough banks.

The zips are waterproof, which is a real plus on a bag this size, because a packed main compartment puts plenty of strain on the zip and that's where rain usually finds its way in.

There are also three reinforced grab handles with strengthened attachment points, so you can haul it off a barrow or out of the car even when it's fully loaded.

All-round 8mm padding protects the tackle inside from knocks in transit, and every external pocket is padded as well. For me, it's a well-thought-out, hard-wearing bag, and I think the 8.5 is a fair reflection of that.

Storage & Organisation

This is the Eclipse's strong point. The 40-litre main compartment leaves room for a long session's kit, and the supplied CarpLife Rig Tray, at 36 x 26.5cm, has its own internal pocket so it doesn't slide around loose among everything else.

The front pockets are planned with care. The small one is sized for a Bird Torch, an alarm receiver or a bivvy light, while the larger one takes scales, boxes of terminal tackle or a power pack.

Two side pockets take medium Bits Pouches or other essentials, and with every outer pocket padded, a receiver or power pack shouldn't get knocked about on the way to the swim.

On a long session you want to find the head torch in the dark without emptying the whole bag, and dedicated pockets make that pretty much automatic. It's one of the most organised big rucksacks around.

Comfort & Fit Rating

How does it carry? The shoulder straps are padded, and the adjustable chest strap pulls them together across your chest, which helps stop the straps slipping and keeps the bag steady as you walk between swims.

The padding inside the bag should also stop hard kit digging into your back.

The issue is size. At 53 x 35 x 48cm, it's deep, so a full load sits further out from your back than on a slimmer pack, and 60 litres of carp kit gets heavy.

The carrying system is padded shoulder straps and a chest strap, whereas the Trakker NXG Deluxe adds a waist belt and lumbar support to share that kind of load with your hips.

To be fair, on a long session a bag this size will often ride on the barrow for much of the way. As a rucksack you'd carry on your back for a long walk, though, it scores a 7.5.

Is it good value for money?

Is it good value? It costs about the same as the Trakker NXG Deluxe and the Solar SP C-Tech All In One Ruckbag, and it offers the most total capacity of the three, plus a rig tray in the box. That's a strong case on paper.

The Trakker has the more advanced carrying system and a table lid, though, and it stores away under a bedchair, which is why I've scored the Eclipse's value at 8.0 rather than higher.

If you want room for a long session's kit and don't mind a bulkier bag, the extra space is well worth having, and the Nash Scope OPS Recon costs a good deal more again.

Overall, I'd recommend the Eclipse Camo Elite 60L to carp anglers on extended sessions who want a single large, well-organised rucksack with padded pockets for their electronics, and who'll often wheel it on a barrow rather than carry it far.