I needed a tackle barrow to shift all my gear from car to peg; as an angler who takes absolutely everything every time ‘just in case’, it was going to have to be a strong one. Several things would affect my choice; price, weight, foldability, capacity, finish and most important, ‘image’……
My first consideration was price; I had a budget and the wife was insistent that it would cost no more than £100. Fair enough, but that ruled out barrows such as ‘carp porter’….. Weight needed to be kept to a minimum; with kit on, I’ve got to be able to move it over rough, wet ground. Having asked other people if they preferred single or dual wheel barrows, I agreed with the reasons behind choosing a single wheel to help manoeuvre along narrow, overgrown paths. As I’ve already mentioned, the barrow had to be able to carry everything in one trip. I don’t want to leave kit on the bank while I go back to the car. I needed side supports and a rod bag rest. I also wanted something that looked ‘the business’; like all carp fishers, I want to be taken seriously by other anglers!
The TRAKKER X-TRAIL BARROW was duly ordered from Climax tackle (www.climaxtackle.co.uk) via mail order at a cost of £84.99, and ‘next day’ chosen as the delivery option. Paying by card, I went to work expecting to receive the barrow bright and early….. Not so. I answered my mobile to be told that it wasn’t in stock and would not be delivered until Friday; 3 days later. However, the staff at Climax offered to upgrade my order to the more expensive COMPACT version. Friday came and the postman brought my eagerly awaited new barrow; opening the box, I found that Climax had also included Prologic Stainless quick release connectors as a goodwill gesture, too!! Good on you, fellas!
Emptying the box, I was presented with the main body, a slide on tray assembly, pneumatic wheel, centre axle and two short wheel supports, but NO instructions. No ‘bungees’ are supplied either. The barrow fitted together without a fight, all pieces went in first time, all fastenings and bolts were there and all worked. Make sure you have room to put it together, as trying to do it in the hallway with the dog taking a keen interest and the wife watching makes things a bit cramped…the barrow is 155cm long and 92cm wide when fully constructed, but folds down into a space 89x25x62 when folded thanks to the unique folding arms innovation. (see picture).
The screws which secure the arms in the down position, and attach the front tray to the barrow are easy to grip, hardwearing plastic which do not jam or slip against the metal. The wheel is fixed to the frame using a high quality stainless steel axle and clips which are impossible to lose. The barrow has no mud feet on the fixed length legs which may bother some people, but the stability when loaded is unaffected. When folded, no parts need to be removed, reducing the likelihood of losing anything, and it easily fits into the car.
I have to admit to being surprised at the amount of tackle that this barrow will carry. An optional tray directly over the single wheel means all the weight is transferred to the barrow, not your arms, which makes moving it very simple and comfortable. The large pneumatic wheel makes tough terrain easy, and, as the weight is so far forward, changing direction is effortless. Tough hand grips mean using the barrow in wet weather presents no ‘slippage’ problems.
Overall, I’d recommend this barrow to the beginner or serious angler. It has no vices, carries mountains of kit and is easy to use and store. The finish is top quality and the materials used mean that this an extremely tough piece of tackle that will give years of service.
Clint
