Tried and Tested | Wychwood Extremis EVA Luggage review

The biggest problem with any luggage designed for fishing, is knowing exactly how the angler is going to use it. I’ve seen cool bags used as carryalls, lead pouches used for reel spools and carryalls used as overnight bags! Not only does the gear we carry vary from angler to angler, but the way we use and store it changes throughout the year.

Wychwood, with their latest luggage range, appears to understand this, with the stated uses of their new Extremis luggage being as diverse as for brew kits, snacks, electronics, bait, tackle, bankwear or even wet clothing.

The core parts of the system are the Utilty Bag and the Carryall. Both are made from robust, wipe clean, waterproof and leakproof EVA and have removable shoulder straps. Both also have the same 38x27x29cm central compartment which will take either two large deep accessory bags, four large shallow bags, four medium deep bags, eight medium shallow bags or a whole host of combinations of the bags with other gear.

The carryall, however, has an additional lid pocket that will take a large shallow or two medium shallow accessory cases, a front pocket that will take a small shallow case or a small tackle box, plus two side pockets for bits and pieces. How you organise and sort these bags, either with or without the cases, is limited only by your imagination. Even for the thriftiest of anglers, the utility bag is only £30 and will hold loads of bits and pieces. A bargain in anyone’s books.

So, the crucial question? Is it any good? Well, for the past few weeks, I’ve been using them for all sorts of things, from carrying camera equipment and my lunch to spare terminal tackle and bait. The zips are smooth running and haven’t caused any issues.

The straps are a simple affair with no padding, but are tough, removable and very securely welded onto the EVA. The EVA itself is, of course, completely watertight and can be used to carry wet items. The only possible route of entry for water inside is through the zips, which are placed underneath the EVA ridges, meaning as long as the bags and pouches are stored the right way up, it can’t get in.

To test this, I’ve ran the whole lot under the hose pipe in the garden for several minutes (a bit unfair probably) and could only get a slight dribble to appear inside a couple of the cases, which tells me that unless you leave them outside in pouring rain for hours on end, your stuff won’t wet!

Not only is the Wychwood Extremis Tactical EVA range a smart way or organising your gear, but it should keep it safe in the worst of conditions and the most unexpected of downpours.

The full range:

Modular Accessory bags