New Fox drops...

With her rocks, rain and erratic temperatures, Mother Nature doesn’t always smile on a carp angler. Protect yourself against her mood swings with these reliable sleeping bags from Fox – all brand-new to you this month, but all have been tried, tested and tortured by the Fox team for over 12-months. Plus, just over to your right is a handful of other niceties which are due out this month…

ERS Sleeping Bag

For a sleeping bag that costs less than 10kgs of boilies, you can’t really expect a lot, can you? Having just spent a chilly night getting to know the bag, we can confirm the new ERS from Fox really does punch above its weight – well, price tag.

The ERS is a 3 season sleeping that features the company’s brand-new Evo-Tec Rip Stop outer fabric. Stitched inside (and even that’s clever: it’s offset panel stitching which reduces heat loss) this incredibly hardwearing material, Fox have utilised their 7 Core Hollow Fibre filling which is silicone treated to help maintain shape and expand fibres.

Comfort-wise, the base is polyester lined for ease of movement inside the bag, whilst the upper layer of the bag is micro fleece-lined for added warmth and comfort. There’s even a new feature called a ‘Hot Foot Pocket’: the zips stop short at the foot end to create a thermal pocket around your feet. Neat.

The ERS, just like the other new bags in the collection, are available in three sizes: ERS1 (for compact beds), ERS2 (for standard beds) and ERS3 for kingside models).

“GIMME”: £84.99, £94.99 and £104.99; foxint.com

VRS Sleeping Bag

Despite many other manufacturers’ best efforts, no one’s seems to have come close to taking over Fox’s reign when it comes to producing a better 5 season sleeping bag that betters their multi award-winning Evo Ven-Tec All Season bag. Well, apart from Fox themselves!

The VRS is based on said original, and is another versatile 5 season bag that can also be turned into a 3 season option for the warmer months. Comprising of a total of four layers, it allows you to sleep with one, two or three layers above or below you! It even contains a removable thermal booster bag which is micro fleece-lined on all sides and, just like the main bag, is packed with top quality 7 core hollow fibre fill.

Of course it comes with a fleet of bells and whistles: offset panel stitching; 10mm heavy-duty crash zips that really don’t snag; oversized external zip baffles; elasticated hoods at the head and foot ends; plus zipped mesh pockets on both sides which are perfect for storing valuable items such as your receiver, keys, phone and wallet.

The VRS is available in the same three sizes.

“GIMME”: £169.99, £179.99 and £189.99

Black Label Compact Pod

If you get marginally aroused by the words ‘Black Label’ then this new pod will be about as sensual as life gets. The new Compact Pod is black (predictably), packed full of tech and disgustingly cheap when you see what a top-end product it is.

It’s small and compact when both set-up and packed away and that’s all thanks to the legs folding inwards around the central bar – which of course can be adjusted to suit different lengths of rods. It’s light too, weighing just 650g, and thanks to the precision moulded gears and cam-locks, it means you’ll have a rock-steady set-up whether you’re using it with two or three rod Black Label Buzzer Bars. Supplied with a protective neoprene case.

“GIMME”: £104.99

Fluoro Zig Alignas

Fox is a stone-cold innovative classic brand and the Zig Rig is one of the greatest carp-catchers of a generation. Their 2013-released must-have encapsulated both and were called Zig Alignas – you may have heard of them… – but since their launch you’ve been pleading for the Essex-based brand for more colour additions to the range, and thankfully those pleads have resulted in this new fluoro collection.

There’s a new multi-pack that comes supplied with Fluoro Pink, Fluoro Orange and Fluoro Yellow Zig Alignas (two of each) plus matching Fluoro HD Foam (one length of each) and of course one of the handy Loading Tools. And as always the case, you can purchase each of the coloured Alignas and foam in separate packs.

“GIMME”: Kit, £5.99; Sleeves (8 per pack), £3.99; HD Foam (3 per pack), £3.25

Edges Tungsten Line Guard Bead

Naked Chod Rigs have been a staple diet for carp anglers up and down the country for years now and although it’s had some stiff competition from other rigs, it still remains one of the country’s favourite when it comes to fishing over chod. And it’s not hard to see why: it’s almost invisible, it doesn’t tangle, it nails them, and it always presents your hookbait, so what’s the problem? They damage your line and can cause a breakage, is what.

Thankfully, these new Tungsten Line Guard Beads can be fixed up the line but will slide down to the Heli Buffer Sleeve that sits over your lead once a fish is hooked. They have a handy tapered side that your swivel will sit on during the fight to ensure your naked line isn’t damaged when playing hard-fighting carp.

The Line Guards can also be used on traditional helicopter style set-ups too and have been designed to sit neatly on top of the Edges Heli Buffer Sleeve.

“GIMME”: £3.49 for eight