Very Able Cradle
Protect your catches with this super-safe mat courtesy of Advanta
Storing and transporting an unhooking mat big enough for house brutes in both the UK and overseas can be a hassle. Inflatables puncture and cradles take up half your barrow. Advanta’s new offering is light and mega padded, and folds down into a 75cm square that’s just 8.5cm deep. Pop it open though, and you’re left with a 1.2m x 70cm mat to give even the biggest carp adequate protection. Here’s five key takeaways about the new Quick-Cradle XLarge…
1. How Big Is It
This is the Advanta Quick-Cradle XLarge, which complements the existing ‘Large’ version. Designed to protect the largest carp, it measures 1.2m long by 70cm wide. In comparison, the Large version is 1.1m long and 50cm wide. This makes the XLarge model suitable for just about any fish you’ll encounter here or abroad.
2. Lightweight Design
The Quick-Cradle is designed to offer maximum protection with minimum bulk. Despite a lack of bulk, there is still a thick foam base for the carp to lie on. The XLarge version weighs just 2.2kg and when packed down fits into a space measuring 75cm by 70cm, with a depth of 8.5cm.
3. Clever design
This unhooking mat is based around a pop-up design with a lightweight frame that provides walled shelter for the carp. The unobtrusive and flexible frame supports large raised sections at either end that extend round the whole mat to provide a dished section for the fish to sit safely inside.
4. Protection for you and the fish
There are two flaps on the Advanta Quick-Cradle XLarge. The bigger of the two covers the whole width of the mat and can be positioned to protect a flapping fish, or reduce light on the fish to calm it down. The secondary flap rolls out beyond the mat’s footprint to give you a clean and dry place on which to kneel down when unhooking or holding a carp.
5. Light but tough
Despite its easy portability, this mat will stay put when you need it to. In high winds, take advantage of the integral pegging points to secure the mat to the ground. That mat itself is also built to take years of abuse, with strong materials and durable components designed to cope with plenty of personal bests. It also comes with its own carry case. Large £39.99 and XLarge £59.99
CARPology's Luke Venus takes a look at Advanta's Protector Quick Cradle range.
