Overall, I like the functionality of this "crate". I liked the idea of
having the top lid to quickly access small items, loose lures and a
few bags of soft plastics. I really liked the idea of not having to
worry about the risk of turning the kayak over and everything
falling out of a crate unless I had a net or bungees over the top.
This Krate solves all of that. However, it also loses the convenience
of simply reaching inside the crate and pulling out what you need.
It obviously doesn't allow things to stick out of the top like a
regular crate, too. Those points you can figure out from the
pictures, though. What I learned when I received it were the
following things:
1. This Krate is very well constructed. Screws hold together the
lids, hinges, etc. While everything is plastic, it seems to be heavy
enough to hold up over time. We'll see how the main lid hinge fairs
over time - it will take the most punishment as it stops the lid from
opening past vertical.
2. The clear lid on top is going to get some scratches in it. I think
it is inevitable.
3. The rod holders...they function perfectly fine and attach solidly.
I didn't need to use the included risers the way I mounted the
Krate in my kayak. One thing to note, if you mount it sideways,
you can only put 3 rod holders on one side, not all 4. But, if you
mount it longways fire/aft, there are a few ways to mount them.
You can mount 2 on each side vertically as the pictures show, or
they have included bosses to screw them on to angle back towards
the rear. Interestingly, the two on a given side are angled back at
different angles. That's how I set mine up since it gets the rods
pointed back and away from me while casting. I don't know if that
will work with the risers, though.
4. Mounting...I messed with this for a while to figure out how I
wanted to orient the Krate behind me. I originally wanted to put it
sideways right behind my seat, but that just made it tough to
reach behind and lift the lid all the way open in the opposite
direction than I had turned my body around (hopefully that makes
sense). I ultimately mounted it fore/aft to take advantage of the
angled rod holders and make it easier to just turn back and
open/close it. I have long arms so I can still push the lid back and
get it all the way up and open, but that is a consideration when
deciding to mount it that way.
5. Capacity in the main body of the Krate...it certainly holds a lot,
but when you start filling it with 3700 waterproof Plano boxes it
fills quickly. I attached a picture showing 4 3700 waterproof boxes
and a regular 3700 box inside. There is for sure room for another
slim 3700 box or, maybe, another regular 3700 box. Once they are
all loaded in there, not much room is left except maybe an inch on
one end. Also, I confirmed that another waterproof 3700 would
NOT fit flat on top without smashing the Krate lid down and
stressing the hinge. I forgot to measure the interior dimensions
but will try to add them later.
6. Unlike the BlackPak or a regular crate, it's going to be very
tough to attach items to the outside. I'm guessing you could drill
through the sides for screws/washers/nuts, but it's not made for
that like a BlackPak.
7. The rubber latches are just tight enough to always keep the lids
latched, but aren't so difficult that you can't easily pull them with
one hand and get them open. They work well.
8. The 2 included "divider" nets hang from a rod that inserts into
slots along the top of the main compartment. They hang down
about halfway into the compartment. They are a heavy rubberized
netting material with 4 pockets in each one. I'm not sure if I'll ever
use them or not. Once you start filling the compartment with 3700
Plano boxes there isn't much room left for them. Interestingly,
there are the same slots molded into the front and rear that would
make you think they might eventually make long dividers/nets to
span the length of the Krate which might be more useful as they
could hang down between 3700 boxes. However, the same might
work for the provided nets if you fit 3500/3600 boxes in the main
compartment sideways. I just haven't tried to see how they fit,
yet.
In the end, this is a keeper but there are pros and cons just like
with anything. I hope I won't miss the ability to mount things on
the outside. I do appreciate the overall quality of this Krate and
would recommend it as long as you understand the benefits and
limitations as noted above.
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