Long Term Test: Rive D36 ST Pack - 23/04/2009

I’ve previously owned a D25 Rive seatbox but for the last 12 months I’ve been placing my behind on a D36 model (the D25/D36 refers to the leg diameter). To say it’s rock steady is a massive understatement – the legs are the biggest on the market, even the extendable legs feature 25mm inner legs. You CAN position a D36 seatbox in deep margins without a platform and still have a solid seating area, which is virtually unheard of with other seatboxes.

The HSP system incorporates the front four legs attaching to the footplate and the back two on the main seat area. This makes the whole box much more stable due to a solid base at the front. The updated wheel kit attaches to the footplate unit making for a much better trolley system than the previous type.

I have plenty of different accessories that allow me to position bait and tackle close to hand. The Rive system includes many types of accessories so you can make yourself feel really at home and comfortable. To raise the seat to my level and add more storage area, I added two front tray units to the upper area. The height can easily be adjusted by using any of the available units, either winder or storage. I can’t finish without mentioning the excellent colour-coded winder storage system that so many international anglers benefit from. There are 14 different winder configuration trays, each coming filled with winders for storing rigs – it’s a tackle tart’s dream!

• Mark Williams