Foldable Beating Tray

I’ve been very interested in these beating trays for a while but was always put off by the price. After finally getting tired of lugging my trusty, but somewhat bulky, homemade beating tray around I was drawn to this option again; it looked light, very portable and the folded sizes looked great for popping into a backpack.
I finally gave in and ordered the larger size and it duly arrived with a couple of days.
So the review proper; simply put, I wish I’d bought it ages ago.
First impression as I unpacked the black holding bag with the handle poking out the end was how light and compact it is when folded, it easily fits in a reasonable sized backpack. It’s a little bigger than the size of a tennis racket head when packed. Once I’d taken it from it’s bag I undid the ribbon, extended the aluminium twist and lock pole and then opened up the tray itself. The memory wire on the outside is sturdy and keeps the trays shape well, the handle is easy to operate and the tray just feels very comfortable to use.
I couldn’t wait to try it out so decided to pack it back in the bag for a walk down the canal path later... after 20 minutes or so of trying to fold up the tray and cackling hysterically at my feeble efforts I finally had the idea to detached the pole. After that I simply twisted and folded it into three before re-attaching the pole, which easily screws back into place. Now I’d mastered that it was simple to remove the pole, open the tray and re-attach the pole for use in about 2 minutes or less.
My first outing with it was a great success, it’s easy to hold, either by the centre of the pole and supported with your elbow or even at head height when holding the handle. The tray is deep enough to catch all the falling invertebrates with ease and the wipe clean surface doesn’t stain easily. A couple of other outings with it have confirmed this was an excellent buy, in fact I’m already considering getting the smaller size one for my son to use.
Genuinely great product and excellent design. Well worth the investment. Just be patient learning how to fold it ;-)

It's really good to use, lightweight but would be great if there were instructions to put it back in the bag! Absolute nightmare!