TRAIL BACKPACKS
What’s the best pack for day-long riding adventures?
ION Transom 16 £134.95 (w/o bladder)
SO GOOD… The Transom has lots of storage options, including space for knee pads. Its rain-resistant fabric is easy to clean. ION’s adjustable airflow system helps keep you less sweaty.
NO GOOD… Even when unladen, the bag is bulky and heavy. Fine-tuning fit and storage is tricky. There’s only one main compartment, so you can’t separate food, tools and valuables. The bladder sits deep down and needs a long tube. Access to jacket pockets is blocked by the padded hip strap. The airflow system is hard to operate (you need to stop to activate it) and the bulk it adds isn’t worth it. www.ion-products.com
CamelBak MULE £109.99 (w/ bladder)
SO GOOD… As well as being lightweight and fairly spacious, this pack has internal dividers to help with organisation. The stretchy material is able to deform around bulky items, allowing you to stuff more in. A 3l bladder with quick-release hose is provided. It’s easy to adjust the straps and store them to stop flapping. Open-face helmet mounting is secure. NO GOOD… The MULE is sweaty on long climbs, and the thin straps don’t distribute weight well. It can bounce around over rough terrain and, if full, can bulge against your back. The helmet carrier isn’t compatible with all lids. In use, the available storage feels limited. www.zyrofisher.co.uk
O’Neal Romer £75 (w/ bladder)
SO GOOD… O’Neal’s offering is relatively inexpensive, and comes with a bladder. Multiple pockets are spread out across the pack. The helmet carrier holds both open- and full-face lids securely.
NO GOOD… It feels small, especially with the bladder filled, and the material is too stiff to mould around bulky items. The hip pockets are tricky to access and a single internal organiser isn’t sufficient. When using the helmet carrier, its storage compartment remains open and can fill with mud. The pack sits quite high and the straps have to be done up so tight to stop it bouncing that they restrict breathing. www.moorelarge.co.uk
Vaude Hyper 14+3 £80 (w/o bladder)
SO GOOD… Vaude’s pack is made from water-repellent and environmentallyfriendly material. It’s pretty comfortable to wear even when jam-packed full of kit, because the hip strap takes weight away from your shoulders and stops the pack bouncing around. The mesh gap between the bag and your back helps reduce sweat build-up.
NO GOOD… There aren’t enough pockets and dividers to store a day’s worth of kit in away from valuables, and the bag feels full quickly with a bladder (not included) in place. The helmet-carrying system isn’t very good and the extra weight of a fullface bent the attachment hooks on ours. www.vaude.com
USWE Airborne 15 £132.95 (w/ bladder)
SO GOOD… This pack has plenty of pockets, plus internal dividers to organise your kit, and, even with the supplied 3l bladder filled, there’s ample room. With the harness done up tight, it remains stable over rough trails. The ripstop material sheds rain well.
NO GOOD… Adjusting the multiple straps is a headache to get right, and to keep the pack still you have to cinch them up so tight it restricts breathing. The phone pocket interferes with the buckle and isn’t big enough for larger mobiles. Full-face lids are hard to secure to the bag and can fall off over rough terrain. www.uswe-sports.com
EVOC STAGE 12l £114.99 (w/o bladder)
SO GOOD… Each of the four zipped compartments in EVOC’s pack has its own use, with internal dividers, microfibre-lined pockets and separate pouches keeping things organised. It’s deceptively large and hides its weight well when full, transferring it through the hips rather than the shoulders. It holds a 3l bladder and a day’s worth of kit, has a rigid back to reduce bulging, and stays stable over rough terrain. The helmetmounting system is easy to use and is compatible with open- and full-face lids. NO GOOD… Despite airflow channels, it still gives you a sweaty back. At this price, we think it should come with a bladder. www.zyrofisher.co.uk