Vaude Zerum 48+ LW £140
Used by editor and rucksack cynic, Simon Ingram Used for 3 months
I’ve probably been strapped to about 100 rucksacks in my life. Yet after all that, when I just want to go walking I have three
rucksacks I use in rotation: a 15-litre Osprey sack, a 30-litre Vaude sack and a bombproof 47-litre Crux which I’ve been using for about 12 years. I rarely feel the need to add to these three options (though I do have a huge Lowe Alpine sack on ice for the day I finally attempt the first 20 metres of the Appalachian Trail). This new sack from Vaude is a challenger to my elderly Crux, whose original red is now taking on an alarming shade of pink. I was attracted to the Zerum as it’s lightweight and actually comfortable. With larger rucksacks comfort generally translates to higher weight – the investment being that weighty support systems mean you’ll notice the overall weight less. At just over a kilo, this rucksack seems to strike a pleasing balance. It’s very well featured, too, with a proper side pouch, a huge front zip to access a stow pocket, a detachable lid that doubles as a hip bag and daisy chain attachment loops.
The on-the-go drink bottle stow system at the hip I found very useful as, being a bit of a dinosaur, I tend to use bottles rather than hydration systems, but I needed to watch it when taking the sack on and off as it did slip out a couple of times. It’s a slim frame, fine in the rain (though by no means infallible – that front zip lets water in with little protest) and while a little creaky when loaded heavily, is very comfortable where it counts. Probably its only real issue is also the secret to the weight: the fabric. It’s siliconised 70D ripstop with tougher patches lower down, which gives it the feel of a tent flysheet. It’s strong but very lumpy when packed – and due to the slight fabric not having a lot of inherent structure, it does feel marginally less stable on the back when loaded up. Did this really affect its performance? Not much.
All in all, this is a sterling rucksack which makes up for its meagre shortcomings with that weight saving, and is ideal for short to moderate backpacking. And this being Vaude, it’s stamped up with every environmental and ethical credential you can imagine. It looks like my rucksack stable is going to grow to four.