TESTING CONDITIONS

Peter used the packs on his regular 11km deer fence inspection walks all through last winter as a Woodland Trust ranger in the Kilpatrick Hills, as well as taking them into the Southern Highlands for bigger hill days.

The DryPack isn’t a standard daypack. Instead, Trekmates has essentially taken a 30L rolltop waterproof container and attached a back system and harness to make it into a useful and practical rucksack. To really test waterproofness, I filled the DryPack with water and held it up to look for drips. The pack is indeed waterproof, and strong given the weight of water it was holding.

The shoulder straps and hip fins are lightly padded, and mesh-lined. They’re both comfortable enough, and whilst the hip fins are too small to transfer a full load properly they do add a little stability. The back is unlined foam with a channel to allow some air circulation and it’s now starting to show some wear and tear. The two side mesh pockets are big enough for a 1L bottle. A compression strap runs through these but this can be repositioned outside the pocket or removed completely. Daisy chain webbing runs vertically up the front with pole attachments points and it allows you to attach other kit by adding your own bungee cord or straps.

The pack lacks stability with fuller loads due to its lightweight construction, but overall usability at such a low price makes it a sensible choice.

June 2022 The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

June 2022