Review for UK Adventure Sports Magazine AR Pack Group Test

Summary – Exceptionally lightweight racing pack.

Made from the same fabric as their hugely successful Laserlite tent range, it’s thin, superlight, water-resistant and seems to be pretty tough. It has one large main compartment with a vertical water resistant zip, with an internal bladder pouch and a smaller slot pocket on one side. This design can place a lot of strain on the zip if over stuffed, but so far careful packing and a month’s use are showing no ill effects. Packing heavier items low in the ‘A’ shape packs keeps their weight off the zip and keeps the packs stable. External mesh pockets and thin bungee cords provide additional storage, and extra hypalon loops allow you to configure the cords for best compression or helmet carry. At first glance they look insubstantial, but in practice they held trekking poles securely on an extended mountain run. Hip pockets are easy to use and bottle pockets are attached to the hip belt for ease of access. The compression on these is a bit fiddly and can’t be tightened one handed or excessively as the thin bungee seems a bit fragile, but again it is effective. The harness is well fitting, stable and although back padding is just some well placed mesh, it is comfortable. At half the weight of some other packs around, it’s really at the cutting edge of racing equipment design and despite the low weight it still manages to be practical for everyday hill use.