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Karrimor Sabre 45 Rucksack |
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Written by Tony Bristow
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Page 1 of 2 The Sabre 45 is probably the rucksack that others are marked against in the bushcraft market.
I was very interested to see what all the hype was about and if the real thing lived up to it all!
The sack is certainly well built with sturdy cordora material, strong YKK zips, rot proof stitching and secure buckles - so all good so far.
Manufacturer: PRI
URL: www.pri.uk.com
Product name:
Sabre 45
Suggested usage:
Military and civilian medium sized rucksack.
Garment Specification
A medium sized rucksack for up to a week long trip. 45 litre main compartment with 12 litre side pouches. The side pouches can be used as a separate day pack creating a versatile rucksack (using a separate yolk).
Garment features
• Coolmesh back system
• F-Format internal frame (removable)
• S shaped shoulder harness
• Sternum strap
• One main compartment
• Compatible with PLCE pouches
• Compression straps
• Shock cord carry system
• Zipped lid compartment
• Stuff pockets
• Crampon loops
• Twin ice axe holders
• Durable water repellent (DWR)
• YKK zips
Fabric
A Silicon/PU coated 1000 Denier Nylon fabric
Average weight
1.2kg
RRP
£80 |
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The pack comes minus the PLCE side pouches. These have to be bought separately, which is a shame as they are very useful and, at about 12 litres each, make the pack into a very useable size. I bought 2 of these pouches from Ebay - one standard and the other a medical pouch (this pouch had a zip running ¾ length ways, which enables the pouch to be fully opened like a book to reveal the contents. The pouches are attached by two zips running vertically the length of the side walls, 2 plastic buckles at the top and 2 compression straps - for each pouch! Not much chance of those falling off then! However, if you were to then add the side pouches, that brings it up to a total of 5 compartments in all.
The padding consists of a large central section and the shoulder straps. The belt is wide and strong, but not padded. There’s an internal frame pad which can be contoured to the shape of your back to aid comfort as well.
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 It’s a top loader design, which has a single compartment as the main part of the sack. It has two pull cords with grip fasteners to hold the opening closed as well as a compression strap going over the top. Above that the top flap has a zip pocket on the outside and another on the inside. When trialled in a recent week long expedition, I kept a first aid kit including a field dressing in the outer pocket and found the inner one just big enough to hold the seemingly huge amount of small items we needed like lighters, note books, head torches, spoon etc. That’s it in terms of pockets on the main rucksack. There are a load of attaching points on the outside of the pack though, hip belt loops, bungee cord and a double row of loops down the front for attaching crampons. All very impressive.
The simplicity and strength of this design is a big advantage, especially for a pack that’s aimed squarely at the military market. It also means that it’s easy to put a waterproof liner in. The downside to this pack was that you may find yourself searching to locate that one vital piece of kit that’s fallen down to the bottom of the pack on occasions! |
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