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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
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Information
Manufacturer: Snugpak
Product name: Rocketpak rucksack
Suggested usage: Military and civilian medium sized rucksack.
Garment Specification:
A medium sized rucksack for up to weeklong trips. 40 litre main compartment with side pouches of 10 litres each. The side pouches can be used as a separate daypack creating a versatile rucksack (using a separate yolk).
Garment features:
• 40 litre main compartment.
• 2 x 10 litre side pouches compliant with PLCE fittings
• Side pouches can be zipped together to make a day pack using a yoke harness (available separately)
• Outer and inner lid pockets
• Under pack pocket containing 2 waterproof covers (sand and DPM)
• Adjustable waist and chest straps.
• Contoured shoulder harness faced with high wicking fabrics
• Adjustable internal frame
• Padded air permeable back system for comfort
Fabric: Water repellent Cordora type fabric
Average weight
2kg
RRP
£69.99
 The rucksack is designed to be worn over military belt pouches, which means it rides high on the back. The belt is in actually fact a waist belt rather than a hip belt and fits around the waist. For the bushcrafter, who may be unfamiliar with a belt kit, this could put undue stress on the back as the spine takes all the weight. However, if the pack is dropped down the back a little the belt rests nicely on the hips, which aids comfort no end. I’m about 6 feet tall and the shoulder straps were just about long enough. In addition, my 12 year old son wore one throughout a recent trip of the jungles of Brunei and found the pack very comfortable when worn in this way. |
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The padding is situated over the entire back panel and on the waist/hip belt. It was comfortable and worked well, with no abnormal aches or pains from anyone who used it (as long as it’s worn at the hips). Additionally, the internal frame can be removed and moulded to the shape of your back for extra comfort.
The shoulder straps nicely contoured the body and these can be linked by a sternum strap if needed. They are also lined with an air permeable material to reduce heat and sweat build up, which hastens drying time.
There are loads of external attachment points on this pack - A bungee cord system on the front, ice pick attachments, compression straps and one other feature, which I really liked, a couple of mesh pockets under the side pouches (which can be removed like any PLCE system). These pockets are hidden once the pouches are on so it would be a great place to store an axe or large camp knife knowing there’s no chance of it sliding out.
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| The design of the pack consists of a large single compartment of 40 litres with two top pockets (one on the outside of the lid, the other on the inside). The zipped pocket below the main compartment holds 2 waterproof covers, one coloured in military DPM (camouflage), the other in sand. Both worked well and stowed away easily. There was also enough room to store some smaller items of kit in the pocket as well if needed. |
| I really appreciated the feature that the side pouches came with the pack as a complete unit, which some of the competition does not cater for. The side pouches are designed to be able to be removed from the main pack and attached to a yolk and used as a smaller day pack. This can look a bit strange carrying what appears to be two small bags on your back but it does work. This effectively gives the option of 3 different rucksacks: everything together (60 litres), the main pack only (40 litres) or the side pouches only (20 litres). In truth this is the case for any system based around a PLCE , but that’s where its success lies. |
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Conclusion:
At first, when wearing the rucksack high, from the waist up, I found the rucksack cumbersome and my body ached. However, by dropping the pack down to the hips I encountered no such problems and it worked really well.
The military background shines through in terms of its hard wearing and no nonsense design.
For the money, it’s a good pack and will serve well for many years – provided you can get on with the carrying position or adjust it to suit as I did.
Reviewed by Mark Aspell
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The rucksack is designed to be worn over military belt pouches, which means it rides high on the back. The belt is in actually fact a waist belt rather than a hip belt and fits around the waist.
Thankfully we didn’t need to test this theory! The dry bag sat nicely in the bottom of the rucksacks and, as there are no valves or anything complicated to remember...
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