Climb 0909

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Tom Richardson tells a tale of the very first bombproofrucksackfrom when canvas
ruledthe day... and of Don Whillans'sinvolvement.He also looks at a rangeof virtually
indestructiblerucksacks(but with not a hint of canvasin sight, you'll be pleasedto hear).
my
old friend John North told me
about a time when his thenemployer,
Karrimor, the one time
Lancashire based manufacturer of
technical climbing and trekking rucksacks and cycle
bags, was commissioned to make what could have
been called a bombproof rucksack for the legendary
Don Whillans. It may have been for his bold attempt
on Masherbrum which was followed by an even
bolder motor bike ride all the way back from
Rawalpindi to Rossendale, or as with so many such
stories about the man, it may not have been. It was
for some trip or another somewhere anyway.
So, on the appointed day they showed him a sack
made from heavy duty stout cotton canvas with
military type webbing straps, metal buckles, and
leather fittings all sewn and riveted together. It was
designed from an original pack made to cope with
the demands of the Outward Bound Schools.
Don apparently cast a jaundiced eye over it,
paused and squinted across at his assembled pensive
audience. I imagine a shrivelled roll-up was gripped
between his lips.
"Aye," he said,
Til have one just like that... but twice as big!"
So was probably born one of the first UK purposemade
bombproof mountaineering sacks. Eventually it
developed into a regular product from Karrimor
called the Himalaya. I had one, it was huge, you
could bivvy in it, it was completely waterproof and
breathable (still made from thick canvas) and more or
less indestructible. On the other hand, it was pretty
desperate to carry (no frame and no hip-belt in those
days) and when it was wet it froze and became so stiff
that it was almost impossible to open or close.
Mine, (bought as a much-needed pressie to myself
after my first route on the Ben in the winter of 1974
(which I'll no doubt tell you about sometime) was
from Nevisport, then a tiny specialist shop in Fort
William High Street. It is probably still being used to
carry firewood, dried apricots or new born goats by
an equally tough old shepherd I gave it to in the
Hunza valley in Pakistan in 1987.
Demanding though Don's specification may have
been, today we want even more from our packs.
Obviously, like Don, we don't want them to fall
apart but we also want them to be comfortable, easy
to carry, lightweight and useable in all conditions for
whatever activity we are doing. It could be for a
day's cragging, a big mountain route, an expedition
or even a motor bike ride back home from
Rawalpindi!
And of course in these austere times we want to
get the best value for money.
Over the past 12 months or so I have been testing
a number of contemporary bombproof packs in both
the UK and in various parts of the Greater Ranges. It
is certainly not a definitive list of bombproof packs,
but rather a selection of current ones. Hopefully my
experiences will help you to make an investment in a
pack that will do the job and last for ages. In a
number of years' time, when it eventually wears out,
get in touch, I think I know a shepherd who will
need a new one by then!
H
What I mean by 'BombProof Pack'
1. Bombproof doesn't mean heavy
Modern technology has improved the performance of fabrics greatly.
Modern lightweights can be a lot stronger than older style heavyweights.
Fabric durability is determined by tear strength, puncture resistance,
abrasion resistance, waterproofness and time/light degradation.
2. No unjustified features and no gimmicks (unless you can cut them off
before you start). No fancy adjustable back lengths; gear attachments,
buckles etc have got to work in cold and wet conditions.
3. It must work with you and must be able to carry heavy and light loads
whilst climbing too. It's got to be comfortable.
4. It should be made to last.
5. It has to be tough. If it is driven over by a tank/eaten by a yak or
dropped down the Idwal Slabs it should be able to take it and be
repairable.
IT WAS EVENBETTERBEFOREIT WAS
IMPROVED,IFYOU SEEWHATI MEAN,
BUT NEVER MIND
Fabrics
The industry has gone through several different fashions for bombproof
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pack fabrics since those simple times of choosing between blue or grey
heavy duty canvas. The raw material of choice for pack fabrics is nylon. It
can be manipulated in a wide variety of ways to create a range of fabric
types and styles. The most popular of them in the early 1980s was called
Cordura and was usually used in a 1000 denier version. It was great for
resisting abrasion but had a coarse weave that was quite stiff and made it
difficult to waterproof. It is still used, but lighter versions of about 500
denier are more common and they have a better balance of characteristics.
One way of making a fabric stronger without adding much weight is to
add occasional stronger threads along and across the weave. This is called
FUpstop because, well, erm... it stops rips.
The strongest ripstop threads are things like Spectra or Dyneema. These
ibres cannot be dyed so they appear as white grids across the fabric, however
not all fabrics with a white grid pattern are reinforced with
anything special, although nylon ripstop threads also improve strength but
not all very strong fabrics necessarily have such reinforcements, so beware.
Fabrics are made waterproof by applying a coating (usually called PU)
to the inside of the fabric and one called DWR (Durable Water Hepellency)
coating to the outside. An odd name as it is the least durable
of the coatings and should be reapplied by spray from time to time to keep
it working. Many modern packs have sealed waterproof seams too. These
aren't a bad idea but you still need to have items stored separately in dry
>ags inside so that when you open the pack in the snow your dry clothes
stay dry whilst you reach for a sandwich or your headtorch. Also, as most
of the weight of a pack is taken on the seams they may not last forever.
bFor areas of very high abrasion some packs use tough plastic/rubber
iterials such as PVC or Hyperion. They are undoubtedly strong, but
___doubted!y heavy too.
If these main fabrics were used for the part of the pack that goes against
your back, they would be unstable, slippery and sweaty. Back fabrics
should wick moisture, but not be too spongy or made of fancy mesh that
will soak up water or snag on rocks if you have to haul or drag the pack.
Straps, no matter what they are made of, can freeze solid if wet so no
design should rely on straps with only sliding buckles. Smooth-weave
ebbing slips when wet more than knobbly ones. Buckles should be
seable in the cold and with gloves on. Bigger in this case is usually better.
The padding on packs can be overdone. It makes them seem really
comfy in the shop but they get in the way or become difficult to really
take the strain on or off your hips or shoulders. Padding should be both
minimal but also very robust. Many squidgy types of foam used in
shoulder straps begin to collapse after just a few months' use.
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I I lodern
lodern technolc
technology has improved the performance of fabrics greatly
MODERN LIGHTWEIGHTSCAN BE A LOT STRONGERTHAN OLDER STYLE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Photos by Tom Richardson
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One brand has a hip-belt made from
thermo-mouldable foam. If you can
feel the difference you are not
suffering enough.
Most (but not all packs) are still
sewn together. Bar tacks are used
to reinforce points of strain. The
more thread and the closer the
zig-zags the better. Rivets used
to be popular but because they
are hard can pull out more
easily and rust. Regular seams
need to be sewn several
times for strength and
ideally bound with tape too.
When you are buying have a
good look inside as well as
out. Try turning the sack
inside out if you can.
Lowe Alpine Peak
Attack 40 E80
Fit
It is obviously important that any pack
fits. The hip-belt should wrap around the top of
your pelvis, on the bone. The shoulder straps should be in contact with
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Aiguille
Aiguille are one of, or perhaps the
only remaining manufacturer of
technical packs in the UK. They
are hand-made near Kendal in the
Lake District and are of tough,
sensible and classic designs. In
many ways the Expedition Range
is the nearest thing to my original
Himalaya, but without any of the
disadvantages. They are made
from strong solid Cordura fabrics,
have a good twin stave frame,
comfy hip-belt and have models
ranging from 60 to over 100
litres. They are also mercifully
free of fancy gizmos of
questionable practicality.
This also means they are
both reasonably light and
very well priced. The flagship
Expedition is available in four
sizes and weighs about 2.4kgs
At the other end of the scale the
climbing packs range are soft packs but equally well made and designed.
The Triolet is a classic 45 litre pack that weighs in at a mere 1.2kgs.
You won't find these packs in many shops, so check out their web site
and you won't be disappointed. Bombproof they most definitely are.
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Lowe Alpine
Lowe Alpine make a wide range of packs. I have considered two in
particular as bombproof packs. The Peak Attack is a 30 or 40 litre job
made from a range of good light ripstop materials and more textured or
abrasion resistant ones in the areas that need it. The section on the side
panels has Hyperion bonded to the regular woven fabric at the point
where skis might wear which is quite clever. It has a good non-absorbent
moulded back and can be stripped down to a lighter weight go-faster
version. It has an excellent rope strap that doesn't stop you from getting
into the main pack.
It is good in many ways but has two
features which despite trying to like, I
don't think are very helpful. The back
length is semi-adjustable via a pull
strap between the shoulder straps. In
long mode (i.e. to fit me at 1.83m) the
top tension straps don't provide any
assistance and the sack sits lower
than I would like on my back. If
you are shorter it's fine, but then
you don't need an adjustable
PODCragsac£110
system anyway...
The other thing that to me is
over engineered is the side profile
straps. The buckles are just too
complex and fiddly.
Better to my mind is the
Mountain Attack 35 + 10 or
45+10 which has all the good
features of the Peak without
any of the unnecessarily heavy
or useless ones. It is therefore
lighter too. It uses metal
buckles at key points which I
find a bit of a fumble but many
people prefer them to the traditional
two piece plastic snap buckles.
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Mountain Peak 1.6kg
Mountain Attack 1.7kg
Alpine Ascent ND 1.7kg (Women's
version coyly termed as ND which
stands for Nanda Devi)
POD
POD sacks used to be handmade
by Pete O'Donovan
himself, but for the last few
years, under his guidance, the
same company that makes the
excellent Rab gear have been
making them. The classic
range remains unchanged both
in terms of quality of
manufacture and materials.
As examples of bombproof
packs, any of the classic
range would fit the bill. I
chose two extremes. The
Cragsac is a simple
straightforward sack made in
three different sizes and
capacities 40, 43 and 47 litres. It is
made from strong heavy duty traditional
Cordura
PODx Pod £18°
and can be stripped down to save weight from its
total of 1.1 kgs.
If it sounds all too good to be true, it really isn't. For bigger heavier
loads, backpacking or hauling stuff about on an expedition, you could do
no better than go for an X POD. It has more features for comfortable
carrying but again can be stripped down for fast climbing. It is available in
60, 75 and 80 litre back length/sizes. My brother swears by his.
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BerghausExpedition
£150
behind me in semi-darkness at the end
of a long day in the Highlands,
because of the colours my wife
Janet said it gave the impression
that she was being approached by
a penguin! Charming.
The Direttissima is 50 litres
capacity and the Dihedral is 40
and both are available in
regular and long sizes. They
are very well equipped and very
strong but when in full livery,
as opposed to being stripped
down without hip-belt, frame
and top flap, they are a bit on
the heavy side.
I don't know whether it
would have been Mr.
Comici's cup of tea, but I
can just about imagine that
if Don were with us now he
might want one of these (and
not only because the ice axe
attachment can open beer
bottles either) but twice as big,
in which case another of MH's
range the BMG sack (100 litres, not tested)
might have suited him!
Direftissima 2kg
Dihedral 1.7kg
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'Cut off all unnecessary extras,
offer full performance in the
mountains.'
They have met their spec:
it's tough (made unusually
from polyester) waterproof
(taped seams) strip-downable
(hip-belt is removable) and yet
simple and hugs your (or
rather my) back. One of the
first things you will notice is
that there are no flap buckles,
it secures with one or two
karabiners. A bit of an eyecatching
gimmick perhaps
but they don't break and
you can use them even
with big mitts on.
It has daisy chains for
attaching gear outside, but
otherwise it has a clean, non-snagging
Exped Mountain Pro 40 £150
outer which helps when hauling.
I like it; and again, if twice or even three times as big, Don probably
would have too.
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Berghaus
The story of the legendary Berghaus Expedition pack goes back well over
20 years. My friend Janet Moore sheltered under hers when we got caught
in a rockfall high in the Karakoram in the late 1980s. It saved her - but I
don't recommend the procedure.
The original idea was based on their Cyclops frame system using simple
and strong designs and fabrics. Today it has been slightly updated but,
ignoring a few gimmicks (use my three point ABC checklist above on
them), is still essentially just as good as ever. It was even better before it
was improved, if you see what I mean, but never mind.
If you want a big (80 litres plus) light-ish (2.4kg) strong (it'll age better
than you) and classic pack the Expedition could be it. You can go for
either the sober grey /black tones or a bright red/orange which will at least
be easier to find if you leave it on a moraine field; in fact it is so bright it
could probably be spotted from outer space.
I recommend that you check one out ^^^^^^^^Haglofs
Roc 35 £110
from earth though.
Expedition 2.4kgs
Haglofs
In recent times we have seen
quite a lot of super-light high
performance clothing from the
Swedish brand Haglofs in the
UK but until recently not much
in the way of packs that could
fit into my bombproof
category. I have been testing
one of their newly introduced
range, the Roc 35. It is at the
other end of the spectrum from
the fast and light kit we are used
to seeing. It is a no-frills
mountain pack designed for
maximum function and
durability. It only weighs 1.5kg
and can be stripped down
further by removing the internal
board and frame and lid. It does
have a mesh back which is only
minimally padded so hasn't ripped
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on my recent 'rucksack abuse' trips. It has a
sensible big single flap buckle and is
reinforced with Hyperion type material.
Very unusually some points of strain are
riveted or otherwise reinforced with
metal and the top flap has an
unnecessary reinforcing bar across
the front, all of which it probably
could do without. Otherwise, in the
nicest possible way, it is a Saab or
Volvo in rucksack form.
Roc 35 1.5 kgs
Crux
Crux stuff is always different. It is
always simple and practical. Their
rucksack range is what they first
became known for and in my view
they are still their flagship products.
The AK series goes from 37 to 70 litre
models. They are all constructed from
a rather advanced material combining
Cordura and Kevlar with waterproof
seams. The frames are similar to flexible tent poles. They
mx
are minimalist, devoid of excess gimmicks but very strong.
They are made in different back lengths and they work.
I've been using an AK 47 for more than a year (not too keen on the
name in these terrorist-sensitivetimes though). Other models have things
like removable top flaps or bigger capacity. They are bombproof and good
and that's about it.
AK47 47 litres and weighs a mere 1.170 kg!
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Arc'teryx
I first came across the incomprehensible name of Arc'teryx on a trip to
Vancouver, Canada, where the company is based, many years ago and its
great news that their radically designed and built products are now widely
available in specialist shops in the UK. Arc'teryx are often the innovators
of features or design approaches that become standard amongst other
brands a few years later.
In my view they were the first company to really get right the design for
a completely waterproof, bombproof pack; rather than being
compromised by the carrying harness system they redesigned one that
worked even better. The Naos series in
Arc'teryx Naos
men's and women's models from 7085
70 £325
litres is about 2.3kgs, fully
waterproof and has an outer fabric
that is tougher than new let alone
old boots. I can vouch for the fact
that in my experience it is both
Tibet and Tibetan yak proof!
Naos 65 litres 2.3 kgs
Black Diamond
The Sphynx 42 litre pack from
Black Diamond doesn't initially
grab your attention. It is a trim
shape with a moulded back
and a body fabric of midweight
Cordura type fabric.
When you look more closely
you would see that it is, as
design should be, function
creating form. It is light at
1.6kg but can be stripped
down to more or less nothing.
The top flap secures with a single
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buckle and extra gear can be
attached via simple features. It
is available in different back
AM
BlackDiamond
( Sphynx42LEl09
lengths. The test model I've
been using has been climbing
and travelling in Mongolia,
India, Bhutan and Scotland
and whilst it doesn't still
look quite like new, nothing
has failed, not even a puncture
in the fabric. I'm rather fond
of it.
Sphynx 42 weight 1.6kgs
Packing Hints
Buy some dry bags. These are
made from either pu-coated
nylon with sealed seams or
super lightweight silicone
proofed nylon. They have a
waterproof roll down closure
with a two part buckle, are not
very heavy but are worth their weight
in gold. Some dry bags have a window so you can see what is inside.
Either way a system is useful so that you know red is gloves and hat and
blue is first aid and headtorch or whatever.
Rig a rack. My friend Richard Haszko always reckoned that a pack
should only have an opening at the bottom because whatever he wanted
was always there! If the sack doesn't have one arrange a system from
which to hang things inside at the top in the same way as on your harness,
otherwise when you really really need that extra item it will be at the
bottom.
you all the way from the point at which they are attached to the sack to
under your arms. The availability of different back lengths on the same
model of pack helps a lot and so does having shapes that are narrower
across the shoulder and wider in the hips. In these post-feminist times,
manufacturers seem less and less confident and more coy about designing
and labelling packs as men's or women's but are increasingly labelling such
packs in code so that nobody will know the gender of your pack. The
point is that they are available in a range of shapes that is roughly like
most of us. A chest strap is useful for all of us.
Features
If you ever have the misfortune to spend much time with people who are
zealous marketing types you have my sympathy and you will no doubt
have heard the mantra 'Features and Benefits.' Sadly some packs have
trivial 'features' disguised as 'benefits' just to try to attract us. Be very
LoweAlpine
Mountain
Attack
Pro 45+10
£110
sceptical about all such things and for each
feature ask, yourself:.,
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a) will it work?
b) is it worth having?
c) can it be removed and still
leave a worthwhile pack? Don't
hold back with the knife if
necessary.
I'm reminded of a very elderly
great aunt of mine who decided
to take in a lodger. She
showed a young chap up to a
bleak, cold and empty room in
her house and said to him:
"Just let me know if there is
anything else you need... and
I'll tell you how you can do
without it!"
A good motto I think.
I was thinking about how
best to sequence my
discussion of each of the
test packs. I wrote all the
names on bits of paper
and pulled them out of a
rucksack at random.
Here goes...
Mountain Hardwear
Several of Mountain Hardwear's packs very definitely fall into the
bombproof category. Two from their range are the Direttissima and
Dihedral. If you wonder about what the names mean, the term
Direttissima was coined by, or at least advocated by, the legendary climber
Emilio Comici (1901-1940) to describe his no-compromise direct line
routes in the Dolomites.
"I wish some day to make a route and from
MountainHardwear
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the summit let fall a drop of water and ————
this is where my route will have
gone," he once said.
To that extent, the Direttissima
is also a no compromise pack.
Other than for alliterative
purposes I don't really know
why the partner pack is
called a Dihedral which is the
term for a vertical rightangled
corner on a cliff, but
never mind, what's in a
name?
Both packs are easily
recognisable because of
their striking black, white
and orange colour
scheme. The main pack
is made from black
Cordura fabric and the
front panel is made from
an incredibly tough white
plastic/PVC type material and the
straps are orange. On test, descending
Osprey
At first glance Osprey's oddly-named Mutant pack probably doesn't look
like it would meet the criteria for being a bombproof pack. The fabrics
aren't that thick or stiff, there are no major reinforcing patches sewn on
and there are quite a lot of unusual looking features for attaching gear. I
think it does though. It is a soft pack with a moulded non-absorbent back;
it has tough medium weight fabrics on the main body and a more textured
abrasion resistant base fabric. I tried to trash one, but failed.
The iconic Osprey style of features, although a bit unusual looking all
work whether it is the Z-shaped side profile straps or the haul loops. If I
were to make any changes I would simplify
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the hip-belt pulling system and
remove the printed patterns
which make the whole thing
look frillier and less
bombproof than it is. Don't
be put off.
Mutant 1.3 Kgs
Exped
Exped is a word that at least
requires the addition of
an 'ition' to make sense.
As a brand however
they make a lot of
sense and one that we mostly
associate with a hi-tech range of
sleeping mats, including the
innovative down filled ones. It's
a good indicator that they are
keen to re-think traditional ideas
on gear. The Exped Mountain
Pro 40 is another great
example. The design spec
sums it up:
Think ahead. If you are going to attach things to the outside try to
arrange them so that you can get them out without taking your sack off.
When you need your ice axe, it's usually not the best time to have to take
your sack off and fiddle about with a lot of silly straps and loops.
Repairs
Sometimes, despite everything, you might need to make some repairs to
your pack. It's always worth carrying a spare two-part buckle, especially a
hip-belt buckle, a strong needle or three and some dental floss with which
to sew up the odd hole(stronger than any thread and you can get the bits
of dinner out your teeth as you work!) Seam Grip and Tenacious tape can
be handy for slightly smarter and more expensive repairs. Sadly my old
friend the Gaffer Tape (Duct Tape) is usually not up to much when it
comes to pack repairs (I tried it a few years ago after a squirrel ate a hole
in my pack and stole my lunch whilst I looked on shouting from the crag
above - cheeky beggar).
When you get home if a more competent job is needed or something
specialised like a zip needs repairing I recommend Lancashire Sports
Repairs (LSR) and Scottish Mountain Gear who both do a great job at a
not-too-bad price. C?
STOCKISTS
Hl
Aiguille
Exped
www.lyon.co.uk
Berghaus
www.berghaus.com
Black Diamond
www.firstascent.co.uk
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m
m
Arc'Teryx
www.bigsto
Mountain Hardwear
www
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