Berghaus Octans 25 Review

Berghaus Octans 25
25 litre capacity daypack
£60 RRP
www.berghaus.com
Time owned: Two years

I bought the Octans 25 when I was looking for a lightweight pack which would be suitable for day hikes but wouldn't feel over the top if I just wanted something to throw a jacket and camera in for an evening stroll.

Any regular readers of this blog will know I'm a big fan of simple, minimalist designs and that's what attracted me to the Octans.

First impressions were good, the black and grey is subtle and stylish, its well made and has nice touches like the whistle on the sternum buckle. The Octans is also definitely lightweight, the material while feeling well made is not heavy duty, there's no semi-rigid structure to the back of the bag like many packs and the shoulder straps lack padding.

Over the last 16 months the Octans has been used extensively in all conditions from rain, wind, sun, snow and even a stag do. So I'm now at a point where I can give a real opinion on the Berghaus Octans.

The Octans in use

First thing to say is the Octans is really comfy on all day hikes, sure I do get a sweaty back in warm temperatures but to be honest I've never found a backpack that doesn't.

The main compartment is practical with good access and a pocket at the rear for a hydration bladder, which incidentally you'll need to buy separately. If you decide against using a bladder the rear pocket is useful to partition some of the contents, especially maps and small items.

Main compartment with hydration sleeve 

The Octans 25 also has four zipper pockets and three external net pockets. Two of the four zipped pockets are on the waist straps and are made of mesh. In dry weather they're great for keys, snacks etc but in anything other than dry weather they're not much use. The other two zipped pockets are in the lid. Another mesh pocket on top of the lid and a slightly more substantial one on the underside of the lid. Both are useful although only the underneath pocket is at all water proof.

The right waist pocket

The top mesh pocket

As mentioned, on the outside of the pack there are three open mesh pockets. These are perfect for putting a water bottle in but that's about as far as they're use really goes. They're not big enough to hold anything substantial and the pocket doesn't have much elastic so anything in the pocket isn't held in particularly tightly.

Another downside is the lightweight material meaning there is little waterproofing. Light rain isn't a problem but anything heavier will see the content of your pack getting wet. To solve this I this I ordered a 14 litre Alpkit Airlok Xtra dry bag to use as a liner and this dry bag now permanently lives in the Octans just in case.

Octans 25 with 14 litre Alpkit Airlok Xtra dry bag

So how would I summarise the Octans 25? If you want a pack to use for longer trekking or carry heavier loads then I'd definitely look at something more substantial. However for a simple go to bag when you just want to carry basic supplies for a single day walk the Octans 25 is a really accomplished performer and has proved itself time and time again.

Acre Hauser - First Impressions

I've been admiring the steady stream of products coming out of San Francisco based Mission Workshops for a long time. Their selection of back packs and messenger bags are stylish, practical and offer something different to those people who want (and can afford) the option. Their range particularly caught my eye because of their clever and beautifully executed designs.

Acre is the mountain bike division of Mission Workshops and its Hauser trail pack has been on the market for a while now. The Hauser is available in two sizes, 10 and 14 litres and four colours, blue, grey, camouflage and black. While my keenness for minimalist made the 10L a tempting prospect the more practical 14L got the vote. 

Lets deal with the elephant in the room right now, these packs aren't cheap, most UK retailer seem to range between £175 and £195. That's a lot of money for a pack that's going to get thrown around, covered in mud and possibly crashed in. I was lucky to find that Urban Cyclery were offering 15% off with free p&p, at least bringing it a little closer to the opposition.

So when my Hauser arrived I was nervous, was this going to be money well spent, a simlar sized /spec Camelbak Mule NV is available for £70-£80 and comes with a reservoir included (which the Hauser doesn't.) I needn't have been concerned, as soon as it came out the bag it was clear this looks a quality piece of equipment.

One of the defining 'features' is it's lack of visual features, if that makes sense. All the Acre / Mission Workshop bags have a certain utilitarian style about them and the Hauser is no different. With no bright colours and few visible logos the Hauser is subdued in its design and all the better for it. The ripstop nylon material looks and feels high quality and has a subtle diamond patterning within it. Acre claim the Hauser is 'weatherproof' and while at this stage I haven't had the chance to prove or disprove this I can certainly believe it.

Finding a backpack to suit my needs can be tricky, I don't like my bag to have too many pockets. I don't want to spend all my time hunting through pockets trying to find my keys or the charger for my phone. However there is a happy medium, too few pockets just means everything rolls around in the main compartment. After an initial look it seems the Hauser is in danger of challenging the fabled happy medium. The main compartment effectively takes up the whole of the main part of the trail pack. There are no internal pockets but there are enough on the outside to address this while the main compartment is plenty big enough to fit the necessary paraphernalia for a day ride including, jacket, camera, lunch etc.

Closing the main pocket can be done in two ways, either by simply folding over the top flap or if you want to make it even more resistant to rain simply roll the top over. Time will only tell whether the velcro that holds the flap is up to the job once its covered in mud and opened and closed hundreds of times.

The main external pocket runs straight down the middle of the bag and hides one of Acre's little design gems, the tool roll. The roll comes with every Hauser pack as standard and has three pockets, plenty big enough to fit the tools and spares necessary for a days riding. As well as storing everything in a organised and central place the roll means you've got somewhere to put your tools while working on your bike out on the trails. An added bonus is the ability to easily swap your tools between bags and backpacks.

On the right-hand side of the bag is a vertical pocket with enough room to put phones, spare gloves and the like in and at the top of the bag is a similar sized pocket. The final external pocket is at the bottom of the bag and hides the cargo straps. While these are designed to carry body armour they're equally useful for carrying your jacket or sleeping bag.

Of course it wouldn't be a trail pack without provision for a drinks reservoir and the seperate pocket on the back fits a three-litre reservoir although as mentioned, the Hauser doesn't come with one included. You can also run the drinking hose on either side to suit you.

Other features include a removable waist belt and traps on the outside to carry a cycling helmet, useful for when you need to go shopping on your way home and a mesh back panel. I'll admit I'm sceptical of any claims for back panels, all that I've used leave you sweaty to some degree so I will of course be paying particular attention to this area.

As said, there is no doubt the Hauser is an expensive option and the 10L only comes in £10 cheaper than the 14L seen here so there's only minimal savings to be had there. The only thing that will prove whether it is money well spent is putting the miles in and testing it. Even then the debate on whether it is 'worth' the cost may be a personal decision. For me the Hauser needs to excel as a riding pack both on the trails and around town as well as performing equally well when hiking or going to the shops. It's a big ask for Acre's Hauser to live up to the price but I'm quietly confident it can deliver.

Acre's website is www.acre-supply.com