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.