Acre Hauser 12 month review

My Hauser is nearing its first birthday so it must be time for a catch up.

I bought my Hauser back in January. For the full low down check my previous post here, but in summary I'd had my eye on Acre and its parent company Mission Workshop for a while and eventually bit the bullet and bought the 14litre Hauser to use both as a mountain bike hydration pack and a day pack / everyday carry. So how has this all American, Californian got on in a slightly wetter, muddier Sheffield.

The Hauser is designed and marketed squarely as a mountain bike backpack for use on the trails. That's great but at £175 I need my bags to do more. In the last 12 months it's been used for work, to carry groceries and as every day carry on a three week tour of Japan. It's been used on walks, buses, planes and obviously bikes and overall I've loved it.

It's subtle, yet stylish, small enough to be used every day but big enough to carry work essentials. I'd also be lying if I said the exclusivity wasn't a minor plus point. In the year I've been using the Hauser I'm yet to see another one.

Yet is it as good as it price tag might suggest. 

So the positives and there's plenty of them.

Build quality
First up has to be build quality, after a year of tough use the Hauser still looks as good as it did on day one. No snags, no wear marks, no sign that this backpack has had some serious action.

The internal lining doesn't have any marks on it either and even on the bottom of the pack where it's constantly getting put down there are no abrasion marks. So it's definitely tough.

No scuffing to see here

The ripstop nylon's diamond pattern gives a classy look and is easy to wipe clean. Living in northern England rain is a constant threat and so one thing I do insist on is a bag that can live up to the elements. I'm happy to say I've had no problems with the Hauser. Even in heavy snow and torrential rain the contents has stayed dry at all times.

Features
One of the best features has to be the tool roll. It slots in to the front pocket perfectly and negates the need for lots of pockets for pumps, inner tubes etc. It also means you can swap essential maintenance equipment quickly between bags.

My tool roll with a few of the commuter essentials

Out on the trail it also means you've got somewhere to put tools and parts while you fix your bike. One point to consider though, if you aren't carrying a lot in the main compartment a heavy tool roll in the outer pocket can shift the weight balance slightly and pull the bag out of shape. Simple solution, put the tool roll in the main compartment when you're not carrying much.

The top closes in two ways. It simply folds over and fastens with two clasps or you can roll the top over and use a velcro strap to fasten it down. Initially I was concerned about the velcro but it still looks fresh and works perfectly after a year.

An internal pocket in the main compartment wouldn't have gone a miss but the small side pocket is really handy and easily accessed for phones and wallets.

The side pocket is perfect for easy access to phone and wallet

Comfort
Early on I found the Hauser's shoulder straps to be quite light weight. On occasions I found it uncomfortable on the shoulders / neck when I was carrying heavier loads. However using the sternum strap (not something I always do) solved this and generally it's been a very comfortable backpack.

I also removed the waist belt as this I didn't feel it was necessary. The belt is a simple webbing strap and really just serves to stop the pack moving about rather than supporting any of the weight. Occasionally on steep and rocky drops the bag has moved about but generally I've found the Sternum strap plenty to hold it in place and the waist strap is folded up in the tool roll, just in case.

Versatility
The Hauser comes in two sizes, 10 and 14 litre. I chose the bigger of the two and I'm glad I did. As a daily carry the Hauser was perfect size for carrying all the necessities to work while not feeling too big when carrying lighter loads.

On day trips around Japan it easily took the daily essentials (camera, jacket, water, etc) while never screaming tourist or attracting attention.

The Hauser ready for a busy day in Tokyo

That is the Hauser blending in a bit too well at the amazing Inari Gates

And that's one of the big appeals of the Hauser for me. Although it's designed primarily for mountain biking it doesn't look like it is. There's no gaudy graphics or big logos. The pack blends in perfectly in all surroundings (including the Inari gates.)

A few small niggles.
Having a key loop would be great, especially for everyday use, as would pulls on the zippers to make it easier when wearing gloves (only the toll roll pocket has one.) For the price of this bag I'd expect both of these as standard.

Also a small pocket in the main compartment would be a major benefit. As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of minimalist, however I think the Hauser is one internal pocket away from perfect.

Also to fully waterproof the pack you need to roll the top down, which you can't do if the bag is too full. A way of sealing the bag without the roll top would be another benefit.

I might be being picky but another small issue for me is if you start a ride with the top folded over (not fully waterproof) and it starts to rain heavily then you need to stop and roll the top over to make it fully waterproof. Perhaps this is just an indication of where it was designed (California) and how little rain they get.

These are small complaints admittedly, but changes that would lift the Hauser to the next level and ensure it really justifies its price tag.

Out on the trail in the Hauser's natural habitat

Conclusion
The Hauser is super cool but it's not cheap, expect to pay approximately £165 - £175 in the UK with the 10 litre version only coming in £10 cheaper. What you get for your money is an extremely well made, cleverly designed backpack. It has a weight to the material and construction that you simply don't get with more traditional mountain bike backpacks. It also has an exclusivity you won't find with many other backpacks. Since I bought mine Acre has released more colours including a black camo and bright orange. As someone who has too many black rucksacks  I have to say the orange looks fantastic.  All in, if you can get past the price which I obviously did, the Hauser is a great minimalist backpack and you won't be disappointed., whatever you plan on using it for.

Score: 8/10
Price: £175
www.acre-supply.com

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