Womble said:
They're excellent aren't they :biggthump And there was me gonna pay £70 ish for a Karrimor :shock:
1st Review. Highlander Forces 33ltr Patrol Pack
- Thread starter maddave
- Start date
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They're excellent aren't they :biggthump And there was me gonna pay £70 ish for a Karrimor :shock:
I also spent £15 to get a squaddy folding sleeping mat (which also makes a really good sitting mat/back rest), which fits very comfortably indeed at the back of the pack. I'm probably going to get a crusader stock and mug shortly, as this seems to be a pretty good combo and (if your review can be trusted....) will sit in one of the side pockets.
I'm going to attempt to make this my standard bushcraft pack, and am going to be using it as a benchmark for kit reducing/packing.
I'm going to attempt to make this my standard bushcraft pack, and am going to be using it as a benchmark for kit reducing/packing.
Womble said:
The mug, cooker and 58 patt bottle all go into 1 side pocket. It's a bit of a squeeze but they do fit, and once they're in the pocket zips up fine. If you really want to make full use of the space you can probably fit about 4 sachets of greenheat round the bottle neck before zipping it up
Hi,maddave said:
May I ask what type/size is the sleeping back. The reason I ask is that I got a 3 season bag from Argos (with stuff sack) and after putting it into my 75L Karrimor rucksack, I only had room left for a pair of socks, and an after-eight mint (OK, I'm exaggerating, but there was very little space left, and certainly not enough to cram in the stuff you got in half the space.)
I ended up strapping the sleeping back to the outside of the pack with the tent and sleeping mat, but had it rained heavily, I doubt the water 'resistant' stuff sack for the sleeping bag would have kept it dry.
... (And the gymnastics required to get it back in the stuff sack afterwards were worthy of a 'you've been framed' special award, had there been a video handy).
Hogan
I don't know what sleeping bag dave has but he is a bit of a master packer to get all that into 33 litres so don't worry if you can't do the same (nor can I). Your sleeping bag sounds like it is quite big but there are things you can do. Does the stuff sack have straps on to compress it? If not you are best getting one with straps as it will make a big difference to the pack size. The bags they give you are NEVER waterproof so pack it in something else if it is going on the outside of your rucksack. Many manufacutrers make the mistake of providing a stuff sack which you can only just get the sleeping bag in, what's the point? With compression straps you will get rid of any excess anyway so it would be better to make the bag with extra room to fit the sleeping bag eaisly.
The best method of packing a sleeping bag is to start with the head end and stuff it into the compression sack until you get to the foot end. the reason for this is as the compression sack gets full you have less and less sleeping bag to fit in. If you start at the foot end you have to stuff the bulkiest part last. (those who don't believe me go and try it both ways with your sleeping bag and see which is eaiser).
Hope that is of use
Bill
I don't know what sleeping bag dave has but he is a bit of a master packer to get all that into 33 litres so don't worry if you can't do the same (nor can I). Your sleeping bag sounds like it is quite big but there are things you can do. Does the stuff sack have straps on to compress it? If not you are best getting one with straps as it will make a big difference to the pack size. The bags they give you are NEVER waterproof so pack it in something else if it is going on the outside of your rucksack. Many manufacutrers make the mistake of providing a stuff sack which you can only just get the sleeping bag in, what's the point? With compression straps you will get rid of any excess anyway so it would be better to make the bag with extra room to fit the sleeping bag eaisly.
The best method of packing a sleeping bag is to start with the head end and stuff it into the compression sack until you get to the foot end. the reason for this is as the compression sack gets full you have less and less sleeping bag to fit in. If you start at the foot end you have to stuff the bulkiest part last. (those who don't believe me go and try it both ways with your sleeping bag and see which is eaiser).
Hope that is of use
Bill
Hogan said:
It's a snugpak bag. Very small. I think I know the Argos bag you talk of, we have em for the van and I'm sure they pack them in a Vacuum cuz once you get them out and they loft up, you could wrestle with em for 20 mins to get them back in the stuffsack. In fact I wonder if I could get one of those into the Highlander on it's own !! :shock: Lol
:biggthump Thanks Bill, I will be trying that out tonight (in the comfort of the living room).tenbears10 said:
:yup: Yep!, That's the one. Even though there are compression straps, the stuffsack is too small. It's like trying to get toothpaste back in the tube.maddave said:
After trying out tenbears tip, I'll have a squint at the snugpack prices.
Thanks to all for your help,
For compressing and keeping sleeping bags dry I've just received some waterproof stuff sacks from Ortlieb and Exped.
The new Ortlieb bag is different from the existing ones I have because it has a air release valve - so you can throw your compressibles inside, open the valve and compress away then close the valve. The bag has a great "zip lock" style strip at the top and the valve is less bulky than the type seem on the WX-Tex compression bags (which are like Thermarest valves). The material also seems stronger and is now PVC-free.
http://www.ortlieb.de/_prod.php?lang=en&produkt=sack-compr
The sacks from Exped are also fantastic stuff sacks with a difference - they are waterproof, lightweight and have compression straps on them to help you get more into less space (something that we always strive for!).
http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/0/A5DCFD7BD41B61E4C1256D10004D9EDA?opendocument
Scroll down to "Waterproof Compression Bag" and "Waterproof Telecompression Bag ".
There are excellent sacks and so far the best I've ever seen at getting more into less space and keeping your gear nice and dry!
The new Ortlieb bag is different from the existing ones I have because it has a air release valve - so you can throw your compressibles inside, open the valve and compress away then close the valve. The bag has a great "zip lock" style strip at the top and the valve is less bulky than the type seem on the WX-Tex compression bags (which are like Thermarest valves). The material also seems stronger and is now PVC-free.
http://www.ortlieb.de/_prod.php?lang=en&produkt=sack-compr
The sacks from Exped are also fantastic stuff sacks with a difference - they are waterproof, lightweight and have compression straps on them to help you get more into less space (something that we always strive for!).
http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/0/A5DCFD7BD41B61E4C1256D10004D9EDA?opendocument
Scroll down to "Waterproof Compression Bag" and "Waterproof Telecompression Bag ".
There are excellent sacks and so far the best I've ever seen at getting more into less space and keeping your gear nice and dry!
On the subject of sleeping bags, check out
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdo...at=MilitarySleepingBags&Page=1&language=en-GB
They have snugpack, but also Mountain Equipment bags with expandable knee sections...in olive green! I bought the TDS Military 3, which is rated to -12 comfort, -18 extreme. Comes with great stuffsack! Very warm indeed. They also do a version without the stretchy bit but with a waterproof lining inside the foot area, for those of you who wear their boots in bed.
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdo...at=MilitarySleepingBags&Page=1&language=en-GB
They have snugpack, but also Mountain Equipment bags with expandable knee sections...in olive green! I bought the TDS Military 3, which is rated to -12 comfort, -18 extreme. Comes with great stuffsack! Very warm indeed. They also do a version without the stretchy bit but with a waterproof lining inside the foot area, for those of you who wear their boots in bed.
Just got the 44 today, not had a chance to load it up but it looks well made. It has a padded hipbelt and a detachable rain cover in the top pocket. Side pockets aren't quite big enough to fit my swedish army mess kit inbeachlover said:
It would be good to hear how it does load and how it bears up to daily use.
Although you can't get your Swedish army mess tin in the side pockets, do you reckon a crusader mug etc would fit?
Although you can't get your Swedish army mess tin in the side pockets, do you reckon a crusader mug etc would fit?
...and prices apart! I have used my Highlander (why do I always want to say-"there can be only one!!" ?) on a daily basis lugging varying weight loads about, and also quite a few trips out in to the sticks, including a wander up an 8000ft mountain in the Pyrennees, for the last 6 monjths or more. All I can say is that it is a great bit of kit indeed. I don't find it any worse than other brand names I have had in the past, but when you consider it is half the price (and probably comes from the same sweat shops out East) it is an even better bargain!
Not a sasauge has gone wrong, and it still looks like it did when I bought it. Thoroughly recommended.
Not a sasauge has gone wrong, and it still looks like it did when I bought it. Thoroughly recommended.
Have to say I'm with Spacemonkey on this one. I have a Highlander Forces 25 and a Karrimor Sabre 45 to compare it to.
The Highlander is so cheap it tends to get abused, sat on, overloaded, etc. I take it wildfowling so it gets exposed to salt water and cold. Now about 3 years old.
The highlander rucksack is comfortable, and all the buckles and zips still work. The fabric is abrasion resistant. It is lightweight.
Not all highlander kit is good, but I have confidence in their rucksacks and recommend them.
The Highlander is so cheap it tends to get abused, sat on, overloaded, etc. I take it wildfowling so it gets exposed to salt water and cold. Now about 3 years old.
The highlander rucksack is comfortable, and all the buckles and zips still work. The fabric is abrasion resistant. It is lightweight.
Not all highlander kit is good, but I have confidence in their rucksacks and recommend them.
Can one of the Highlander owners give me an opinion on the zips please? I have two old rucksacks from years ago - one's a regatta, can't think of the other brand - and they're both just a little too small and really poor quality. The zips, in particular, are prone to "splitting open" if the pockets are anywhere near 3/4 full.
I'm thinking about getting one of the bigger Highlander packs and was just wondering if the zips were fairly sturdy? TIA.
I'm thinking about getting one of the bigger Highlander packs and was just wondering if the zips were fairly sturdy? TIA.
