Hi there,
The other week I bought a Hunka bivi bag and a 30ltr Stealthy Gourdon day bag from Alpkit. This is the first time I've bought kit from them, but have looked at their site with greedy eyes and empty pockets for a long time. As many of you may know, Alpkit has got a good reputation based on quality, price and service. With this in mind and my impending weekend course I took the plunge and got some kit that I wanted - the PipeDream 600 is still on the list...
.
The links
The 'Stealthy' Gourdon can be found here and the non stealthy ones, and more product information here and other customer reviews can be found here
The review
I ordered from the the Hunka on the Tuesday night, but on the Wednesday morning added the Gourdon too, gave them a quick phone to see if they could send them together (saving them postage too) The lady I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and helpful, promising me that wouldn't be a problem. On Thursday morning the postie arrived with my parcel, signed for it and rushed back into the house to rip it open.
Opened it up and everything was there as promised! Great service there. Had a quick play with the Hunka and then set about the Gourdon. I tried it on for size, examined the materials, messed about with the top / closure system etc. Then decided to see what I could fit into it. I decided to pack my Gelert sleeping bag, 3/4 length inflating mat, a massive towel and some clothes - the sort of thing you'd take for a day or two up in the hills.
First in was the sleeping bag - a tight fit. Had to 'squish' it down as it was very neat touching the sides of the bag. Hmm, my plan was to put the mat in deflated but flat and curled around the insides with the rest inc sleeping bag inside that. However if it was that tight with only the sleeping bag then would I be able to get the mat in too? Out comes the bag and in goes the mat. Tried to get the bag in now. not a chance. Damn it! Oh well, so now I add all the other gubbings. I found that I just couldn't get in what I had wanted or expected. I was a tad disappointed.
I left it there for a while while I played with the bivi bag and lay there in it mulling things over. After a while I get out and have a good look at the Gourdon, closely examining the build quality and the general feel of it. There are a few comments on the Alpkit site where customers have not liked the waist straps or back straps. So I thought I'd check these out. I reached down to pick up the bag, and as I was more awake now ( yeah postie woke me up) I noticed something wrong. They had sent me a 25ltr bag by mistake. I double checked my order - wouldn't put it past me to have clicked on the wrong one myself, but no it should have been the 30ltr. "Humph", "pfft" and other noises escaped my lips. So I went onto their site and using their feedback option, told them of the error. I had hoped to be away that weekend using the bag, but never mind errors happen from time to time. Very quickly I got a reply via email, saying they were most sorry for the mistake - the bags are next to each other on the shelf and the wrong one got picked for my order. Since I had hoped to use the bag that weekend (I had mentioned this in the message I sent) they were sending me out a replacement immediately- not even waiting for the wrong one to be sent back! A free post address was also given for the return of the bag. Now that is service!
Next morning the postie arrives with my new bag and yes it is a 30ltr one! Although this time the postie didn't ask for a signature even though he should have. I dropped Alpkit a note saying I'd got it and mentioned the lack of signing - wouldn't like to see them lose out on something due to the Royal Mail , there are a few dishonourable folk out there you know
So I got back to testing the bag. In goes the mat, in goes the bag and yes! it fits nicely. The mat comes up perhaps 3/4 of the Gourdon. Doing this means it keeps a uniform shape and is very comfortable to have on no matter what oddly shaped things are inside. I also put in several bits in bobs, as mentioned earlier. I got in a fair amount, with careful packing I reckon I could get a bit more in. I got all of the following in: sleeping bag, roll mat, waterproof trousers, jumper, long sleeved top, t-shirt, two massive bath sheets, first aid kit and KFS. The towels were included to make up bulk - I really couldn't be bothered with finding 'real' stuff to add. The bag was tightly filled and was, while not hard to close, certainly a little bit fiddly. It closes using the standard 'dry-bag' method of rolling the top and locking into place with the clips, but has the addition of two small dongles that stop the bag from unrolling if you pack your bag full to the brim as I did. Wearing the Gourdon was surprisingly comfortable. I didn't notice the straps digging in at all. The chest and waist straps are definitely thin but not uncomfortable either. Perhaps on a long hike they may cut in a bit as they are not padded.
The bag as a small section where you can put a hydration sack into, however from what I can tell this may not be practical, especially if you have a full pack like mine. There isn't much room at all for one, even after removing the er.. removable sit mat that's inside it. The 'sit' mat is there to give the bag some shape if it's mostly empty, but can be used to sit on. It's not big but will keep your backside off the ground.
The pictures these are thumbnails, either click on them or right click and open them in a new tab or window to see the full size - I've got a poor mans broadband and can't afford the bandwidth of all these big fancy pics..
The front, back and close up of the wee straps
The Alpkit logo. You see it quite clearly here due to the flash, however it is actually very low key! The logo is black too, just a shinier material which shows up in the flash.
Here is the bag half full ( or is it half empty? ) and totally full and closed. You can clearly see the roll top and the toggles used to stop it unrolling.
The bag completely full, standing up all by itself.
All the kit I had in it.
The summary
Edit: Forgot to mention you also get several repair patches that are ironed onto the bag if you are unlucky enough to get a hole. The patches are roughly one and a half inches in diameter and you get six of them.
Nag.
The other week I bought a Hunka bivi bag and a 30ltr Stealthy Gourdon day bag from Alpkit. This is the first time I've bought kit from them, but have looked at their site with greedy eyes and empty pockets for a long time. As many of you may know, Alpkit has got a good reputation based on quality, price and service. With this in mind and my impending weekend course I took the plunge and got some kit that I wanted - the PipeDream 600 is still on the list...
.The links
The 'Stealthy' Gourdon can be found here and the non stealthy ones, and more product information here and other customer reviews can be found here
The review
I ordered from the the Hunka on the Tuesday night, but on the Wednesday morning added the Gourdon too, gave them a quick phone to see if they could send them together (saving them postage too) The lady I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and helpful, promising me that wouldn't be a problem. On Thursday morning the postie arrived with my parcel, signed for it and rushed back into the house to rip it open.
Opened it up and everything was there as promised! Great service there. Had a quick play with the Hunka and then set about the Gourdon. I tried it on for size, examined the materials, messed about with the top / closure system etc. Then decided to see what I could fit into it. I decided to pack my Gelert sleeping bag, 3/4 length inflating mat, a massive towel and some clothes - the sort of thing you'd take for a day or two up in the hills.
First in was the sleeping bag - a tight fit. Had to 'squish' it down as it was very neat touching the sides of the bag. Hmm, my plan was to put the mat in deflated but flat and curled around the insides with the rest inc sleeping bag inside that. However if it was that tight with only the sleeping bag then would I be able to get the mat in too? Out comes the bag and in goes the mat. Tried to get the bag in now. not a chance. Damn it! Oh well, so now I add all the other gubbings. I found that I just couldn't get in what I had wanted or expected. I was a tad disappointed.
I left it there for a while while I played with the bivi bag and lay there in it mulling things over. After a while I get out and have a good look at the Gourdon, closely examining the build quality and the general feel of it. There are a few comments on the Alpkit site where customers have not liked the waist straps or back straps. So I thought I'd check these out. I reached down to pick up the bag, and as I was more awake now ( yeah postie woke me up
) I noticed something wrong. They had sent me a 25ltr bag by mistake. I double checked my order - wouldn't put it past me to have clicked on the wrong one myself, but no it should have been the 30ltr. "Humph", "pfft" and other noises escaped my lips. So I went onto their site and using their feedback option, told them of the error. I had hoped to be away that weekend using the bag, but never mind errors happen from time to time. Very quickly I got a reply via email, saying they were most sorry for the mistake - the bags are next to each other on the shelf and the wrong one got picked for my order. Since I had hoped to use the bag that weekend (I had mentioned this in the message I sent) they were sending me out a replacement immediately- not even waiting for the wrong one to be sent back! A free post address was also given for the return of the bag. Now that is service! Next morning the postie arrives with my new bag and yes it is a 30ltr one! Although this time the postie didn't ask for a signature even though he should have. I dropped Alpkit a note saying I'd got it and mentioned the lack of signing - wouldn't like to see them lose out on something due to the Royal Mail , there are a few dishonourable folk out there you know
So I got back to testing the bag. In goes the mat, in goes the bag and yes! it fits nicely. The mat comes up perhaps 3/4 of the Gourdon. Doing this means it keeps a uniform shape and is very comfortable to have on no matter what oddly shaped things are inside. I also put in several bits in bobs, as mentioned earlier. I got in a fair amount, with careful packing I reckon I could get a bit more in. I got all of the following in: sleeping bag, roll mat, waterproof trousers, jumper, long sleeved top, t-shirt, two massive bath sheets, first aid kit and KFS. The towels were included to make up bulk - I really couldn't be bothered with finding 'real' stuff to add. The bag was tightly filled and was, while not hard to close, certainly a little bit fiddly. It closes using the standard 'dry-bag' method of rolling the top and locking into place with the clips, but has the addition of two small dongles that stop the bag from unrolling if you pack your bag full to the brim as I did. Wearing the Gourdon was surprisingly comfortable. I didn't notice the straps digging in at all. The chest and waist straps are definitely thin but not uncomfortable either. Perhaps on a long hike they may cut in a bit as they are not padded.
The bag as a small section where you can put a hydration sack into, however from what I can tell this may not be practical, especially if you have a full pack like mine. There isn't much room at all for one, even after removing the er.. removable sit mat that's inside it. The 'sit' mat is there to give the bag some shape if it's mostly empty, but can be used to sit on. It's not big but will keep your backside off the ground.
The pictures these are thumbnails, either click on them or right click and open them in a new tab or window to see the full size - I've got a poor mans broadband and can't afford the bandwidth of all these big fancy pics..
The front, back and close up of the wee straps
The Alpkit logo. You see it quite clearly here due to the flash, however it is actually very low key! The logo is black too, just a shinier material which shows up in the flash.
Here is the bag half full ( or is it half empty?
) and totally full and closed. You can clearly see the roll top and the toggles used to stop it unrolling.
The bag completely full, standing up all by itself.
All the kit I had in it.
The summary
- A very good bag.
- It's light and can pack a load of stuff in.
- I found it comfortable.
- Pretty cheap - £22.50 inc postage and next day delivery (although not guaranteed).
- It's made to a high quality and appears to be very strong, only time and continued use will prove this however.
- Easy to close and open.
- Definitely waterproof.
- Great service
Edit: Forgot to mention you also get several repair patches that are ironed onto the bag if you are unlucky enough to get a hole. The patches are roughly one and a half inches in diameter and you get six of them.
Nag.
