Berghaus Centurio review.

[sapper1]

I bought this rucksack this week ,ordered it on Wednesday and received it on Thursday from Sop outdoors in Hampshire at a cost of £54.99 plus parcelforce 24 delivery for £7.99(I didn't want to wait)
The service from the shop is excellent.
On to the pack itself.
On first opening the package the sack seemed very small,much smaller than my other 30 litre sacks this was because it was flat and not opened out yet.The sack is a short /wide type as opposed to my other sacks which are tall/thin types.
Once opened out it seemed a lot bigger than my other 30 litre sacks.
The sack is the usual excellent Berghaus quality,well made and top quality materials.
The sack material is Ardura 100 and is stitched with nylon thread.The sack has a Durable Water Repellant coating which really does work and when it stops working a quick run over with a hairdryer will bring it back to life.
I also got the side pockets and an extra karrimor omni pouch to strap on the front(these have had many reviews elsewhere ).
Okay ,how does it feel?When empty it feels quite stiff and uncomfortable,fill it up and it is transformed into a nice comfortable pack.It rides quite high on the back.I think it's designed to be worn on top of webbing so that the webbing belt supports the sack from below.It does feel comfortable even fully loaded(load list below) and without support from below.I does have a waist strap,this is for stability rather than load bearing.
There isn't much I can say about the build quality of this sack except that is is the high quality you expect from Berghaus.
So,onto the pictures.I have pictured it as the bare sack,and also with all the pockets added,the side photos of the bare pack show the side attachments without the supplied straps,these are the same straps as the ones on the side pockets.I removed them as I don't use them,they'll be staying on the side pockets as I will use them as a daysack.There are 2 ice axe loops fitted to the front of the sack along with 2 plastic clips further up the sack to hold the ice axe handles,I have removed these as I won't use them.The omni pouch fits onto the webbing straps on the front of the sack but after trying it I found that it didn't suit my needs because I don't carry enough kit to fill it along with the side pockets.
Pictures in the next post.

 

[beachlover]

Here you go Chris

http://www.britishblades.com/forums...ucksack-A-pic-heavy-review&highlight=centurio

 

[sapper1]

Here are the photos:
For those interested the kit I had in there was enough for me to spend 2 nights in the woods.
3 season down dossbag
Exped synmat 7 DLX
ipk groundsheet
Alpkit rig 7 tarp
Highlander hawk bivibag
3 litre camel bak unbottle
50 litre drybag
waterproof jacket and trousers evernew cookset 500ml meths
torch
headlight
spare batteries
washing up liquid
3 in 1 coffees
Long spoon
towel
hand gel
repair kit
3 dehydrated meals
Home made bag to keep all the bits in.
I would sometimes be carrying a folding saw in the pack.I carry a swisschamp and a 4 inch woodlore clone too.

 

[sapper1]

Cheers kev,I think I've gotten used to it now that I carry it higher on my back rather than trying to wear it where my other packs sit.
I've tried to show how much it will hold as a bare pack to show you don't really need that 100 litre pack for an overnighter.

 

[beachlover]

Great pics Chris.
I really didn't like the look of those Omni Pouches, but it looks a perfect match on the Centurio. Does it fit on securely tho' as some of those panels, especially the MaxP rigged stuff tends to flap about and wobble in use?

 

[sapper1]

It's a perfect colour match apart from the webbing straps which are a bit lighter.The pouch is very secure and doesn't flap about,bear in mind it's new and may loosen with use.At present it does move a little if you try to slide it up and down on the molle straps.But I don't think it will be a problem .It does stick out a good way from the pack so I wouldn't put anything heavy in it .

 

[beachlover]

It's a perfect colour match apart from the webbing straps which are a bit lighter.The pouch is very secure and doesn't flap about,bear in mind it's new and may loosen with use.At present it does move a little if you try to slide it up and down on the molle straps.But I don't think it will be a problem .It does stick out a good way from the pack so I wouldn't put anything heavy in it .

I'd say thanks for that, but I suspect you have just cost me £30

 

[sapper1]

Why £30 Kev?They're only £14.95 from Lurch.
I bet you're going to get two to sit one on top of the other,I tried them for size.Each omni pouch needs 3 straps to sit securely but the centurio only has 5 straps so one pouch is going to be loose.

 

[beachlover]

Why £30 Kev?They're only £14.95 from Lurch.
I bet you're going to get two to sit one on top of the other,I tried them for size.Each omni pouch needs 3 straps to sit securely but the centurio only has 5 straps so one pouch is going to be loose.

My fault. I'd confused them with the side pockets. £15 now seems a bargain....I have the backbone of a jellyish!

 

[Barn Owl]

I'm still waiting on mine, no fault of the retailer, it must be parcelfarce.

Looking forward to getting it though.

I suppose i've always fancied an omni pouch, so dare say that'll be next.

Thanks Chris (and Kev) for the reviews.

 

[Trango]

Got a few questions / concerns perhaps with the Centurio - or for that matter the spring 2011 Berghaus military line.

- The ice axe plastic attachment seem to be systematically wrongly oriented on the new range. These attachments should be strapped onto vertical webbing, so it sits horizontally - sort to say - allowing to grasp the pole of the ice axe. Since it's mounted directly onto the MOLLE it cannot hold any axe correctly. Something they overlooked perhaps?

- The extension straps suffer from the same orientation "bug"... its purpose is to tie something to the back in a vertical fashion (think tent, mat, etc). Since MOLLE is horizontal there is no clean way to tie the extension straps onto something vertical and carry something vertically.

For those who don't own a past / current Berghaus product I'm sure I'm making no sense whatsoever .

For those who do, and have strapped ice axes to their packs, or have used extension to carry (way too much) extra kit, what are your thoughts on this? Is this simply something Berghaus overlooked? Since these packs are new they may not have received that much field feedback yet?

 

[sapper1]

The ice axe clips are elasticated so they will twist to hold an axe securely.I do think they look to be added as an afterthought though.
The extension straps can be fitted to the main lid straps to hold things vertically if you thread the lid straps through the molle straps first.
I think the extention straps come as part of the mmps pockets rather than the main bergan eventhough there is nothing to fix them to on the pockets.could well be a part of soething that was used long ago and someone forgot to remove them.Much the same as "D" rings on shoulder strapd,these were originally part of 58 pattern webbing and used to attach the large pack to your webbing,they were carried over to civvy bergans for some reason and have only now been removed from some.
After a bit of field testing and reviews things may change with the axe loops,they may go back to the top strap instead of clips.The top strap always worked but could be fiddly in cold weather or wearing gloves.
I've removed my clips as they aren't needed.

 

[johnboy]

A more fundamental problem with the range seems to be the fact that Berghaus have chosen not to use the PLCE oirentation for the attachment zips for the side pouches.

This means that Berghaus own MMPS pouches will fit but PLCE and all of the PLCE variations will not fit the correct way up..

So if you were wanting to zip on a 'medics' side pouch or a pair of cheap old PLCE side pouches forget it...

Given that the pack is aimed at the 'military' user I find this a bit odd especially since the Vulcan would happily accept PLCE pouches...

Go figure....

 

[Guzzi Goose]

I've bought one thinking that my Vulcan pouches would fit (I think one of the photos on British Blades may be upside down) so...I'm going to buy some zips and stitch them together as an adapter.

I'll post the results when I've done it.

 

[winger]

Thanks sapper1 and beachlover for your reviews and pics. And to everyone else for the interesting comments.

I've been debating over a number of packs around the 30 litre size:
(the Centurio)
karrimor sf sabre 30/35
karrimor sf sabre delta 25/35
highlander pro forces 25/33

..... I think I am set on the Centurio now after your posts. I do think its a bit cheeky of Berghaus to have made this unsuitable for PLCE pouches, if thats the case, but it probably wont put me off.

Just before I order a Centurio has anyone had any experience of the other packs I mentioned above? The Centurio looks more versatile (in terms of expansion) but I'm not sure that I will need the option of the side pouches. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[beachlover]

If you don't think you will use the side pockets and want a bombproof pack, take a look at the Berghaus Munro too

 

[winger]

Thanks, forgot to put the Munro on the list!

Thats the main thing I'm looking for, just something that can take some abuse, from what I have read I dont think I can go wrong with either a Karrimor or a Berghaus for quality.

 

[Tiffer]

Berghaus Centurio 30 modifications

In its standard form the Centurio 30 is a great bag but I have seen a few posts discussing some of the shortcomings, all of which can be rectified..

Uncomfortable due to back shape
Short back
No strap tensioners
Hard shoulder straps
No quick release buckles
Too many compression straps

The back shape is easily rectified by bending the metal insert to fit the base of your spine and straightening the upper portion.

This makes the bag sit in to the base of your spine and the fact that it is a short bag becomes less of an issue.

Strap tensioners are easy to add by unpicking the an inch of stiching where the hood attaches and running a strap over the top of the shoulder strap. You can use the triglides from the extra straps provided with the bag.

The hard shoulder straps had to go as they really don’t suit me. I live in Thailand and with only a shirt, they cut in to my skinny frame!
Option 1 would be to fix a soft bad under the existing straps, but I chose to completely replace the padding.

I used a double layer of CCF pad but should have used a denser foam or better quality pad. I have since read that a dense pad on top with a softer layer below is the best solution.

To replace the pads, simply unpick the lower half of the strap cover on one side and the webbing. Pull out the hard pads and use them as a template. Stuff in the new pads and get sewing.

It is worth scavenging a pair of buckles from the compression straps to fix on to the end of the shoulder straps. I have never fallen in the water with a pack on or been in a fix, but better safe than sorry.

The compression straps can be improved as well.
Remove the straps on the rocket pockets and the bag.
Discard the plastic plates.
Now sew a pair of the compression straps you removed on to the flaps covering the zips. I put the females clip nearest my back. The straps are long enough to go around the pockets when they are zipped on. I chose to have 2 compression straps on each side. Other configurations may suit different people.

I think Berghaus have missed a trick or two with this bag, but I did not have the option to return it and it was sort of fun doing the mods!

With all that done, the pack sits far more comfortably and is much more user friendly.

My total winter pack weight (your summer) is under 13kg. That includes 3 days food / 3 litres of water / svea stove & fuel / parang / binoculars / complete hammock sleep system etc etc. My summer weight is more like 11.5kg.. not too shabby ^^

 

[Cardincris]

Berghaus Centurio 30 modifications

In its standard form the Centurio 30 is a great bag but I have seen a few posts discussing some of the shortcomings, all of which can be rectified..

Uncomfortable due to back shape
Short back
No strap tensioners
Hard shoulder straps
No quick release buckles
Too many compression straps

The back shape is easily rectified by bending the metal insert to fit the base of your spine and straightening the upper portion.

This makes the bag sit in to the base of your spine and the fact that it is a short bag becomes less of an issue.

Strap tensioners are easy to add by unpicking the an inch of stiching where the hood attaches and running a strap over the top of the shoulder strap. You can use the triglides from the extra straps provided with the bag.

The hard shoulder straps had to go as they really dont suit me. I live in Thailand and with only a shirt, they cut in to my skinny frame!
Option 1 would be to fix a soft bad under the existing straps, but I chose to completely replace the padding.

I used a double layer of CCF pad but should have used a denser foam or better quality pad. I have since read that a dense pad on top with a softer layer below is the best solution.

To replace the pads, simply unpick the lower half of the strap cover on one side and the webbing. Pull out the hard pads and use them as a template. Stuff in the new pads and get sewing.

It is worth scavenging a pair of buckles from the compression straps to fix on to the end of the shoulder straps. I have never fallen in the water with a pack on or been in a fix, but better safe than sorry.

The compression straps can be improved as well.
Remove the straps on the rocket pockets and the bag.
Discard the plastic plates.
Now sew a pair of the compression straps you removed on to the flaps covering the zips. I put the females clip nearest my back. The straps are long enough to go around the pockets when they are zipped on. I chose to have 2 compression straps on each side. Other configurations may suit different people.

I think Berghaus have missed a trick or two with this bag, but I did not have the option to return it and it was sort of fun doing the mods!

With all that done, the pack sits far more comfortably and is much more user friendly.

My total winter pack weight (your summer) is under 13kg. That includes 3 days food / 3 litres of water / svea stove & fuel / parang / binoculars / complete hammock sleep system etc etc. My summer weight is more like 11.5kg.. not too shabby ^^

Really Great Mods!!!!!
Could you post some pics?

 

[C_Claycomb]

I would not hold my breath for Tiffer to post anything. His post was made in 2013 and he has not been on the forum since 2014.

The date of posting is shown at the top left of the post. With old posts I check whether the person was on recently too. Hover your pointer over or right click on the name of the poster and after a moment a pop up should appear with their Last Seen date. If they haven't been on in a year or more, they probably won't answer.