Berghaus Vulcan

[mal]

HI all can some one advice on ruck sacks iv brought this up before so sorry if it annoys anyone first i haven't got one and cant get till after Christmas so plenty time for opinions i was looking at sabre 75 but i am only 5'5'' and some one said i would be better with the bigger one because it has the adjustable back system but as i will have to mail order i wont get to try before i buy, yesterday i found a shop that had a Berghaus Vulcan which iv seen you guys talk about before very positively the woman in the shop said it was 100ltr IT WAS ALSO AS BIG AS A HOUSE i just could not see my self carrying it i could probably get in it just get a small sack i here you cry maybe a sabre 45 but i don't think it would carry enough gear as iv got my heart set on a nanok endurance bag please help dose Berghaus do any smaller sacks or is the big sabre better because i think i can compress that so i wont look like a snail :?:

 

[masongary44]

The Vulcan is indeed a cracking rucksack, I bought one last summer and have used it a lot, very comfy!!.

I agree it is pretty big, I cannot walk through many doors when it is full, but you can remove the side pockets and just use the main section which makes it more manageable.

It can also deal with a hell of a lot of weight, where my previous sacks have given way under the strain (Life before bushcraft and the minimalist approach!!)

I like it simply because it is soo well made, fits everything inside (i do not use a stuff sack for my sleeping bag, and it stays permenantly in the bivi bag which helps when the rain is harder than you would perhaps like it to be...).

As for the smaller military sacks, I have never tried one, and probably will not, although there have been some great reviews on here.

The only drawback of the vulcan is the cost (have a look at Silvermans, they do a Vulcan copy sack that is almost half the price.....)

 

[maddave]

HI all can some one advice on ruck sacks iv brought this up before so sorry if it annoys anyone first i haven't got one and cant get till after Christmas so plenty time for opinions i was looking at sabre 75 but i am only 5'5'' and some one said i would be better with the bigger one because it has the adjustable back system but as i will have to mail order i wont get to try before i buy, yesterday i found a shop that had a Berghaus Vulcan which iv seen you guys talk about before very positively the woman in the shop said it was 100ltr IT WAS ALSO AS BIG AS A HOUSE i just could not see my self carrying it i could probably get in it just get a small sack i here you cry maybe a sabre 45 but i don't think it would carry enough gear as iv got my heart set on a nanok endurance bag please help dose Berghaus do any smaller sacks or is the big sabre better because i think i can compress that so i wont look like a snail :?:

I'm 5'6" and used the Vulcan in the army. I ditched it after a week as it was ridiculously large for my size. I ended up with a karrimor Jaguar 80Ltr (unfortunately I think karrimor have now gone bump). However the Karrimor Sabre 60/100 is a good bag. Look here for specs

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/penrith...FCJCBQ_+Karrimor+Sabre+60+100+Rucksack&cid=55

 

[ranger]

Your decision on pack size largely depends on how much you need to carry. As a number of others do on this forum I have a Vulcan too, and can highly recommend it, if you need a pack of that size. Remember the sack comes in 3 back sizes, I think size 2 would probably be the size for you. The support it offers is excellent and it’s a very comfortable sack to wear. If you can get away with carrying less and don’t need 100L capacity, why bother though. If you have space that you don’t really need it, it seems to be human nature to fill it. Have you considered a mil spec Sabre 45 from PRI, plus the optional side pouches? This would give you a sack with 70L capacity, not to mention the option of using the 45 by itself and the side pouches with a yoke as a day sack.

 

[SquirrelBoy]

Ive got a Vulcan and it really is a nice bag. It is BIG but you do have compression straps on it so can be reduced and as been mentioned the sidde pockets come off (which also make a nice day sack using the straps provided).

One thing to bear in mind is there are different sizes - Size 1, Size 2 etc Not sure on which one is right for your height though.
I bought a Size 3 and Im 5`10 - but in all honesty probably needed a Size 2 however I have found it very comfy so will stick with it.

 

[mal]

Cheers guys the 45 with side pockets sounds good dose anyone no how big a Karrimor Sabre 60/100 Rucksack is as mentioned earlier compared to the Vulcan

 

[CM Burns]

i'm inevitably going to sound elitist here but it is unavoidable...

the Vulcan is a very ordinary sack. comfort levels are average, quite poor under heavy loads. it is way over priced for such a simple bag.

i owned and wore out a vulcan over a 10 year period so i know exactly what i'm talking about - the carry system on the Vulcan is very basic - the shoulder straps and hipbelt are from the Stone Age. compared to the best european and US brands it is a rather poor design. for example take a look at the Osprey packs available from quite a few stores in the UK - their big packs are FAR superior to the Vulcan - much better design - hugely more comfortable and stable - all for the smae price as a Vulcan!

I'd never buy another Vulcan nor recommend one - the design has not been improved in 15 years - in that time other manufacturers have made massive improvements in design and materials. the Vulcan has been left way behind. it is a very poor buy.