Review of Web-Tex Moray 37 Litre Rucksack
I bought this rucksack from Bearclaw when the smaller BCB rucksack I was looking at was unavailable.
This is a new stock item on Garys site but made by the well-known Web-Tex company and constructed from 1000D waterproof Cordura.
The rucksack itself is a pretty obvious clone of the famous and virtually indestructible Berghaus Munro, but with the addition of a front zip and Velcro pocket (why do they call it front when it faces backwards?).
I have to confess to being underwhelmed when I first received the rucksack. It is not immediately aesthetically inspiring or designed to be admired, but rather robust and functional. A bit like wanting an I-pod and being given an old Roberts radio.
It features,
1. Front pocket, which is a decent size and will easily take a water bottle and Crusader kit, probably a Trangia military cooker, a first aid kit or a basha (see later pictures for carrying capacity). For me the brew kit is most often used in a daysack so that is where it went with my knife. I am unsure of the logic behind a Velcro and zip fastener for the front pocket and can only assume that the Velcro holds down the flap and helps with water ingress in the rain.
Front pocket capacity - example -
2. Lid pocket, which is roomy but not the capacity of that on either a Bergan or a Snugpak Rocketpack. My personal beef with the pocket is that it the zip opens facing backwards (ie over the front pocket) and anything that drops out if the zip begins to open is lost rather than having a chance of being captured between shoulders and rucksack, were it to open with the zip facing the back of the head. I circumvented this utilising the belt and braces approach of a safety pin (useful anyway) at the end of the zip closure.
Lid Pocket - sample contents -
3. Main compartment. This is one roomy and accessible sack. Overall, I cant believe that the sack is only 37 Litres. It certainly compares favourably with the main sack of my Rocketpack and for me anyway holds more than enough for an overnighter
Sample Contents main sack -
Pic 2 Loaded with all the above plus waterproof, food,Snugpak softy 3, Kathmandu Tarp and lightweight groundsheet -
4. Harness and mesh back. I am a 46 chest and have a long back, but thankfully dont have any back problems that make me fussy about whether a pack rides high (hence my love affair with the Rocketpack), but I found the harness and padded shoulder straps comfortable with the sack fully laden (a good 35lb) or half empty. It also fitted my better half comfortably (though she reckoned the colour didnt suit her!). The sack has waist belt and chest harness too for those who use them I dont. I carried the sack fully laden for several miles, including a few on sand and shingle, in hot weather and found the back system as good as any (apart from an external frame) at remaining comfortable and dispersing sweat.
5. Other bits. The Moray has an elasticated cord for additional carrying capacity and for wet clothing. It also serves to compress the front pocket, as do two straps on either side of the main sack. I felt that the side straps would have been more functional had there been open mesh or Cordura pockets at the base of the sack on either side, which would have helped secure walking poles, fishing rod, axe or whatever and prevented them sliding down and out of the straps.
I have used this sack more or less constantly for a fortnight and on three separate one and two-nighters and not been disappointed in any way with its capability and robustness. It didnt show any leaks in one heavy and prolonged downpour, although the harness was like a wet sponge (left it out uncovered deliberately to see if it was waterproof). Nothing has come unstitched or failed (and I am fairly heavy handed with kit) and there is nothing about this rucksack which leads me to believe it wont be going strong in ten years time.
For me personally, I was looking for a small pack for day to day use which could hold a brew kit, a tarp, a camera, knife and waterproof and underestimated the true load-eating capacity of this workhorse, so it may be looking for a new home soon, not because of any fault of the rucksack (far from it!), but because of my underestimation of it. For around £40 I would find it pretty hard fault this rucksack.
I bought this rucksack from Bearclaw when the smaller BCB rucksack I was looking at was unavailable.
This is a new stock item on Garys site but made by the well-known Web-Tex company and constructed from 1000D waterproof Cordura.
The rucksack itself is a pretty obvious clone of the famous and virtually indestructible Berghaus Munro, but with the addition of a front zip and Velcro pocket (why do they call it front when it faces backwards?).
I have to confess to being underwhelmed when I first received the rucksack. It is not immediately aesthetically inspiring or designed to be admired, but rather robust and functional. A bit like wanting an I-pod and being given an old Roberts radio.
It features,
1. Front pocket, which is a decent size and will easily take a water bottle and Crusader kit, probably a Trangia military cooker, a first aid kit or a basha (see later pictures for carrying capacity). For me the brew kit is most often used in a daysack so that is where it went with my knife. I am unsure of the logic behind a Velcro and zip fastener for the front pocket and can only assume that the Velcro holds down the flap and helps with water ingress in the rain.
Front pocket capacity - example -
2. Lid pocket, which is roomy but not the capacity of that on either a Bergan or a Snugpak Rocketpack. My personal beef with the pocket is that it the zip opens facing backwards (ie over the front pocket) and anything that drops out if the zip begins to open is lost rather than having a chance of being captured between shoulders and rucksack, were it to open with the zip facing the back of the head. I circumvented this utilising the belt and braces approach of a safety pin (useful anyway) at the end of the zip closure.
Lid Pocket - sample contents -
3. Main compartment. This is one roomy and accessible sack. Overall, I cant believe that the sack is only 37 Litres. It certainly compares favourably with the main sack of my Rocketpack and for me anyway holds more than enough for an overnighter
Sample Contents main sack -
Pic 2 Loaded with all the above plus waterproof, food,Snugpak softy 3, Kathmandu Tarp and lightweight groundsheet -
4. Harness and mesh back. I am a 46 chest and have a long back, but thankfully dont have any back problems that make me fussy about whether a pack rides high (hence my love affair with the Rocketpack), but I found the harness and padded shoulder straps comfortable with the sack fully laden (a good 35lb) or half empty. It also fitted my better half comfortably (though she reckoned the colour didnt suit her!). The sack has waist belt and chest harness too for those who use them I dont. I carried the sack fully laden for several miles, including a few on sand and shingle, in hot weather and found the back system as good as any (apart from an external frame) at remaining comfortable and dispersing sweat.
5. Other bits. The Moray has an elasticated cord for additional carrying capacity and for wet clothing. It also serves to compress the front pocket, as do two straps on either side of the main sack. I felt that the side straps would have been more functional had there been open mesh or Cordura pockets at the base of the sack on either side, which would have helped secure walking poles, fishing rod, axe or whatever and prevented them sliding down and out of the straps.
I have used this sack more or less constantly for a fortnight and on three separate one and two-nighters and not been disappointed in any way with its capability and robustness. It didnt show any leaks in one heavy and prolonged downpour, although the harness was like a wet sponge (left it out uncovered deliberately to see if it was waterproof). Nothing has come unstitched or failed (and I am fairly heavy handed with kit) and there is nothing about this rucksack which leads me to believe it wont be going strong in ten years time.
For me personally, I was looking for a small pack for day to day use which could hold a brew kit, a tarp, a camera, knife and waterproof and underestimated the true load-eating capacity of this workhorse, so it may be looking for a new home soon, not because of any fault of the rucksack (far from it!), but because of my underestimation of it. For around £40 I would find it pretty hard fault this rucksack.
