Snugpak Bergen.

[Dan1982]

Soooo....... my hunt for a new rucksack has finally reached an end. after weighing up countless options and comparing more prices, reviews etc than i even care to remember i have decided to go for the snugpak bergen. at only £65 for 100 litre capacity and removable side pockets i really can see no reason not to get one. i thought long and hard about a Karrimor sabre 75 but have opted to save myself £100 and get the snugpak.

now all i need is for one of you to tell me whats wrong with them and i can begin my search ALL OVER AGAIN! hehe.

so go on!! have i made a good choice or should i fork out something else??

All comments welcome!!

Cheers guys.

Dan

 

[stephendedwards]

I have a rocket pack and the wife pinched it she likes it so much - Top kit!!
I now use a smaller german army one which is the best yet even a place to carry an axe

Steve

 

[crazyclimber]

Ooh awful choice. You should definitely reconsider and buy a second. And a third. But don't go doing anything daft like selling any mind

I mean... right

1. it's green. You can't go out in the hills without psychedelic kit that allows others to see you from a minimum of five miles away. I think this necessitates buying an orange survival bag such as http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr233.html to go over it - £2.50, bargain.

2. http://www.supertent.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=snugpak-bergen-rucksack-100-litre-capacity say "Enough space for all your pack size Snugpak kit as well as the kitchen sink". Have you tried your kitchen sink in it? If not I suggest you do, then sue the company for false advertising. Although perhaps they have found a kitchen sink of small enough size to fit in the bergen, in which case I think you should definitely purchase one since washing your pans in a sink is obviously much more hygienic on the side of a mountain than washing in a stream. And there's no excuse for lack of personal hygiene.

3. 2.46kg? Way way too heavy. Buy a Berghaus atlas and you could knock a whole 160g off that. Or go for a Golite odyssey and knock a gigantic 870g off, for a loss of just 9.87L. That's going from 24.6g/L to 17.64g/L. You should absolutely buy all three to cover any and all eventualities. You never know when you might need them. A selection of small (20ish litres), medium (40ish litres) and bigger still (60ish litres) packs also.

I hope that's given you some food for thought. And just remember, carry less by knowing more

 

[Limaed]

Dan
Ird really think twice about it, its really designed to be worn with webbing and if you dont all the weight sits on your shoulders instead of your hips which is very quickly really painfull.
Although I think the bergan and the rocketpak are a good design outside of this if a bags uncomfortable theres no way your going to use it.
I only used mine about three times and had to sell it.
Get a surplus Crusader or Vulcan. Berghaus and Karrimor have been making and selling bags for 40 odd years where as Snugpak only a few years and I think that pedigree is reflected in the products.
Endicotts do some great deals and do a BCUK discount. Perhaps have a look on thier website. (No connection). Ed

 

[widu13]

I'm qualified to comment on the snugpak quality- I have a brand new 70 litre rocket pak which I got in black 'cos it was a bargain. Firstly the material is NOWHERE near as good a quality as the issue kit and Berghaus. The side pockets feel literally 1/2 as thin as the issue ones. It does sit very high on my back (roughly over where pouches would be on a belt kit), but it can be dropped down and the waist belt (that's what it is) can then be used as a hip belt and take some weight.

SP seem to copy existing designs, but my rocket pak is a bastardisation of an issue design and does NOT have shoulder adjusters to pull it in close at the shoulders- a fairly serious omission I think. For what I paid (£50) it's okay. I just wish I hadn't sold my Berghaus Cyclops Roc as that was MUCH better (quality and comfort) and the same capacity but not as versatile i.e. side pouches were removable but could not be made into a daysack.

You definitely get what you pay for.

 

[John Fenna]

I have used and loved both the Bergan and Rocket Pack and found them comfortable and tough - but as I am 5'6" tall with a short back I guess the back length fitted me well!
The fabric is NOT as tough as the issue bergans - which saves a lot of weight without making the packs flimsy, just not battlefield proof!
I have yet to get a bad bit of Snugpak gear!

 

[taws6]

I love mine, it fits me just right, and the weight seems to dissapear when it's on.
I've not tried many other though.

 

[Dan1982]

WELL!!!..... I leave the forum for an hour, come back and now i am starting to doubt my decision again. this is hard work

Do we feel i should splash out on a sabre then?

 

[bushtank]

I have used and loved both the Bergan and Rocket Pack and found them comfortable and tough - but as I am 5'6" tall with a short back I guess the back length fitted me well!
The fabric is NOT as tough as the issue bergans - which saves a lot of weight without making the packs flimsy, just not battlefield proof!
I have yet to get a bad bit of Snugpak gear!

I have a 70lt rocket pack and when fully loaded it is very comfy for me but i have a short back and large frame i got a PLCE for the side pouches and that is very comfortable as well and they can hold 4 bottles of wine in each side lovley job

 

[Prophecy]

Sungpak bergen has suited my fine, and although not just as tough as the issue packs they are still very much big and tough, with loads of room.

 

[Lurch]

i thought long and hard about a Karrimor sabre 75 but have opted to save myself £100

Can't be had for love nor money at the minute anyway...

 

[John Fenna]

I have a 70lt rocket pack and when fully loaded it is very comfy for me but i have a short back and large frame i got a PLCE for the side pouches and that is very comfortable as well and they can hold 4 bottles of wine in each side lovley job

Now that is a way of proving kit - how much booze it will carry
I will try this at the next meet......if I have cash enough for the experiment!

 

[alpha_centaur]

John

So did you buy the snugpak bergen?

If so what are your impressions of it now...

 

[ScarletPimpernel]

I have the Snugpak Bergen. As has been said, the material is not as tough as the issue item, but mine successfully coped with a tour of Iraq - though not on the frontline - it wasn't in use every day. It's certainly well made, though, and I appreciated it's lightness when having to haul all my kit across airfields and bases.

Incidentally, I had to source it at short notice, and Snugpak were fantastic - I phoned and explained that I was due to depart in a couple of days, and they couriered it to me at no extra cost.

I tend not to use it very often now because I suffer from an inability to resist filling it. It's next use will probably be my next sandy adventure.

 

[alpha_centaur]

The problem with my current sack is that it doesn't have enough space for me an the dog to go away for the weekend (being a bitch) she need's twice as much stuff as me lol

 

[Dan1982]

I ended up going for a Karrimor Sabre 60-100. Really cant fault it!! Would highly recommend it it if you can afford one!

Dan

 

[NatG]

agreed, my karrimor was expensive but is a great bit of kit, i think rucksacks and boots are the items that are really worth spendng money on, you can get along with a cheap knife, cooker, sleeping bag etc, but if you're bag hurts your back and yo-ur boots cripple you then there's no way you're going to enjoy yourself

 

[saddle_tramp]

im probably old fashioned but you know where you are with karrimor n berghaus, both of them have made military spec rucksacks for years, and id just be taking a gamble if i went elsewhere.

snugpack make fine sleeping bags (didnt they used to be called brett harris years ago?) and no doubt given time can make a good rucksack too, but the karrimors and berghaus packs that you see that are 10,15,20 years old and still holding up, is good enough reason to spend a few quid more when buying new, than gambling on something that looks similar in the brochure, but aint quite there in the flesh

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

I had the snugpak Bergen, and had such high hopes for it! i even sold both my PLCE bergens!
Design based on the trusty PLCE bergen, good padded back, lighter materials, good colour, nice shoulder straps.
HOWEVER! it's is way to short in the back for most people over 5'9" ish, and being a six footer plus i found it unbearable when loaded with kit and bearly used it. It became relegated to fishing trips, and i bought back in a long back bergen in green for the big stuff. I sold the immaculate snugpak on ebay to a guy who is spot on for height and will use it well. i also sold the snugpak sleeka 35 as i had issues with back length again and found the shoulder straps very hard and uncomfortable.
I now have reverted to longback bergen, large ALICE pack(the bomb!) and have just got an Osprey kestrel 38 in long back. i have to say i am so impressed with the osprey that i will seriously weigh up an ARGON against a karrimor sabre for the eventual bergen replacement. anyway, i digress!
don't buy snugpak rucksacks if your medium height or taller! just buy their jackets and bags! do buy osprey! so chuffed! IMHO

 

[drewdunnrespect]

PLCE standerd issue for me the best comfy hieght wise perfect and well bomb proof says it all if you ask me