Hi All,
Thought I’d post a quick review of the Tasmanian Tiger Range bag that I recently bought. Haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces properly yet, but given how difficult it was to get info on this pack online, I thought a quick review of some key elements might help anyone else who is considering it.
First off, a quick front and rear view. As you can see it’s an enormous pack but has a fantastic carry system which handles the load and transfers it comfortably even when fully loaded. Padding is generous which makes it a very snug and comfy carry. My only negative would be that the tension straps on the waist belt should be front-pulling as it is difficult to add tension through a sideways pull when donned. The waist belt itself though is wider than most and durable. The aluminium stays from the frame are set into the waist belt to make a better transfer of load from pack to waist.
Now a quick summary of some features that left me searching for answers when doing research on this pack....
Below you can see exactly where ‘side access’ described in product specs is actually located. This is a zip that runs the full length of the top half of the main compartment and which sits almost hidden between the back plate and removable side pocket. This zip is on one side only though...not sure why?
This is the smaller of the Range packs and so the pocket on the front body of the pack is not removable as with the larger version. However, there is a large zippered access into the main compartment via the back of this pocket. A front loading option is one that I really wanted in a pack and this does the job nicely.
Another question that I struggled to get answers on was the height of the load adjusters. As a 6’ 3” user I wanted to ensure these were located correctly and the photograph below confirms that there are infact two sites on the back plate through which the straps can be fed. I currently have them set on the lower of the two, but further use may see them raised.
Many product specs and user reviews highlight the detachable side pockets on this pack and they really are massive. A few pics below of how they look and some different configurations. They can be zipped together as a stand alone daypack or zipped back-to-back into one single hand carry.
Next for a couple of modifications that I wanted to try out to make the bag a little more multifunctional. Being a cavernous pack, I still wanted the option to take it on trips where it’s full capacity wouldn’t be needed. The zippered attachment method for the side pockets mean that the receiving pair of zips on the body of the pack can actually be zipped together, so reducing the internal volume and keeping the load closer to the body when not fully loaded. You can see from the picture that the bottom compartment remains unaffected (still holding a tent and two sleeping bags in the picture!). With the lid compartment also removed (pictured), the main body volume reduces to more than half in size.
My other concern with the size of this pack was that it would be very rear heavy when fully loaded and have a centre of gravity well outside the body of the wearer. I came up with a solution that redistributes the load of the side pockets to the waist belt, so transferring that weight back to the centre line.
After fiddling with all sorts of option on how to achieve this, the best was the simplest. All I did was cut off the last few inches of webbing from some of the more generous straps on the pack and slid them through the waist belt webbing so that the part that is stitched back on itself hooks under the bottom row of MOLLE. The rest is then threaded through the top row of MOLLE and then directly into the top buckles sited at the top of the side pockets. Gravity alone keeps them in place and the back-stitched webbing prevents slippage. This leaves the side pockets suspended at thigh height and within perfect reach for waterproofs, water bladders or food that might be needed without wanting to remove your pack.
To achieve this, the shoulder straps on the side pockets need to be removed to make room for the additional webbing. I’ve tried to then use these shoulder straps horizontally through the bottom rear of the side pockets to secure them to my thigh, but found this pretty unnecessary and preferred the freedom of movement without. One of the pictures below also shows the waist attachment of the side pockets when their receiving zips have been joined on the main pack to reduce volume for a shorter treck.
A rather lengthy review without any field use to comment on so far, but I though the multi-functionality of this bag is worth highlighting and a few people had already asked for my opinions. Overall, a fantastic and versatile bag with great build quality and tons of modularity for those that like to have gear that serves more than one purpose!
Hope this helps!
Thought I’d post a quick review of the Tasmanian Tiger Range bag that I recently bought. Haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces properly yet, but given how difficult it was to get info on this pack online, I thought a quick review of some key elements might help anyone else who is considering it.
First off, a quick front and rear view. As you can see it’s an enormous pack but has a fantastic carry system which handles the load and transfers it comfortably even when fully loaded. Padding is generous which makes it a very snug and comfy carry. My only negative would be that the tension straps on the waist belt should be front-pulling as it is difficult to add tension through a sideways pull when donned. The waist belt itself though is wider than most and durable. The aluminium stays from the frame are set into the waist belt to make a better transfer of load from pack to waist.
Now a quick summary of some features that left me searching for answers when doing research on this pack....
Below you can see exactly where ‘side access’ described in product specs is actually located. This is a zip that runs the full length of the top half of the main compartment and which sits almost hidden between the back plate and removable side pocket. This zip is on one side only though...not sure why?
This is the smaller of the Range packs and so the pocket on the front body of the pack is not removable as with the larger version. However, there is a large zippered access into the main compartment via the back of this pocket. A front loading option is one that I really wanted in a pack and this does the job nicely.
Another question that I struggled to get answers on was the height of the load adjusters. As a 6’ 3” user I wanted to ensure these were located correctly and the photograph below confirms that there are infact two sites on the back plate through which the straps can be fed. I currently have them set on the lower of the two, but further use may see them raised.
Many product specs and user reviews highlight the detachable side pockets on this pack and they really are massive. A few pics below of how they look and some different configurations. They can be zipped together as a stand alone daypack or zipped back-to-back into one single hand carry.
Next for a couple of modifications that I wanted to try out to make the bag a little more multifunctional. Being a cavernous pack, I still wanted the option to take it on trips where it’s full capacity wouldn’t be needed. The zippered attachment method for the side pockets mean that the receiving pair of zips on the body of the pack can actually be zipped together, so reducing the internal volume and keeping the load closer to the body when not fully loaded. You can see from the picture that the bottom compartment remains unaffected (still holding a tent and two sleeping bags in the picture!). With the lid compartment also removed (pictured), the main body volume reduces to more than half in size.
My other concern with the size of this pack was that it would be very rear heavy when fully loaded and have a centre of gravity well outside the body of the wearer. I came up with a solution that redistributes the load of the side pockets to the waist belt, so transferring that weight back to the centre line.
After fiddling with all sorts of option on how to achieve this, the best was the simplest. All I did was cut off the last few inches of webbing from some of the more generous straps on the pack and slid them through the waist belt webbing so that the part that is stitched back on itself hooks under the bottom row of MOLLE. The rest is then threaded through the top row of MOLLE and then directly into the top buckles sited at the top of the side pockets. Gravity alone keeps them in place and the back-stitched webbing prevents slippage. This leaves the side pockets suspended at thigh height and within perfect reach for waterproofs, water bladders or food that might be needed without wanting to remove your pack.
To achieve this, the shoulder straps on the side pockets need to be removed to make room for the additional webbing. I’ve tried to then use these shoulder straps horizontally through the bottom rear of the side pockets to secure them to my thigh, but found this pretty unnecessary and preferred the freedom of movement without. One of the pictures below also shows the waist attachment of the side pockets when their receiving zips have been joined on the main pack to reduce volume for a shorter treck.
A rather lengthy review without any field use to comment on so far, but I though the multi-functionality of this bag is worth highlighting and a few people had already asked for my opinions. Overall, a fantastic and versatile bag with great build quality and tons of modularity for those that like to have gear that serves more than one purpose!
Hope this helps!
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