The Berghaus Crusader any thoughts to share?

[Shewie]

Good packs but huge, I found it hard not to fill mine on every outing which meant it was heavy.

 

[woof]

I've been looking at different bags for a while, & keep getting out bid on karrimors on ebay, so i pulled the trigger on a vulcan last night, £108.50+5.99 p+p. Orderd a size 3(i'm 5'10")but they've told me i can swop it no probs if its the wrong size.

Rob

 

[unijaw]

Just an update. No camping shops near me has one in stock but i did get a reasonably good reply from simplyhike customer support I asked for a comparision between the Vulcan and the Crusader and asked what was the difference between Cyclops backstystem II and III here was their reply for those who are interested:

I have checked the Berghaus Crusader and Vulcan II and there are only a couple of slight differences in these which are the Crusader is hydration compatible whereas the Vulcan is not and the Crusader material denier so thickness is 1000+ whereas the Vulcan is 801-1000. In regards to the Cyclops back system the 3 is an update to the cyclops system which instead of you adjusting the back system is sold in different sizes initially to fit with extra padding and a much harder wearing system in general.

So arguably the Crusader is better... its a sure purchase for me now I'm just going to search around for the perfect price.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

It's clear watching the simplyhike's demo vids on youtube, that the presenters know very little about the products they're showing & that reply from them confirms it.

 

[unijaw]

It's clear watching the simplyhike's demo vids on youtube, that the presenters know very little about the products they're showing & that reply from them confirms it.

It did seem a little bit wishy washy I didn't set much store to it but I've got tunnel vision for this pack now. What's more! It appears that you can't purchase the crusader in the same colour reviewed in the simplyhike video from the simplyhike website.
Maybe its just a bad image I might fire off another message asking about it.
All credit to them however they responded incredibly quickly to the first one I sent.

 

[woof]

The vulcan arrived today excelent service from outdoor direct, the size 3 seems the right size.

Rob

 

[unijaw]

I managed to get a translation of the French video found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quDSlT8tTAc
This is what someone paraphrased his review said:

he says it's a very good backpack, comfortable, well made.
hold 90 l + side pockets
Plus points: comfortable, he is carrying it with a load of 25 kg
the straps are very good, he particularly likes the lumbar one.
there are belts in the pockets to hold everything tight
good handle for carrying
waterproof compartment for sleeping bag
minus :
this is a bag designed to be used fully loaded, not with only partial load.
he would have liked fast-release buckles, and loops on the outside to attach things
but he is very pleased with it, and thinks he will never sell it.
Actually, he does not have many minus points, and he seems very happy with the quality of the materials, the stitching, etc...

Based upon this I want to ask; Is there any drawback to not having the bag filled? He mentions in the review that its supposed to be used when its carrying a full load. Are there any drawbacks to taking a large bag and not filling it up entirely? Of course minimalists will say its wasted space/weight. But ignoring is this there any drawback? It's 90+ 20 so lets say I use 70 litres rather than 90. Will I be in any discomfort based upon this? I think this may very well be a bit of a dim question but it was bothering me.
Thanks again guys.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I managed to get a translation of the French video found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quDSlT8tTAc
This is what someone paraphrased his review said:


Based upon this I want to ask; Is there any drawback to not having the bag filled? He mentions in the review that its supposed to be used when its carrying a full load. Are there any drawbacks to taking a large bag and not filling it up entirely? Of course minimalists will say its wasted space/weight. But ignoring is this there any drawback? It's 90+ 20 so lets say I use 70 litres rather than 90. Will I be in any discomfort based upon this? I think this may very well be a bit of a dim question but it was bothering me.
Thanks again guys.

You can carry as much or as little as you wish in a rucky............the dude in the vid was just saying that because of the lack of lateral compression straps it was a little baggy if not fully loaded, nothing to do with carrying comfort.............I don't know about the crusader, but on most bags with zipped detachable side pouches, you can do up the zips each side & reduce quite considerably the size of the pack if you wish only to carry a few items.keeping it compact; much like a daysack.
The chap in the vid is far from an expert & doesn't really say much more than what can be read elsewhere. Gives a good idea of it's size though.

 

[unijaw]

Thanks again timberwolf.

 

[Andy BB]

From what you're looking for, it actually appears that you'd be better off with a Lowe-Alpine Saracen! Side pockets, lots of Molle, lateral compession, 1000denier material, superb adjustable back, huge capacity (improved even more by the floating lid), and beloved by the heavy-users in the military for its comfort, volume and general indestructability.

 

[unijaw]

Got a reply from Berghaus themselves:

Hi, I am answering this from the Berghaus digital team and I got the following response direct from our rucksack product designer.

The Crusader is basically the next generation of the Vulcan pack. Both rucsacs uses the same Cyclops system so from a load carriage perspective, both perform similarly.

The fabrics on both packs are also the same 1000D Ardura Nylon material, and is chosen for its toughness and durability.

The key differences in the 2 packs is around the feature build, both packs have the usual expected features like a lid pocket, grab handles, chest strap, removable side pockets etc, but the Crusader also comes with Molle webbing on the front of the pack, a removable, extendable lid. The Cruder is also compatible with all of the MMPS system.

The MMPS system is a series of modular components that fit onto the Crusader and Centurio packs, so far the MMPS range consists of the MMPS Grab Bag, the MMPS Large pockets and we are also working on a couple of new MMPS components to make life easier.

MMPS Grab Bag
This is a Military daysac system that allows you to place your key survival items into a daysac mounted into the Crusader and that can be removed with great speed if you find yourself in an ambush. It's difficult to run and seek cover with an 80 litre pack on your back so you can escape with the essentials and then return to the large pack later on.

MMPS large pockets
The MMPS larqge pockets are a larger version of the standard side pockets. The standard pockets are 10 litres each and the large pockets 15 litres each, and they come with the removable shoulder straps that allow you to turn the two pockets into a daysac.

These items are going to be new in the range soon and the other items are going to arrive next summer once they have been completed and tested.
Source(s):
We designed them...
http://store.berghaus.com/p/equipment/vulcan-ii-military-rucksack/420518
http://store.berghaus.com/p/packs/crusader-90-plus-20-mmps-rucksack/434644