Anyone got one? is it any good? i was tempted to get one for xmas as i rekon it would come in handy

I'm sure I read some comments about this the other day, maybe it was on the ukclimbing forum.

I impulse bought one - I've been meaning to get a drysack for a while, but forgetting every time I was near a shop, and the Gourdon looked perfect for me.

It turned up yesterday (the usual Alpkit nextday delivery) and I like it a lot. Its simple, effective, and just what I needed.

Its now going to live a double life as a drybag inside my sack and for carrying my kit to football twice a week, so I no longer end up with soaking clothes to change back into after its rained all match!

The only negative point is the padding on the straps - the padding foam under the mesh of the straps themselves feels quite abrasive, and while I understand why they chose the material (it should dry very fast indeed and not hold water) I don't think I'll be wearing it over my featherlite smock!

Thanks dan, i think ill ad one to my xmas list as i think it would be great, especially for keeping my warm gear in when i go fishing on the beach etc

I will definitely be getting one. It's the answer to my sea-stack climbing dilemma: "take a drybag and secure at base of route, or take a small sack to climb with, but risk contents getting soaked on the swim across". Perfect :)

Yep, one just arrived for test. Looks good. Obviously not hydration system friendly but should be ace for wet conditions. Great idea. A mesh water bottle pocket would be the icing on the cake I reckon.

thats a good point, i didnt think about that, as you say i water bottle pocket would be a good addition...although that would mean more to catch on stuff

I suppose if you were determined enough you could put your camelbak in the slot for the back padding...

for those that havent seen there is now a video on the alpkit site about this pack

only thing now is i need an excuse to buy one ? any ideas ? lol

Ben - Where else can you get a drybag, and a daysack, and a bum rest for 20 quid delivered to your door? ... You know you want it, it'll find its own uses once it's there

Just come back from a long weekend in the Black Mountains where I've been using mine. Good points: the window makes it very easy to find gear in the sac, it IS waterproof and would probably have made a good buoyancy aid had I fallen into any of the water I had to wade through, its comparatively light. Bad points: rather like my Berghaus pack the shoulder straps tend to gradually loosen themselves - I think the problem here is that the fairly slick webbing doesn't have enough friction through the buckles, the back pad / seat rest is quite difficult to remove from a fullish sac as it needs to be bent before you can get it through the slot at the sac base which is smaller than the pad itself, perhaps the AlpKit logo could have been in a reflective paint?. Overall an excellent buy for only £17.50

I got one to use as a drybag-come-sack for use in the kayak or surfski.All my drybags are clear,but the Gourdon strikes that right balance with the "window".My young son usually sits in the "drybag" space in the surfski..I can now put this on my back.

I thought you were going to say that your young son usually sits in the drybag! You crazy kayakers... ;-)

he he..not quite.My wifes in there ;-).
She dont read this forum...

Just bought one as a (nearly) ultralight hillwalking daypack. My Hot-Ice got soaked through at the weekend in the blizzardy Gorms so I'll have a stab at this minimalist thing.

It arrived this morning and looks like it should be good for mainly soft stuff inside. Carrying axe between shoulder straps and no crampons or climbing hardware. I intend to remove the back pad though (strangely heavy thing?)

Might need to revert to a water bottle rather than the Camelbak thouogh unless I don't seal it up fully.

It won't be a "throw around" sack,nor a winter climbing sack, but I hope it works as a walking day sack.

I'll post again after this weekend and let you know how I get on with it.

I am very tempted to get one of these ... I do tend to pour a lot of money into the pockets of the fellows over at Alpkit.com =D

I intend to remove the back pad though (strangely heavy thing?)

And quite hard edges too.
I (sadly) weighed the back pad - over 200g - almost a 1/3rd of the pack total - I have replaced it with 2 layers of an old foam mat cut to shape (<40g) - softer more comfortable back now.

Not yet sorted the drinking thing though - where to put the bottle...
May also try to stitch a few 'tabs' to the back panel edges (which wouldn't effect waterproofness), or a couple of slots for compression/attachment straps. (see other thread for modding questions)

Spent a day on the hill (An Socach walking in from Inverey)with my new mate Gourdon.

I took the backpad out since I was going to be carrying mostly soft stuff. I've got the 30 ltr model and it comfortably held...
2 man bothy bag
Rab Generator Smock
Army Goretex Overjacket
PU overtrousers
3 ltr Camelbak
0.5 ltr flask
Long goretex mitts
Balaclava
Goggles
Sandwiches
Emrats
Bag of emergency bits including a strobe,head torch, whistle etc
FAK,
Walking Ice axe (75cm)

No problem with room and very comfortable. The shape is more dry bag "tubular" than climbing sack slim, and this makes it much less fussy to pack.

I thought I had found a way to route aCamelbak tube through the roll over top, but it didn't work - it just created a gap that rain would get in. I thought about just using pop bottles but decided that I'd carry the Camelbak despite the "gap", and if it rained I'd just put the tube away. Simple really.

I did carry an ice axe though! The longish haul loop at the top can carry the axe slung over the front (other side from you). The axe is the other way round from normal rucsac carry, but it's accessible and safe. I wasn't intending to use the waist belt at all, so I tied it round the sack to stabilise the axe shaft.

14 miles and one munro later how did I get on?

First, an uncharacteristically dry day meant I can't comment on the waterproofness (but I think we can take that for granted given the materials and construction.

The roll top closure is a bit of a fiddle if you want something out of the sack. No worse than a Go-lite Jam, so I dare say you'd get used to it. Helps you to decide what you put in your jacket pockets though.

As long as the sac was where I put it on my back it was fabulously comfortable. Well,it would be -it was light and full of soft things. But the shoulder straps were comfortable on top of a jacket and the spacing suited me fine. (I'm 6'0'' and a 44" chest).

BUT. In fact a capital BUT. As Chris mentioned above, the buckles on the shoulder straps (or any other strap including waist and chest) wouldn't grip the strap fabric well enough. I was getting quite fed up continually re-tightening the straps throughout the day.

Five minutes after tightening Gourdon was dragging on my bum again.

Out of the parcel this is an annoying design shortcoming if you want to use Gourdon as a rucsac (which you would, given all the straps and things in place). I certainly wouldn't consider climbing with it unmodified.

Simplest remedy I can think of is to either change or add thickness to the strap sections used by the buckles.

This one serious annoyance apart I found Gourdon comfortable and easy to live with. I'd think about using it when the forecast is miserable. Its longevity as a rucsac
probably depends what kind of rock you're on
and how well you look after it. It does have a fragile feel that encourages careful use.

If you want to try the ultralight hiking approach relatively cheaply this would be GOurdon's niche. Not necessarily munro bagging territory nor rock or ice climbing.

For run of the mill hillwalking though, I might just continue to use a carefree Hot-Ice (substitute rucsac of choice) that will stand up to abuse without special consideration.

i've bought one as a 'drybag for vunerable kit (sleeping bag, down jkt, phone etc..) in Winter backpacking/daysac for mooching and exploring once camp has been set up' solution - which it seems to do quite well.

it also fits into the current handluggage size restrictions on the cheapy airlines...

I have put a couple of Alpkit Phud buckles on the straps and has solved the slipping problem..works a treat !!