Every so often you come across a bit of kit that makes you go wow.
Walk into the reception of Karrimor's Accrington HQ and you'll do it
several times...
One reason is a cluster of rucksacs from history - the original
1964 Don Whillans Alpiniste sits on one wall, while directly opposite
a battered Alpiniste 65 with a scrawled signature turns out to be the
very same pack Stephen Venables took to the top of Everest when he
made the first British Ascent without oxygen back in 1988, and over
there's the elder statesman of Karrimor packs - an original, 1957
Pinnacle.
The first sac that Karrimor ever made, it's a simple canvas tube
that looks primitive now, but at the time was a cutting edge
development, being longer, closer fitting and more stable than
anything else around.
Mad Stealth Sac
The other thing that stops you dead in your tracks is the
mad-looking, mega-techy, matt black, futuristic sight of the new
Karrimor Boma pack. The one on the wall in reception actually bears
the legend 'Bomber', which is how it's pronounced, but Boma is the
real name. The misspelling came courtesy of faulty Korean
prognostication on a pre-production pack.
What makes the Boma really different is the fabric. Hypalon is a
thick, rubbery-feeling material that looks great, but also happens to
be massively tough - we reckon it's similar to the reinforcement used
by MHW on their mountain gloves. The result is a pack that ought to
be one of the toughest rucksacs ever made and looks it too.
Made from three weights of the super-tough fabric - they had to be
developed specially for the sac - the Boma's a technical climbing
pack closely based on the Alpiniste range, so it gets all the usual
stuff like a SuperCool back with Fformat malleable frame, padded
hip-belt with gear loops, wand pockets, compression straps and a big
haul loop for ease of use with gloves.
On top of that, there's a neat side-zipper entry on both sides of
the main compartment and a full-width outside pocket running right
down the back of the pack, which should take a snow shovel or several
large-format magazines.
It's got a fantastic, heavy duty industrial feel, an interesting,
slightly rubbery aroma, and should be ideal for hauling up rough
crags or simply hurling down scree slopes. It's available in a 45+10
normal version and a 30+10 ladies fit with re-designed geometry to
suit the female frame.
If there's a downside, it's that the heavy material means that the
Boma's not exactly light at 2550 grammes and 2250 grammes depending
on size, but if toughness is your main priority, you won't be that
bothered.
In the shops from next month, prices are £140 for the 45+10
version and £120 for the 30+10. It comes with Karrimor's
two-year Gold Star Guarantee, which means they'll repair it free of
charge no matter how you damage the pack and might just be the
toughest rucksac ever made...
We have a pre-production model on test now - which is great
because it's badged 'Bomber' rather than Boma, and we'll let you know
whether we manage to destroy it. This one could run and run...
Karrimor web
site
Dan Grey
