Macpac Pursuit 50 Tested

Macpac Pursuit 50 Tested

Price: £120.00

Weight: 1550 / 1550 / 1700 grammes

Features: Available in women's and size 2 and 3, capacities 48 / 48 and 52 litres respectively, Hypalon, VX-42 X-PAC and 420D HT Nylon fabrics, Wraptor back system, removable lid with internal and external pockets, Toolport for ice tools, crampons and skis, twin haul loops, dual storm closure, side compression straps, base and hip gear loops, hydration tube exit port, daisy chain. Also available as Pursuit 40 and Pursuit 30 with the same features.

Bombproof, comfortable and stable. No hydration sleeve even though there's an exit.

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The Concept The renowned Macpac Pursuit has been around for donkeys years and still is, albeit with tweaks, under the Pursuit Classic name. The new Pursuit pack, in 30, 40 and 50-litre incarnations however, is a more predatory, technical animal aimed squarely at alpine and general climbing use.

Macpac has a hard-won reputation for making some of the most robust sacs on the market and clearly doesn't see any point in softening up for the 21st Century, so what you're looking at is a bombproof climbing sac that won't damage the scales with excess bulk, and should allow you to accommodate all the technical paraphanalia you need, without impeding your progress.

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Features Current trends in the pack market seem to be towards the 'less is more' school of rucksac philosophy. That's all very well, but simple packs tend to suffer when loads increase and, with climbing packs, that's inevitable, which is why Macpac have concentrated on load-carrying and stability with their Wraptor back system.

It's an impressive thing with a massively strong internal framework of anodised alloy tubes running the length of the back with the outer Wraptor Rods feeding directly into the fins of the hip-belt for direct load transfer to the hips. The hip-belt itself is fairly minimalist for easy access to harness gear loops, though the fins are still pretty fully formed.

Macpac's other ace is the use of tough but light fabrics including super abrasion-resistant Hypalon - used to make Zodiac dinghies no less - and the snappily-named XV-42 X-Pac material, a laminate of Nylon polyester that the company says is tear resistant, waterproof and very light.

Along with that you have all the features you'd expect from a technical sac including twin haul loops, a detachable lid, gear loops and ergonomically contoured shoulder straps.

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In Action If the Pursuit 50 wandered into a wild west saloon bar, you'd give it a wide berth. Even before you put it on, it exudes a wiry toughness with reassuring black, rubbery Hypalon panels in vulnerable areas plus the bomber feeling XV-42 X-Pac. The latter looks similar to the fabric used by Berghaus in some of its technical sacs, and we know from personal experience that it's as tough as Clint Eastwood's complexion...

Load it up with climbing kit and nothing changes. The brick sh**house back system and thermoformed ergonomic padding feel immediately stable and supportive. Cinch up the various tensioners and load transfer is excellent. We were a little concerned that the relatively small hip fins wouldn't be up to transferring weight efficiently, but we were wrong and the narrow belt allows easy access to harness gear loops. Sturdy and stable but comfortable just about sums it up.

When loads are heavy - walk-ins for example - you can cinch up the side straps to pull the Wraptor Rods into the hip-belt, when the pack's lighter, loosen them off for improved mobility. Usefully, then you unclip the belt, the fins pull back out of harm's way for even better access.

Clean lines - no side pockets here Jose - and slim profile are ideal for mountain use too and side compression straps allow you to keep things stable when partially loaded plus an extendable lids allows you to overload if needed. The 50-litre version we tested would be ideal for extended alpine use or possibly Scottish winter, but if you want a smaller capacity version, there are 30 and 40-litre Pursuits with the same features. Two male plus a women's specific back sizes should ensure a decent fit for most users out there.

Some will prefer stiffened gear loops for easier clipping, though it wasn't a major issue for us as we prefer harness loops anyway. Just about the only other issue we had with the pack, was the lack of an internal hydration sleeve. There's an exit for the tube, but we'd prefer to be able to hold the bladder in place too. Hello sharp ice screws.