John Burley
Reviewed: 10 July 2007
RUGGED
Very tough fabric, simple design, quality construction.
My old one (1995) isn't especially comfortable.
I am reviewing the Hot Earth 40L pack from 1996 (then about £60rrp I think), which underwent several modifications up to this 2004 model described above. But the primary function remained the same, and if you find one of these floating around, I think my comments will be applicable. By 2004, these bags had padded hip belts and wand pockets. Mine doesn't, but actually this is not much of a drawback as it works better with a climbing harness, and I can easily tie off the waist belt for lighter loads. The Fformat pad is pretty good at keeping odd-shaped kit from pressing through your back, and I have successfully reshaped mine a few times to cope with differing needs. It makes a nice sit-pad for belaying or around camp too. The main compartment of the bag really is very tough. I have been using it for hiking, climbing, hauling, going to the gym, summer camping, carry-on luggage and just about every conceivable load-bearing activity for 12 years and it still doesn't show much sign of wear. Just last weekend I used it to carry 21kg of groceries a few miles across town, though that was about the maximum you could manage with a pack like this. Mine has a huge single pocket in the lid and that’s about the only ‘feature’ it needs. This is intended to be a stable, clean design and it performs as such. No gimics – no nonsense. The fabric is very robust, but not very water resistant. Rain goes straight through, so you need decent liners or dry-bags. But it also dries out pretty fast and there’s not much padding to hold water.
This is not a pack designed primarily for comfort, though it’s not torturous by any means. The shoulder straps are a bit abrasive, the back padding gets a bit sweaty, and it is difficult to pass the load to the hips (in my model). But it holds kit close to the body, doesn’t get in the way of arm movements, and transports more than you would believe if you fully expand the lid. Nor is it particularly light, being of an old-school design philosophy. It isn’t super comfortable by today’s standards, but it is totally reliable for worry-free mountain adventures, and given the longevity, I’d say good value too.
