camelbak | IAN CORLESS

Stage racing, multi-day running and fastpacking all require a very specific pack. With the growth of multi-day running, many major brands now produce a pack or packs that are specifically designed for the task at hand. However, choosing a pack can be a daunting process due to many variables.

First and foremost, spend some time and sit down with a piece of paper and make notes of all the equipment that you need to carry. This may sound obvious, but there is a great difference in needs and demands.

For example:

Are you running in a hot or cold environment?
Do you need to carry food for the adventure or will you be able to get food on the route?
What spare clothing do you need?
What safety equipment do you need to carry?
Do you need a tent?
Do you need a sleeping bag and sleeping mat?
How much liquid do you need to carry and do you need immediate access to that liquid?

And the list goes on, so, take time to sit down and plan. This also helps you look at weight.

An excellent website to help facilitate this is Lighterpack – You can see an example HERE of all the contents I used when testing the Instinct XX20L when I went fastpacking with a tent.

Recently I went fastpacking in Norway running from cabin-to-cabin. I did not need food (other than run snacks,) did not need a sleeping bag, just a sleeping bag liner and I could be minimal on clothing. I used the Camelbak Octane pack and the contents were as listed below:

You can see an example of my pack below and the details are as follows:

Camelbak Octane Pack 600g
adidas hat 32g
adidas gloves Infinitum 52g
Hestra waterproof gloves 53g
adidas gloves 41g
Devold merino base top 193g
Devold merino base bottom 166g
Buff 43g
Haglofs down jacket 163g
adidas waterproof pant 125g
adidas Gore-Tex jacket 272g
Rab bivvy bag 110g
Underwear 98g
Gels 81g (for emergency)
Silk liner 126g
Blindfold/ earplugs 22g
Earphones 44g
Ricoh GRIII camera 251g (a luxury)
Sunglasses 18g
Bottles x2 90g
Katadyn water filter 52g
Toiletries 196g
Power supply 138g
Phone 136g
Garmin InReach 108g
Leki poles 250g

3379g

As you can see, my pack weight was low. This allowed me to move faster and lighter for less effort.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHOOSING A PACK

Once you have worked out what you need to carry, you can then decide what size pack you need. The best recommendation here is that it is better to have a pack that is maybe just too small. That way you will be strict on what you take and what you do not take. Of course, this decision should never be at the compromise of safety. Simply, if you have more room, you tend to take more because you can.

When doing a stage race, multi-day or fastpack, weight is the enemy, so, you need to be as light as possible.

WAA has a waist belt and optional front pocket for food/snacks and water bottle.

Comfort is obviously hugely important and just like shoes, packs need to fit you, cause no rubbing or irritation and feel like a piece of clothing. What works for one person will not work for another. A great example being, the needs and requirements for 152cm tall woman weighing 55kg is very different than a 182cm tall male weighing 85kg. It’s great to ask and take advice BUT you need to try packs, see how they fit and importantly when trying, add weight so you can feel how it sits on your body. Many brands do different sizes now such as S/M or L/XL and one or two brands do male/ female versions: Ultimate Direction, Osprey and Oxitis being good examples.

Aiziza El Amrany winner of the 2024 MDS with a Raidlight pack.

Many packs now use a ‘vest’ like system, however, when you have 8kg in the pack, does that fit and feel good? You need to know this. Look at pressure points, such as on top of the shoulders, this area can get very sore if you do not have enough padding. Also feel how it sits on your bag and check for bounce/ movement. A pack that moves too much causes friction, friction equals irritation and blisters.

A waist belt is often a great addition to help secure a pack to your body and distribute the weight load. Some love waist belts, others dislike them. I personally am a fan.

You must choose what is correct for you and don’t be afraid to go against the norm to use what is correct for you. A prime example being that a hiking pack may be the best solution for YOU. Trust this and ignore what others say. The only key things to consider: Be careful of the pack weight and make sure it is not too large in capacity.

Access to water is important, many packs now have the capacity and option to carry bottles up front. This makes drinking and refilling easy. However, this may not work for you. If that is the case, do what is right for you, if that means using a bladder, do so. The only consideration with soft flasks and bladders are the risk of puncture, but, I have used a bladder on countless adventures with no issue. Good admin is key.

Osprey Talon Velocity and Camelbak Octane fastpacking in Norway.

If doing an adventure that is self-sufficient (such as MDS,) remember that as days pass, pack contents will become less due to eating food. So, the option to tighten, compress and make the pack smaller is a potential key consideration to stop or reduce bounce.

Finally, pack weight is important, BUT, do not go for the lightest pack if it has no durability. You need the pack to be strong, durable and reliable.

BRANDS TO CONSIDER

As mentioned, many brands now make packs or packs suitable for stage racing, multi-day or fastpacking.

WAA https://www.waa-ultra.com
Camelbak https://www.camelbak.co.uk/
Ultraspire https://ultraspire.com
inov-8 https://www.inov8.com
Ultimate Direction https://ultimatedirection.com/product.php?page=accessories
Salomon https://www.salomon.com/en
Rab https://rab.equipment/uk/
Osprey https://www.osprey.com
Raidlight https://raidlight.com
Silva https://silvasweden.uk/
Oxsitis – https://www.oxsitis.com/en/
OMM https://theomm.com
Instinct https://www.instincttrail.com/product-category/packs/
ARCh Max https://www.arch-max.com/en
Compressport https://www.compressport.com/uk/
Nathan https://www.nathansports.com/
USWE https://uswe.com/en-gb/
Arc’teryx https://arcteryx.com/no/en
Montane https://montane.com/
Six Moon Designs https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/
Gossamer Gear https://www.gossamergear.com/
Hyperlite https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/

If you have a brand missing from the list that you feel needs to be added, please make a comment below.

WHAT ARE THE BEST PACK OPTIONS TO CONSIDER

Remember, we are all individual. Every pack on the list below I have looked at, played with and tested in some capacity.

They are ALL applicable for stage racing, multi-day or fastpacking.

You may well be asking, but which do I prefer? Well, I could answer that, but if I do, am I then influencing your decision and thought process? So, for now, I will refrain from giving an opinion.

WAA Ultrabag 20L https://www.waa-ultra.com/en/mds-ultra-bag-20l.html

Camelbak Octane 22l https://www.camelbak.co.uk/products/octane-22-hydration-hiking-pack-22l-with-2l-reservoir?_pos=3&_psq=octane&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Oxitis Enduro 30 Ultra (male and female specific) https://www.oxsitis.com/en/product/sac-enduro-30-ultra/

Ultimate Direction Fastpack available in 20L and 30L also male and female specific https://ultimatedirection.com/fastpack-20/

UltrAspire Epic XT 20L https://ultraspire.com/products/epic-xt-20-hydration-pack/

Instinct XX 20-24L https://www.instincttrail.com/product/xx-20l/

Inov-8 Venturelite 25 https://www.inov8.com/venturelite-25l-hiking-pack?colours=3120

Osprey Talon Velocity in 20l and 30l (male and female fit) https://www.osprey.com/talontm-velocity-20?color=White

Raidlight Ultralight 24-30l (maybe the lightest pack available?) https://raidlight.com/en/products/sac-a-dos-trail-ultralight-24-30-made-in-france

Raidlight Raid Legend 25l https://raidlight.com/en/products/sac-a-dos-de-trail-activ-legend-24l

Montane Gecko VP 20l https://montane.com/products/montane-gecko-vp-20

Montane Trailblazer 25l https://montane.com/products/montane-trailblazer-25l-backpack

Salomon XT 20 https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/xt-20-lc12756.html#color=87687&size=27106

OMM Classic 25 https://theomm.com/product/classic-25/

OMM Phantom 25 https://theomm.com/product/phantom-25/

OMM Phantom 18 https://theomm.com/product/phantom-18/

RAB Aeon (18 and 28l) https://rab.equipment/uk/rab-aeon-ultra-28-lightweight-pack

SILVA Strive available 17+3l or 23+3l https://silvasweden.uk/collections/backpacks/products/strive-mountain-pack-17-3

Large Capacity Packs:

Arc’teryx Aerios 35 https://arcteryx.com/no/en/shop/aerios-35-backpack?sub-cat=multi-day&sub_categories=Multi-Day

Six Moon Designs Flight 30 https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Elevate 22 https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/elevate-22

CONCLUSION

As you can see above, there is no shortage of options for packs. The main problem is testing and trying packs. Today, the internet and online purchasing provides us all great options and ease for shopping, but, I cannot emphasise enough, with a pack, go to a store, try them on, add weight and play around. Ideally, go to a store that sells many options so you can compare.

The right pack is the one that works for you

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Octane 25 fully packed with tent,sleeping bag, apparel and food for a 1-night fastpack.

Streamlined, lightweight, full of features and storage, CamelBak have brought together the best of both the trail running and hiking worlds with Octane 25 LE.

As you would expect, CamelBak has integrated a system to keep the bladder secure and easy to access, with the hydration hose tucked in and out of the way with secure fixings at the front. For many though, the use of the bladder can be a plus or a minus, so, removal is easy. At the front, there is storage for two large bottles or soft-flasks.

Ultimately, this pack with 25L of storage is perfect for fast packing and multi-day stage events. It is optimised for those who want to stay light and move fast. It is full of features and after packing and testing, this is a piece of equipment that is ideal for a race such as Marathon des Sables.

Key features are:

Belt with two zippered pockets for ‘on-the-go’ snacks.
Trekking pole storage via left or right side.
11 exterior pockets one with zipper and two for bottles/ soft flasks.
8 interior pockets one with zipper and key holder
2 chest straps

A large zipper opens up the pack like a suitcase, therefore adding and removing contents is easy. Inside the pack are multiple small stretchy storage pockets, 8 in total. On the rear insides 5, 2 longer pockets on the sides of the inside. In the lid of the pack is a zipper pocket ideal for wallet, passport with an integrated key holder.

Outside there are 11 exterior pockets and a giant compartment that is dedicated to hold the bladder, or, if doing multi-day, this is a great place to put a sleeping mat or even some clothing. Three large mesh pockets are ideal for external storage that may require quick access, for example, waterproof jacket, pants, hat, gloves, additional liquid and so on. Two elastic straps not only will hold poles in place but also help compress the pack smaller.

Pockets help keep things in place, and the dual chest straps keep it all closely attached to the body. The addition of the waist belt and two zippered pockets only adds to a secure feel and the increased pockets are welcome for ‘on-the-go’ snacks.

To provide perspective I removed the bladder and added a sleeping mat in to the bladder compartment (not shown in the video) and the items you see are as follows:

2 large Raidlight bottles
Big Agnes solo backpacking tent with poles and pegs.
Sea to Summit Sp1 sleeping bag.
Sea to Summit sleeping bag liner.
Merino LS top and bottoms.
Waterproof jacket.
Waterproof pants.
Down jacket.
Warm gloves.
Leki poles.
Merino beanie, neck roll and gloves.
MSR solo cook kit.
Sea to Summit spoon
Knife, matches, hot chocolate sachets, tea, earplugs, blindfold, snacks, and cup.
Firepot food and bars.
Osmo Active.
Phone, passport, and credit card.

To wear, the pack hugs the body, is comfortable and if adjusted correctly provides a run with minimal bounce. Made from ultralight sail cloth, the Octane 25 feels very durable. 3D vent mesh helps comfort and breathability.

While not one of the obvious choices for a multi-day or stage race, this pack is proving hard to beat. The features, the storage capacity and the fit against the torso is superb. It really is one of the best, if not the best, we have tried. Coming in one size, smaller or larger individuals would need to try on and make sure fit and comfort works. The side adjustments do compensate for many sizes and the waist belt adds to a secure feel and it helps spread the carry load.

Is there a downside? The only possible problem could be the zip. Zips can break, particularly when under pressure from holding in contents or from harsh environmental conditions, such as sand. However, this is just a thought process that needs considering, there is nothing in testing that would suggest there to be a problem.

Ultimately, one of the best fast packing and multi-day packs I have tried and one that I am using on all adventures for the foreseeable future.

Images below copyright Camelbak.