Paul Petch

Camelbak Cloud Walker back pack review

One pack to rule them all?

Truth be known….. I have a bit of a backpack fetish… pretty much like what alot of ladies have when it comes to shoes…..I just love the things! I could quite easily spend hundreds and hundreds of $$ on backpacks because every day being so so different requires a specific one doesn’t it? :D

Anyway, during my spare time I’m often found in remote locations and to be prepared for what NZ’s fantastic outdoors can throw at me… I need to carry some gear. For short spins around Bottlelake Forest or a quick up and down in the hills, my trusty Camelbak Lobo works just fine…..but it soon fills up with a few litres of water, rain jacket, first aid kit, a proper lunch etc etc….then the thin straps cut into my shoulders due to the extra weight. Put simply my current packs struggle to cope with all day hacks when the pack hits the 6KG mark. As an interim solution I’ve been wearing my Deuter pack that has done me just fine- but is to big, bulky and “wide” for easy movement when riding. I absolutely love my Deuter, but it’s just not ideal…… so I’ve been hunting for some time now for a better pack.

Requirements

My check list has consisted of;

- Light(ish) weight when empty

- Waist straps

- At least 20lt capacity

- Easy to reach external pocket for commonly used items

- Capacity for 3l bladder

- A colour that is not black :)

- Strong and reliable zips

So how is this pack?

I received the pack just days before the Cyclic Saga and it was love at first sight! One thing that Camelbak are good at when it comes to their higher end gear is the design and the quality stitching/ materials used. The Cloud Walker does not disappoint and it just “felt right” and looked the bomb :D After filling it with random pantry items such as tins of beans and pasta I then proudly paraded around the house like a kid with another new toy…. and for a pack with fairly minimal straps it felt very comfy. One stand out feature compared to the Lobo is the back panel where the bladder resides, the Cloud Walker now “bulges inwards” into the main compartment so that when loaded it sits flat on your back rather than “into your back” and sits proper. I smiled at this discovery as it is one of the aspects of the Lobo that I disliked when it was full of gear….sweet! Correct…. I’m easily amused :)

As a precaution, I packed the trusty Deuter for the weekends activities …. just in case ;) Did I need to fall back to the Deuter though?…..not at all! During the event with a heap of gear 2+ litres of water it felt like a large pack but sat very well on my back and it felt comfy and secure at all times…….which was just great. Over that weekend I spent close to 15hrs on the bike and rode 140Km and not once did the pack rub or feel uncomfortable….and I was sold right there and then. Due to the Cloud Walker looking like a “pack” rather than a specific bit of riding kit, the bonus is that it can be used for alot of activities and over the past 3 weeks or so I’ve commuted with it everyday, took it for day tramps and also some all day hacks in the hills and surrounds…. and as it softens up it just gets comfier. Fantastic.

What’s on the inside?

The Cloud Walker is roomy for sure and can be compressed with some well placed side straps if required. The front pouch is basically split into two compartments that have some little sections to hold cards, cash tools, food and basically stuff you want to man handle on a regular basis. One such “pouch” has a small Velcro closure that ensures your valuables stay put- which is great considering the “jiggling” that such packs partake in….on the dirt. It also has a key holder that is a fantastic way to safe guard the post ride “rummage” once home or at the car park.

On the outside are a series of loops that are formed by regular intervals of stitching and some heavy duty webbing which is great to clip lights onto or other “things” such as….. well um…. I don’t know actually :) The pack also has a small “rubberised” hole so that you can plug your headphones into your iPod to keep it clean and dry in the front pouch. This feature is wasted on me though as I like to flick and play to much so I tend to keep my music player in hand or in my pockets :) Looking into the main compartment the roomy innards allow a fair amount of gear to be stored and transported, but does not look to bulky/ puffy  if not completely loaded with stuff. With the bladder hose cleanly exiting the rear of the pack combined with the best “bite valve” in the business it is perfect and always “there” when you need a sip. As for the section that actually holds the water bladder… it keeps the contents cool for hours and hours, even on hot days……and now sits comfortably when full, so I cannot ask for more.

As for the zips and quality of closure, there are no complaints here as they are all smooth, positive and strong…. in typical Camelbak fashion!

Any mehs?

Only a few really. The hip strapping could be a tad more substantial as it tends to “bite” into my love handles on occasion, and to be fair its a token item on the pack when it gets really rough out there. The shoulder strapping also joins the base of the pack in a way that it can also dig in at certain angles… which is odd as it could have be avoided by routing the strapping on the outside edge at this point rather than the inside. On a positive note though, these “niggles” do stop one from over loading the pack… which is a good thing in my eyes as we can all fall for the “just in case” syndrome when it comes to carrying to much gear out there!

This model only ships with a 2Ltr bladder which seems silly on a 20litre pack! Thankfully I have a another 3litre bladder to use (that fits just fine) but for a 20ltr pack I expected a larger volume as standard. If you do not have a larger capacity bladder to spare you will be up for an additional $70ish (for an official Camelbak one ) to fully make this pack “all day” worthy. Of course, having to invest in another bladder is just ludicrous seeing as the pack retails for $140! Do be wary though as 2ltrs does not last long on all day hacks or hot days…. but I suppose you could throw in some water bottles ;)

Overall, this pack is fantastic and worthy addition to my collection and I predict that it will see alot of adventures over the years to come, both urban and out “there” in the dirt :D

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Bike & Gear Reviews and tagged with camelback, cloud walker, gear, review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.