Good Quality Rucksack / Backpack (off the bike, hiking)

My old Karrimor Hot Earth KS-60 HT ( now in it's 20th year ) is reaching the end of it's life. I am looking for a replacement. Must be hard wearing light and good quality slim i.e. no side pockets. Does anyone know any good website that review hiking bits and pieces / recommend any ruck sacks that they are using currently.

Any ideas ?

Deuter make good technical backpacks.

Some of the Berghaus Ascent stuff is pretty light, slim, and performs pretty well. Granted it's berghaus, but not as bad as it sounds. I've got an older sample if you want to test for a while, see how you get on with it before shelling out actual dollar. Let me know.

Vaude Trail Light - works well for me; can't say I've done much comparison shopping tho'.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/Vaude_Trail_Light_16_L_Bike_Backpack/?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=directory&utm_content=GBR&currency=GBP&country=GBR&SelectedBundle=176744&SelectedItem=629886

i like these dicki:

http://www.lightwave.uk.com/en/rucksacks_overview.php

i've got one of their older models and really rate it.

these guys also make good packs:

http://www.crux.uk.com/en/rucksacks.php?range=1&product=1

just got one, thanks for the tip.

My old Karrimor Hot Earth KS-60 HT ( now in it's 20th year ) is reaching the end of it's life. I am looking for a replacement. Must be hard wearing light and good quality slim i.e. no side pockets. Does anyone know any good website that review hiking bits and pieces / recommend any ruck sacks that they are using currently.

Any ideas ?

Sport Pursuit are doing a very reasonable Exped Cloudburst at £12 (+P&P), waterproof and a simple design. I've got several bits and pieces of Expeds kit and they are invaluable.

This is it on Amazon: Exped Cloudburst 15 Pack: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

[Whore Mode] If you click the link below, you get to the website selling them cheap and earn me some cash too!

http://www.sportpursuit.com/join/Mike_Cooper_123357

[/Whore Mode]

;-)

Prolly not what you are looking for (msgr not rucksack) but worth a bump... I love mine. its so stealth.
http://www.lfgss.com/thread90997.html

I'm using an osprey exos 34 at the moment. Tough and lightweight, it does everything I need. Swallows almost anything, and compresses right down when I'm travelling light.

Not the cheapest, but I used to work in the industry so got mine as a factory second.

Sport Pursuit are doing a very reasonable Exped Cloudburst at £12 (+P&P), waterproof and a simple design. I've got several bits and pieces of Expeds kit and they are invaluable.

That look very good, I liked the design being very simple and straighforward, kept the weight down without useless clutter.

dicki, those old karrimors (and berghaus's) were tough as old boots and offered excellent longevity despite heavy abuse - not so today :(

you may find something suitable if you look at the berghaus military range - colours a bit, well..green..

failing that i'd give needlesports a ring and ask their advice

How big are you looking at and whats it for? ie cycling,hiking,carrying your sandwiches?

Goruck, Boreas and Mystery Ranch are all well regarded

If it's for hiking then McHale and Cilo Gear are the top of the tree but at a (significant) price....

thanks to rive gauche it seems there is an NOS one on the 'bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251159916404&clk_rvr_id=396105694468

my exact rucksack
i'll be getting this one if i can find someone with an eBay account !

they do have a lifetime guarantee wonder if it would be cheeky just to ask them to replace the zip after 20 years ?

+1 for Exped Cloudburst.

Superlight, completely waterproof, comfortable and cheap as chips.

+1 for Osprey.

Both my backcountry ski pack (which I also use cycling) and my ski mountaineering pack are made by them.

Great features, excellent materials and construction.

macpac stuff is pretty old-school, tough and built the last. not as flashy as osprey though, but more hard-wearing materials.

these guys also make good packs:

http://www.crux.uk.com/en/rucksacks.php?range=1&product=1

The Crux AK47 is an utterly fantastic piece of kit. Nothing is excess - bombproof and lightweight.

Sport Pursuit has a load of Berghaus stuff on offer at the moment - I posted about jackets in another tread, but they have a decent selection of rucksacks as well.

yeah i though that crux looked purposeful no messing no flashy bits just good and proper rucksack

is it ruck sac / ruck sack / rucsac / rucsack by the way ?

I've got a Marmot which I've used a few times around the world and absolutely love.

The closest thing to it is this: http://marmot.com/products/centaur_30

It's basically a single main compartment with a couple of compression straps, and a single pocket in the lid.

Nothing much else to it, it just does the one job well. I originally purchased it to go trekking around South America but never went. Instead it's been through the Thai jungles, in and out of the Grand Canyon, and the usual places around the UK. Still going strong and nothing about it failed in the high heat and humidity of the places that I've been.

yeah i though that crux looked purposeful no messing no flashy bits just good and proper rucksack

is it ruck sac / ruck sack / rucsac / rucsack by the way ?

Backpack.

Also +1 Crux - used to know the guy who made these. He once offered to sell me a whole load of prototypes on the cheap, but I was broke at the time - couldn't take him up on it.

Still pains me to this day.

ruc-sac, like nut-sac

Osprey Talon 32. Used this a few times Summer/Winter. Top notch

+1 for Exped Cloudburst.

Superlight, completely waterproof, comfortable and cheap as chips.

And another from me. Got one for festivals, (and I'm a right gear nerd) and pretty much rate it the perfect bag for a number of uses. The waist and chest straps, quick compression straps all make you feel as if it's something very well designed.

At £12 quid its a steal, even if you don't think you need one yet