I think this has been covered beofre, although I cant find the thread, any suggestions, pref from experience. Ive got a lowe alpine rush 35 and Im not sure whether its worth getting an OMM or trying one of those new INOV 8's???????
I think this has been covered beofre, although I cant find the thread, any suggestions, pref from experience. Ive got a lowe alpine rush 35 and Im not sure whether its worth getting an OMM or trying one of those new INOV 8's???????
Got the OMM Classic 25ltr one and it is brilliant. Run a few MM's with it and also run to and from work with it. They are a lot stronger than they feel and very well made. Only thing I regret is getting such a large bag. Reckon with a bit of pushing and shoving I would be fine with sub 20ltr.
Heard good things about the Inov8 bags but I just don't like the look of them.
I ran in the OMM this year and my partner had an inov8 20 litre sac, which on the second day contained all her kit and all of the tent (laser comp) with nothing on the outside, all zipped up. I was amazed! (and grateful!)
Ive just bought the inov-8 race pro 30 and love it. Have ran with a salomon raid revo 15litre for a couple of years and really like their bags. Salomon do a 30 litre raid revo - it is worth looking at.
Done much running in my inov8 pack, running in peaks and also to work and back and am more than happy. Will be using it for the high peak marathon this year.
I did the Saunders with an OMM 25l sac and it was excellent...however we had a very small tent and sleeping bag and I could have fitted my gear in a 20l sac. OMM do a 20l as do Inov-8. The Inov8 one is extremely light (350g I think) but the zip is down the front rather than having a lid and i'd think it would be harder to force stuff in and more likely to fall out when you need access during the race.
Used to use a Lowe Alpine 35l pack but is much too large.
Last few MMs have used a 20l Decathlon pack- Diosaz Team raid. Very light and looks flimsy but has stood up to the punishment so far. Can get all the kit inside pack, although has generous webbing on outside for stuff you might want to get at in the day- waterproofs, hat, gloves etc
First run then beer. If no run then proceed directly to beer.
I have been using the North Face 12l pack with a 3 litre reserve. Its really comfy with lots of little sections inside. They also do other sizes but the name dictates the price!
Have a look at the Alpkit website. Their 'Gourdon' comes in 20, 25 & 30 litre sizes for very sensible money!
I had an old original KIMM sac from about 1993 which was great - light, simple, strong, lasted for over a decade of general mountain use. My wife's new KIMM sac (32l) is bigger, heavier, and less comfortable. The hydration sleeve was difficult to use and not really needed.
More recently whilst looking for an alternative I've used a Cactus Climbing Alpine Henry (don't laugh!) which is a great day cragging / mountain pack but lacks storage for mountain marathons. Last year I got an Inov8 Race Pro 22 which is great - light, comfortable, plenty of storage, comfortable and stable: so good in fact I put in my slowest ever MM time carrying it. Progress eh.
The OMM sacks do seem good - I wanted a 22SSL initially - but I have no recent experience of them. The Inov8 race pro 20 is more of a one-trick pony - not much use for anything other than MMs, although it is bonkers light, and I never carry a bladder anyway.
HTH
Ben B