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Vango Sherpa 60+10 Litre
by NotMyToothbrush
I do not hike. I merely bought this rucksack to complete my Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) expedition last year. This part of the award involves hiking for two days across the countryside, in my case the peak district. Considering I had never used a rucksack before, I had no idea what to look for in one and therefore I only went for this ... one after a recommendation from my instructor. At £50 (After my DofE discount) this was a pretty steep investment but it was certainly worth it!
One other person in my group also had this rucksack, or one very similar to it. I am a little over 6 feet tall but he is much smaller than me - he really struggled with this rucksack because of this although I found that it was perfectly sized for me. Th only downside to being able to cope with a larger bag was that I therefore had to carry more equipment. Although this was a downside for me, for the majority of you reading this, this would be an advantage!
The bag consists of a main 60L compartment, an additional 10L compartment and two side compartments which are best suited for drinks bottles and similar. To get an idea of the size of these. In my main compartment, I had my sleeping bag, cups, plates, cutlery, 2 days worth of food (breakfast, lunch and dinner), a cooker and a variety of other smaller items. In the 10L compartment I mainly stored my clothing for the 2 days. In the side pickets I stored a drinks bottle and snacks for easy access whilst walking.
Overall, you can store a lot in this rucksack!
The rucksack has three main straps; two shoulder straps and one waist strap. These are very strong and all are padded with thick sponge covered in a supposedly breathable fabric to prevent sweating underneath. The sweating feature didn't really work for me however the strap cushioning did help a lot with preventing major discomfort when carrying around all of my stuff up and down hills. All of the straps can be easily adjusted even when on the move. I found that the waist stray was good enough to hold the rucksack by itself for short periods which was very useful to give my shoulders a break and give them a bit of air every now and again.
We had awful weather on the second weekend, so much rain that we were forced to seek refuge in a farmers barn for a few minutes. This was a excellent opportunity to test the waterproofness of the rucksack. Even in torrential rain it appeared to hold up well. I opened up the rucksack whilst in the barn and no rain appeared to have seeped through at all. I did have a rucksack liner too as a secondary barrier but it appears as if that wasn't even needed!
With a rucksack like this, my only real issue on my expedition was getting lost!
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Vango Explorer 60 + 10
by DirtyDonkey
One thing I learned throughout my bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh awards is that comfortable, reliable equipment is of paramount importance. The most important piece of kit is undoubtedly the rucksack - it keeps all your clothes, food, camping equipment, maps etc. clean and dry (or not!) and can really make or break the trip. For my ... bronze award, not really knowing anything about walking and camping, I hired a rucksack very cheaply through my school. This was a huge mistake - it was uncomfortable, smelly and just generally awkward to use. Having learnt my lesson, I went out and bought one of these prior to my silver award, and what a difference.
The rucksack has a 60 + 10 litre capacity - plenty of room for a 4 day/3 night trip. It has a total weight of only 2.1 kg, which is a good starting point if you don't want to heave around a lot!! The straps are quick and easy to adjust, and the zipped base allows easy access to clothes etc stored right at the bottom of the bag. The hip belt is one of the most comfortable I have tried, and this is particularly important as it is the function which moves the weight off your back and shoulders and onto your hips which can carry the weight much easier and with less risk of injury. There are many pockets on the front and sides, ideal for maps, compasses and snacks. The bag is compatible with hydration sacs, although I have never tried one, as well as hooks for walking poles or ice axes, if you're really serious! The detachable waterproof cover is ideal for the weather I am used to up here in Scotland, but at the same time the mesh keeps your body dry and comfortable and sweat-free. The sternum strap just adds to the comfort due to the weight distribution, and also provides a safety whistle, which is essential for hiking out in the hills.
Overall, I really enjoyed this product and it improved my overall experience drastically. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of walking and camping recreationally, doing DoE awards, or scouts etc. However I am not sure about the validity of the bag for the more experienced and serious walker; Vango do recommend the bag as entry-level.
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Littlelife Ladybird Toddler
by karlsm93
My 16 month old daughter is increasingly wanting to be independent, not wanting to always hold mummy's hand at times when out and about and wanting to explore rather than stay with me. So, getting some kind of reins was essential. I wasn't that keen on the traditional reins and when I noticed that Little LIfe, a brand I am already ... familiar with given we have a Little LIfe Child carrier, were selling this toddler daysack, which is essientially a little backpack with a parental strap that is attached at top meaning your toddler doesn't feel restricted but at the same time cannot wander off, I decided it may be my answer.
What is really cute about these bags, is that they come in a variety of animal characters, from ladybirds like the one shown above and the one that my daughter has, to dinosaurs, bees and even a butterfly. The reason I picked the ladybird was that I thought it suited either boy or girl, and I wanted it to be something that would do any future children we would have, no matter what the gender. I also think the ladybird is very very cute and my daughter likes ladybirds as well. When I had selected the ladybird, I looked around for the best price at the time, and Boots were offering this for just under £20 and with the Boots advantage points, it made it the best deal at the time of my purchase. These bags are also widely available online on the likes of amazon etc.
The safety rein that comes with these daysacks that allow the parent to keep in reach of their toddler are less that a metre in length. The reins have also passed British and European safety standards, so you can rest assured you are getting a good, safe product. This rein is detachable however, so when you no longer need to keep that toddler under control when out and about, it can be taken off and simply used as a little bag, especially since it is designed for children between 1 to 4.
As well as being safe, this bag has added elements of comfort for the child, with padded straps for the shoulders. A great feature of this bag, and one that is essential for my daughter, is the chest strap, which stops the sack either falling off the shoulders, but more importantly stops a toddler from taking the bag off and discarding it!
The bag itself is also useful for little bits and pieces when out and about. THere is a name and address label inside the bag, and there is also a waterproof ladybird hood that can be pulled out of the back zip pocket and pulled over the head in a sudden burst of rain. I have never had to use this, because to be honest, if I think there is going to be rain, I simply make sure I have my buggy with me, but it is another feature anyhow, and one that has added cuteness! When my daughter uses this bag, I can put in a nappy, small pack of wipes, a snack and even a small toy and still have a little bit of room, and I then find I don't need to carry a nappy bag with me, which is very beneficial.
My daughter has been using this bag for around four months now, an I frequently have it on her when out and about in the shops at the weekend and I find it works great. She has the freedom that she craves but I still have the control (!) to ensure she doesn't wander off and get lost, or doesn't head into danger ie running out on a road, or if she loses concentration and trips I can try and minimise the fall. She doesn't seem to notice either that I have the strap to keep this control so in my mind it is much better than the traditional reins.
The only slight negative I would say, is that with a winter coat on, I sometimes think there isn't a lot of room around the chest when you strap the bag on, and I wonder if it will fit my daughter when she is three or four, however, by that stage she probably won't need the chest strap, so it probably isn't a big issue.
ALl in all, I think this a brilliant product from a brilliant company. It is a fab idea for anyone who doesn't like the traditional reins, and it has the advantages of being cute, durable, safe, and with some storage to carry a nappy and snack etc when out and about. Highly recommended.
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