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Karrimor Rucksack Reviews
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Karrimor Rucksacks
by dinopoohy8 I had once heard some pretty decent reviews about Karrimor as a brand for outdoor products, which is why, when I had to buy my first rucksack, I decided to get a Karrimor as it was decently priced and quite reputable. My first was an 80-L women's rucksack, which turned out to be much larger than I really needed. I then went to get a ... smaller one, which is Karrimor Airspace 40+5 Litre Rucksack Director Blue Frost. This review will focus on this particular product. APPEARANCE AND SIZE The Karrimor Airspace is one compact rucksack that is highly useful for travel purposes. I use it whenever I go for trips around Europe (max 7 days) because it's so easy to carry around and yet it can carry all the stuffs that I need (and yes, I am quite a heavy packer!). You can definitely bring this up on Ryanair/Easyjet flights so long as you compact it as much as you can (pull the straps). I have never had a problem squeezing this bag into the little basket. The one I've got is the Blue Frost -- most of the bag is a rather vibrant blue and there are patches that are of a lighter gray. I find the colour scheme quite pleasant as a young lady, and because it's blue I reckon it will be quite suitable for males as well. FEATURES The main features of this rucksack includes the following: Airspace Venting Back System Padded Hipbelt Hydration System Compatible Side Compression Straps Lid Pocket Base Access Expansion Side Pockets Mesh Wand Pockets Bungee System Top Grab Handle Chest Strap Walking Pole Loop & Retainer Key Clip Raincover Weight - 1200g Let me just briefly describe the features that I find the most useful as a user of this rucksack. 1) Pockets There's a decent number of pockets in this - there's one at the top lid (I use to put things like medicines, my travel pillow - pretty much things that I need to access easily). There's also a laptop-type of pocket at the inner back of the rucksack, in which you can put your documents or laptop. The inner compartment of the rucksack is also divided into two parts - the bottom portion can be separated by closing the zip, so it allows you to form another 'pocket' whereby you can put things like your dirty clothes or shoes or whatsoever separately from the rest of your items. There are also two expandable side pockets, which are really really handy for you to put all your small items (like food, or your electronic appliances/chargers). They can be secured by side compression straps so that your side pockets won't be flopping all around. 2) Padded hipbelt and chest strap I think this is probably quite a typical feature of rucksacks, but I really do like the hipbelt and the chest strap as it makes it much easier for me to carry the rucksack with the weight well-distributed. 3) Ventilated back system I really like this system because it prevents you from feeling all hot and sweaty. As I am of quite a petite frame, carrying a rucksack filled with all my travel items is awfully tiring and is indeed quite a workout, so I'm really thankful for this. Unfortunately, because of this system, the back of the rucksack is actually 'hard' (ie you can't compress the rucksack beyond a certain height). Because of the necessary support, I think this also adds on slightly to the weight of the rucksack. Pros and cons to this. QUALITY OF THE RUCKSACK The material of the rucksack is quite rugged; mine has gone through quite a lot but I haven't managed to found any holes. It is also relatively waterproof - although there is a rain cover that you can use in case of heavy downpour. Cleaning can be done with a wet cloth - it won't restore your rucksack to a new condition, but it's good enough to clean off some mild stains. There is, however, a problem with the rucksack. While tightening the hipbelt, I managed to stretch the synthetic material that holds the cloth of the rucksack to the metal bar (supporting the structure of the backpack). Although I've tried several times to put the bar back where it should be, it keeps coming out every now and then and I get a metal bar sticking sideways out from the rucksack - which is, admittedly, quite dangerous. With a faulty support structure, the weight distribution of the bag is not as good as it once was (before the synthetic material gave way). However, I can't be sure if this is a general defect, or if I may have been a bit too rough with tightening the hipbelt. WHERE CAN YOU BUY THIS I bought mine from aktive8.com for about 50+ pounds, which was quite a reasonable price when I bought it (I did do some comparisons online). WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS? This is quite a decent product really, if not for the defect that's posing me quite a lot of problems at the moment, sadly. It's adequate and quite rugged, and fulfils my needs for travel. You might want to give this product a shot if you're looking for a travel rucksack, but do be a little careful with the hipbelt tightening! Read the complete review |
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Karrimor Bobcat 65
by MagdaDH I bought the Karrimor Bobcat 65 when my £25 rucksack from Aldi gave up the ghost after five years of service (I had hoped for one so it was pretty good). I normally buy cheapie walking equipment (apart from boots) as I think there is a lot of snobbery and ''statement making'' about all those brands that are perhaps offering ... added advantages for serious mountaineers or at the advanced age when every bit of technological help one can get is important but are just a way of showing off for most people who climb an odd hill and use the kit for ''normal'' travelling and walking around. It never ceases to amaze me how an unfit 20-something or a child can go up a hill in trainers and jeans but a 60 year-old, even a fit and experienced one, needs hundreds if not thousands of pounds worth of kit. I am digressing though, or being jealous of those able to afford £400 waterproofs. The point I was trying to make is that at £50 (reduced from about £70, and bought in an actual high-street shop due to leaving the next day), this Karrimor rucksack was by my standards quite expensive. I am pleased to report that it performed well, and I used it extensively during about a 14 months' worth of travel (of which about 6 was by car though, so the rucksack didn't have to do much) in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. 65 litres is the perfect size for me, anything bigger and when I stuff it too much it becomes to heavy to walk any distance, anything smaller and it's just not enough. We travel as a family and when travelling by public transport we tend to have two rucksacks for the adults, a small (maybe 20-30 litre) for the Big Child to carry which acts as the on-board bag as well as a day pack for all the important documents, electronics and similar. This means that all the clothes as well as any other items like sleeping bags, mats and similar have to fit in the rucksacks. The 65 litres holds basic clothing for me and the children for autumn/spring/summer travel without too much problems, resulting in a weight of about 14-18kg depending on stuffing and the number of books sneaked in. This is just about the weight I can carry around for a while when walking between stations and terminals, to meetings, accommodation or on public transport, although anything above 2-3 km would become a little bit of a struggle. The fit is important with any rucksack but is also largely individual and if you have a chance it's good to try, especially if you are uncommonly short, tall, or otherwise non-standard in body shape. I have big boobs and I like to have the sternum strap that can be moved fairly high to prevent the shoulder straps digging into the armpits and yet allowing me to breathe. This pack has just such a strap, which slides up and down easily. The shoulder straps on the Bobcat are excellent: very well padded and wide, and again, the adjusting straps (two sets of them as usual) allow them to be made just right. I do think, however, that men, especially bigger ones, might find the straps less comfortable fit. I am fairly broad-shouldered for a woman, but my other half (of average built) finds this pack less comfortable than his very old, fairly thin-strapped Berghaus one (he doesn't use sternum straps or hip belts much though). The hip belt is also fine, very well padded again, and with a buckle that's fairly easy to adjust and easy to clip on and off. The rucksack consists of two main compartments, the bottom one is accessible through a zip (nicely covered with a flap which I suppose prevents minor rain getting in and things get caught) but also through the main one - you can in fact have just one internal space if you want to. The main compartment is accessible only through the top, which is not so good. I like the ability to pull out things from the middle through a side zip that some rucksacks have, but it's not a huge issue. The side pockets are excellent, really roomy but without sticking out too much. The top flap cover has two pockets, one underneath (good for papers and similar) and one externally accessible. The well padded back (does nobody use external-frame packs now?) has also a space for one of those hydration bladders and there is a hole to thread the pipe through. As I don't use this pack for longer-distance walking I never tested the arrangements (and I don't have - and don't wish for - a hydration thingy anyway). There are also net pocket at the bottom, ideal for things like sun screen, insect repellent, wipes and a smallish water bottle. The straps, toggles and buckles are strong, sturdy and east to clip on and off (and believe me, anything that survives with intact buckles and straps in this family must be sturdy). Numerous loops and straps allow attachment of external loads like foam mats and even a sleeping bag, and there is also a large, flat pocket along the front side of the main compartment presumably for a map. This map pocket brings me to my only real complaint about the Bobcat. I think the zips are on a slightly weak side. I am making this statement with a caveat that I tend to stuff bags and packs too much, and that both I and the children yank the zips badly. In the light of such treatment, the fact that ONLY the map pocket zip is completely gone, and that the bottom compartment one became temperamental, may be taken as a compliment, but I still think that if the teeth were a wee bit bigger, the issue could have been avoided. Apart from this, I have been very happy with the Bobcat, and I can recommend it as a lower-priced branded choice, available online from around £40. It's very comfortable to carry, well padded, with good compartments and quite light for a rucksack of this size. NB. Dooyoo picture that goes with this general category actually happens to show the Bobcat 65. Read the complete review |
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Karrimor Spirit 30
by sugerfreek I bought my rucksack on sale a a sports shop for 10 pounds it was good for this price but didn't really serve the purpose I bought it for. I bought it to use as hand luggage on flights. For short trips this meant carrying all my luggage for the trip for long flights this meant simply large enough to carry my entertainment ... (netbook,kindle,ds and of course sleeping bag for those all important airport sleepovers) However I found it too small for this purpose despite carrying limited items. It has 3 pockets a small one at the front (not even big enough for a book really), a slightly larger one with all little pockets and things to organise your stuff though I have found this pretty useless, and the main pocket which has a separate part for laptops which is quite useful. When fully packed it can stick out quite far and I found that the waist strap didn't help with the weight baring and now they just flap about annoyingly and one of the toggles on the chest strap broke off. Together they worked pretty well but now pretty useless. The padding on the back is pretty good but it does still feel like a heavy backpack and it makes your back sweaty. In all it carries less than you may think. I think there has to be better backpacks on the market for a similar price. Read the complete review |
Karrimor Rucksack |
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2 reviews Brand: Karrimor / Rucksack / Style: Daysac / Max Litres: 65 |
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2 reviews Brand: Karrimor / Rucksack / Style: Daysac / Max Litres: 30 |
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3 reviews Rucksack / Brand: Karrimor - This simplified version of the Aergo back is perfect for medium sized climbing packs. It is very close fitting and stable. |
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| Karrimor Rucksack Recommendations 1 | ||
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