Initial Review of Thule 25 litre Upslope Rucksack.
Selling CDs From My Rucksack Aiming for Majors.
pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: we need this mathematics genius, YouTube sensation and all-round nice guy.
It seems I’m becoming a bit of a fan of Thule. My cars have always been graced with Thule roof racks. Then, when we started driving to the Alps, we invested in a Thule SnowPack ski carrier. Then, when we went by air to ski in Finland, we bought a Thule RoundTrip ski roller bag. Now, as we venture further and further away from the piste, we have acquired a Thule 25l Upslope ski rucksack.
I’ll be doing reviews of all these Thule items in due course, but let’s start at the end!
Thule 25l Upslope Backpack
We’ve not had this pack very long and it hasn’t really been tested ‘in the field’ yet. We’ve been skiing at the Hintertux and Snowshoeing at Penken, so thought we’d share our initial impressions with you.
- It’s a lovely colour – The label says black, but it is actually a gorgeous shade of, what I would call, midnight blue. It has a fluorescent green back panel and zip tabs too, adding to the styling.
- It looks and feels tough – As we said it has not been truly tested yet, but the material feels strong, the construction is a top-quality job. The material is waterproof. The zips are sturdy. Many of the buckles and hooks are metal.
- The features have been well thought through – There is provision for a hydration bag/tube. There is a pocket for avalanche kit (probe and shovel). The pack is compatible with the Mammut Airbag system. It has a helmet net. There are loops for ski and snowboard carrying. It has handy zipped hip pockets. There is plenty of space for a long day out carrying extra layers, food and equipment. It has hooks and loops allowing you to attach items, such as ice axes, to the outside. The compression straps allow the bag to be pulled close to your back.
- Material: 420D nylon – Size: 37 x 28 x 54 cm – Weight: 1.57 kg
Thule 25l Upslope on the Piste and out Snowshoeing
- When piste skiing we were carrying drink, food and an extra layer of clothing; easy. The ability to compress the bag meant it could be worn on chair lifts without faff too.
- The snowboard carrying option also worked for snowshoes.
- We found one of the large hip pockets useful for keeping a camera handy. These pockets are larger than you would expect, but also unexpectedly don’t get in the way. Even when full, the pockets sit far enough down and back so as not to hinder movement.
All the straps hide away in their own little pocket when not in use. This means they are always attached in the right place for use and are impossible to lose. - It took a while to work out where all the straps were and how they worked to attach equipment; so far, it has all worked fabulously.
- As a daysack it is heavier than most, but the Thule 25l Upslope is more than just a daysack.
- The pack comes with a 3-year warranty against defects in materials or workmanship. Our initial impression is that this pack will last a lifetime.
- One tiny little oversight: We would have liked a small internal zipped pocket with clip for wallet and keys.
Taking this pack off-piste for the first time will probably be in January; so, look at out for our further thoughts on how the 25l Upslope copes then. Also, keep a lookout for our other Thule reviews coming soon.
