We've had a chance to play around with Karrimor SF packs over the past couple of months, and found a lot to like. The Hydro 30 is shown below in OD Green. Its low profile lines wrap your body more than you would think a pack could. While the pack size at 30 liters isn't huge, it is still large enough for many excursions, and its side "wings" allow access to items you might need to grab on a regular basis. I wore this pack while hiking the lava tubes under Mt St Helens (Ape Caves). Since these tubes involve a decent amount of scrambling over boulders, the Hydro 30 needed to stay tight to the body while not sliding around, and at the same time not being so restrictive that I couldn't scramble. No problem on e the flat ground, or climbing up, over, or around on the rocks.
The Karrimor SF Hydro 30 is built of 1000 weight Denier, which is coated with an elastomer, which is stated to improve tear strength and flex resistance. The pack is also treated with a durable water repellent (DWR). While its hard to really beat on a pack in just a few outings, rubbing against rocks for a few hours is probably as good as its going to get in checking seams and abrasion resistance. As with any pack or jacket I try out, I pulled and yanked to see if I could get seams to rip or pop. No noises of seam separation, and at the end of my trip, the pack had not frayed area or wear marks. It rained while we hiked around Lava Canyon and in the woods, but it wasn't an overly heavy rain. Our pack contents stayed dry, which shouldn't seem like a big deal when I just pointed out the rain wasn't hard. However, one of the people with us found their pack items wet, which goes to show all materials and treatments are not equal. The side pockets (wings) extend out enough to be useful, and I used them to hold keys, a radio, chem lights, a backup flashlight, and a spare Glock magazine.
Casey Ingels, VP of Tactical Tailor advised us this would be one of the packs manufactured by them under the Karrimor SF name, and sold by Grey Ghost Gear. No word yet on pricing, but this 30 liter pack works well, and it is unique enough that I'll be picking one up whenever they start selling. Click the picture for more information and the specs from Karrimor SF.
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Features
● Coolmesh Super-fit back system
● S-shaped shoulder harness
● Sternum strap
● One main compartment
● Mesh side pockets
● Compression straps
● Hydration specialised
● Shock cord carry system
● Zipped hipbelt pockets
● Map pocket
● Rotproof thread
● Reinforced with bartacks
● Durable water repellent (DWR)
● YKK Splash guard zips
● YKK zips
http://www.karrimorsf.com/hydro/item/71-hydro-30.html
