A hardy pack that won't be fazed by any type of riding This product is featured in: Best hydration packs. Evoc has been producing reliable and well-made packs for years. The excellent strap system just clamps on and doesn’t slide around once cinched down. As a result these packs are very popular with the enduro crowd. This is also down to the wide back coverage, and hefty waist belt, which also makes it very comfortable with no rubbing or hot spots. >>> Click here for our full mountain bike hydration pack grouptest Gear placement was second to none, with pockets that zip all the way round and open fully to give access to the contents inside — everything is arranged neatly in well-sized elasticated mesh dividers. We would rather see the hydration compartment separated from the main contents, but at least the pocket is generous, which helps when manipulating that floppy bag of water back in when the bag is rammed. There are no compression straps, but in this case the slim design means they aren’t essential.

A pair of elasticated pockets on either side swallowed our tubes and other small bits, a fleece-lined phone pocket was easily accessible and a helmet retainer zipped out from the bottom of the pack to finish the main features. A good hardy pack, well-balanced for technical riding. For more information click hereOur experienced staff has compiled this list of recommended components for you.  You can purchase direct from this site or at your locally owned independent bike shop.  Use our dealer locator to find the shop nearest you.We continuously work towards adding to this list ensuring that we are providing you with the best products.  If there is a product you don't see for sale, contact us. 1 2 3 Next » Main compartment needs internal dividers or needs a bigger external pocket. German pack manufacture Evoc have a huge range of backpacks for mountain bike use. While most of their offerings are pitched at the big-mountain / all-day market (ie. very large capacity), they also produce a tighter selection of slimmer, lighter packs more suited to the average trail rider.

We previewed this pack and now we’ve had the chance to get it onto the trail for some dirty adventures. Breathability is a highlight, especially given that this pack does actually take up a fair bit of real estate on your back. The Air Circulation system and vented straps work well to keep you cool, and we put it to the test on some scorching Alice Springs rides, just to make sure! The pack does need the stabilisation of the waist and sternum straps; despite its low profile, it has a tendency to move around unless you’ve got all the straps fitted up. With plenty of adjustment available for the positioning of the sternum strap, we found the fit to be very comfy. We really appreciated the often overlooked inclusion of elastic loops to secure the lose ends of the straps too (why do so many packs lack these?!). Storage is a mixed bag. There’s plenty of room, but we wish the pack had some more dividers to break up the large main compartment. Because it’s just one big pocket, everything tends to float around and end up in a mess at the bottom of the pack.

The two other external pockets are only small too, really designed for holding your sunnies, phone, keys and a few gels. This means that pumps, tubes, multitools, jackets and food all end up getting lumped together in the main compartment and it can get chaotic.backpack 4x40e77324 The bladder mouthpiece offers only a moderate flow of water, but the rest of the bladder arrangement is excellent. takata backpack amazonThe two-litre bladder itself is made by Hydrapack for Evoc and is filled via a smart fold-over system that makes cleaning/filling very easy. redmax 8500 backpack blowerYou do need to open the body of the pack itself to get at the bladder, rather than using a separate zip like many other packs. Unfortunately this pack is one compartment shy of awesomeness.

We love the build quality, the looks, the bladder and the breathability, but the lack of internal dividers or a bigger external pocket bugs us.Even though EVOC is based in Bavaria, they don’t shy away from the fact that they make a lot of their packs in Vietnam. They tell us that they actually do a lot of mountain bike kit testing there as well. Riding in that hot and humid environment, far away from home, EVOC have a few new packs that are all about staying comfortable, keeping heavy packs off of your sweaty back, and still hauling all the gear you need on the trail. Their Hip Pack Race takes that to the extreme with a modern fanny pack that carries water, tools, and spares low and securely  around your waist, with a few tricks to make it both more secure when bombing down the trail and well vented on your lower back. The new CC series of bags add more hauling capacity and a more conventional backpack layout, but also get a new design to keep your back cool… The Hip Pack Race was a direct response to EVOC’s own team of mountain bike racers.

They felt that for the shorter segments of enduro and even some cross country racing, a regular hydration pack wasn’t really necessary. And even getting rid of the backpack meant they were sweating less and needed less water. The result is the 3l hip pack that also works well for those short rides in the morning or after work. It takes EVOC’s corrugated and perforated foam/mesh Air Flow Contact back padding from their standard backpacks and wrapped it around the lower back for a comfortable secure fit around the waist. Then on top of that to keep you cool, the hip pack gets a new Venti Flap adjustable section in the waist band that lets you secure the pack regularly at the main buckle, but on each side there are openings that when you loosen the side straps lets the pack loosen around your lower back and let more air in. Open the side straps to let more air in while you are climbing, then cinch it tight for a more secure fit while descending. It’s kinda like a lower tech, simplified version of the system we saw on ION’s Transom backpacks last year.

Inside the Hip Pack Race gets a simple fold out flap for easy access to tools, plus storage in side for spares, extra layers and a 1.5l Hydrapak hydration bladder specially designed for a hip pack. On the waist belt you get a couple of smaller pockets to stash a wallet or some snacks, an external mesh water bottle pocket, plus a neat magnetic clip for your drinking hose that secures the hose and bite valve across your waist but easy to reach as you ride. You can even clip the magnetic holder to a jersey or jacket if you want to have the valve closer at hand. The 375g pack (+130g for the bladder) comes in red, black, and olive green versions. The Hip Pack race sells for 65€ by itself, or 90€ including the 1.5l bladder. The Climate Control series of backpacks aim to solve the same issue of sweaty backs, but for riders looking to haul a lot more gear on their longer rides. The way they do that is with a new Air Pad back setup. The new back design for EVOC adds 6 big padded pods to the backs that space out the pack away from your back so air is free to move around.

The pads themselves are made of a super fast drying mesh that is said to not really absorb sweat, and they seem to do a pretty good job of distributing the weight of the packs over your back. Also to keep things light and airy, the CC backpacks use lightweight mesh shoulder straps and waist belt, with perforated foam padding over the top of the shoulders to balance comfort and heat buildup. Where the narrow straps meet the top of the packs, EVOC has added these small soft rubber Brace Links (blue in the photo above) that let the straps work fairly well with riders of different width shoulders without more complicated adjustability. The CC packs are available in three sizes: 6, 10 & 16l that each offer many of the same nicely integrated pocket details and features. All three are designed to carry a 2l Hydrapak bladder inside, plus get separate external pockets for a map, a fleece-lined one for glasses/electronics, and internal mesh pockets. The 10 & 16l packs add a fold down tool pocket on the outside, as well as a light mesh helmet carrying sleeve that packs down under a velcro flap at the bottom of the bag when not in use.