Colonel Pro Metal Frame Rucksack | Front Opening | Detachable Bag | Rain Cover (105 Litres, Army Green)

I bought this for a number of reasons. I do a fair bit of hammock and wild camping. Once it gets chillier you need more insulation and other warm gear and stuffing all that into a rucksack needs some serious space. I own a fantastic Karrimor panther 65 lt sac that has served me well for a generation or so. It normally holds enough but I have to attach stuff to the outside occasionally: aesthetically that grieves me. It’s also the wrong colour for the outdoors being a 1990 s item… ( that’s right I’m that shallow and proud of it)Ok, so I want something similar, maybe 15 - 25 lt larger and the right colour.. I took a gamble on this and so far I’m far from disappointed. In fact quite the opposite. It is somewhat similar to my Karrimor Panther (not a bad thing at all, it’s still a great and desirable sac). It has the same aluminium supports, not quite a frame but sturdy enough, a similar separate lower section and large main compartment but then there’s all these extras! Great adjustability, a zipped lid over the draw string in the main section, compressible side pockets, a wide hip belt with a large pocket. The extra space afforded by a zipp-offable decent day pack is appreciated and the small pack itself is very usable. Did I mention it’s a good OD green colour? The main pack even comes with a rain cover. The material seems fairly durable, the stitching is excellent, plastic buckles and clips are no more or less durable than those on my Panther. It fits just as comfortable (maybe more) than my previous large pack. And it’s 1/3 bigger in capacity. It really seems to tick a lot of boxes for not silly money like some of the other sacs I’d considered. I’m impressed.

Started to rip the 1st time I used it. I do really like the way it opens though and the front bag is detachable...it's a very well thought out design just not very reliable