Vango Airtrek 25 Day Pack
Product Review & Walking Gear Test

	Airtrek 25 Day Pack Vital Statistics: Colours: Burnt Red, Pine, Atlantic Sizes: 25 litres Weight: 1.60 kgs SRP: £40.00

Airtrek 25 Day Pack

Vital Statistics:

Colours:
Burnt Red, Pine, Atlantic

Sizes:
25 litres

Weight:
1.60 kgs

SRP:
£40.00

Vango says:"Higher, faster or longer . . . whatever your objective for a day out, the Vango Airtrek does exactly what the name suggests and allows lovely cool air to flow between you and your pack while you are trekking."

Features to Note:

Excel® 420D heavy-duty polyester with PU coating
Excel® 300D ripstop polyester contrast
Air System back
Shaped, ergonomic hip belt
Zip pocket on hip belt
Ice axe/walking pole attachment point
Hydration compatible
Detachable rain cover included
Airmesh on harness
Grab Handle

In-use Test:

I've worn the Vango Airtrek 25 day pack now on a number of winter walks when I've had the pack relatively full. Its size was certainly adequate for all the items I wanted to carry for a full day walk in cold weather.

The main compartment was easy to access from the top. However I did find that the top tended to 'gape' a little under the lid which would be a bit of nuisance in heavy rain. There is also a separate bottom compartment which can be accessed easily, separately from the outside. I found this quite useful as a place to keep my jacket on those few occasions when I didn't need to wear it. However, this is probably a feature I could live without on a pack this size.

There is a terrific selection of pockets - a large front pocket (more than large enough for an OS map), a good sized one on the top of the hood for hat and gloves, a smaller zipped pocket inside the hood plus a smaller zipped on on the belt handy for gps and compass. Finally there are also two side meshed pockets for drink bottles.

It was pretty easy to adjust the shoulder straps to get a good fit. (I'm 5'7''.) However, I did end up with a huge length of excess strap from the sternum strap which did not seem to tidy away easily.

Once on, the load compression straps mean that the backpack could be adjusted so that the load sat well - so carrying the pack was really quite comfortable. However, with a heavy/full pack I did think that the shoulder straps could have done with a little more padding. The airflow around my back was good.

The Airtrek has not been on test long enough to check out how well it stands up to the wear and tear of regular day walks - however, I did note that the bottom does not appear to be reinforced/use a heavier duty fabric which is a little concerning.

Buying Advice:

The Vango Airtrek 25 is a good sized, nicely featured backpack for day walking. However, the features do come at the expense of weight (at 1.60 kgms it's relatively heavy for its size)- so if weight (or lack thereof) is important to you then you may need to look elsewhere.

What do you think?

Have you got a Vango Airtrek 25 Day Pack?

We would love to hear what you thought of it - good, bad or indifferent. Perhaps you simply disagree with the verdict above - or feel an important feature has been negelected.

Let us know by clicking this link - What I think of Vango Airtrek 25 Day Pack - so we can publish your important views below.

• I've used the Vango 25 Day Pack on various walks over a variety of terrain and have been reasonably pleased with the overall feel and performance of the bag. The stand out feature is the 'airflow' technology which works very well and also makes for a rigid structure which is quite comfortable. I agree with the original review that the bag is a little strappy and the shoulder straps could certainly benefit from additional padding. All in all I'm pleased with the product and would give it 7/10.

Mike Hart, Sale

• Seemed value for money, however after one trip plastic tags were slipping off the elastics and a plastic runner split rendering it useless. Vango said there was nothing wrong with the pack, the tags are apparently designed to slip off so the elastics can be replaced. Never heard that one before! As a leader, it is handy to have "heavy-ish" bits in the lid (eg 1st aid kit). The lid really is "floating" and with any weight in can be quite a distraction just when you don't need it. It is quite a "slim" pack, even a 1l hydration system can make it awkward to use the main sack.

David Williams, Leyland