Ultimate Direction Fastpack 30

My interest in the 25-30 litre pack size began back in 2000 when I started taking part in two day mountain marathons. Events that had an emphasis on moving fast, navigating over longer distances / times with an overnight camp in between. Key requirements being; keeping the weight down and being able to access food, drinks, map and compass whilst on the move.

What started as an interest became a full blow obsession in the year leading up to taking part in the 2008 Marathon des Sables. After much review, I eventually settled on the OMM Classic 25 Marathon Pack, supplemented with the 4 litre chest pouch. Since then, this has been my “fast & lite pack” of choice and I really hadn’t considered a change.

Back in 2013, Ultimate Direction came along with their Signature Vests and I was quick to adopt the Scott Jurek version for long runs both on the trails and day raids in the Scottish hills. I very quickly fell for it in terms of the comfort and ability to carry everything required, especially the bottle holder / pocket system on the front straps.

A chance conversation with the good folks from Beta Climbing Designs, whilst at the Jedburgh Three Peaks Ultra, gave an opportunity to trial the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 30 – could this be the best of both of the above with sufficient capacity, with the bigger load at the back whilst being feature rich on the front ?

A week or so later, the pack arrived and first impressions were good – build quality was impressive as you would expect with Ultimate Direction, and the next hour or so was spent exploring the pack and figuring out what would live where in the multitude of pockets. The back system looked good, giving a nice balance between stopping anything from inside the pack creating discomfort, but not being too heavy. The mesh pockets are generous and unlike a number of similar style packs, the side pockets are of sufficient size that you can access them whilst wearing the pack without needing to be double jointed.

I’ve not been a huge fan of roll closure systems, finding them a bit fiddly in the past, but this one works well in reducing the volume both in tidying up the top of the pack and critically, integrating with the compression straps on the side. This allows a range of loads to be secured nicely and prevents that horrible bounce that occurs with a half empty pack.

The inside of the back compartment has a mesh pocket which is useful for keeping those 'easy to fall into the depths of the pack' items such as a phone or car keys. There is also a “waterproof” zipper pocket on the outside but it would be a brave soul that would trust that to unprotected electronics given the UK weather (I’ve killed more than one phone through drowning). For anyone keen on using a hydration bladder, there is an opening for the tube along with a section internally to hold the bladder itself. The addition of the ice axe loops and daisy chain system make it suitable for full four season use as well.

The front has a single pocket for a bottle on the left strap and a long zippered pocket on the right. For the UK, I would seldom want more than one bottle on the front since additional bottles can easily be carried in the side pockets. Being able to hold a map / compass / GPS to my mind is a better use of the space.

So how did first impressions translate into first use …

The Tour de Hellvelyn is a mountain run held on the shortest Saturday in December each year in the Lake District and is described as:

• 38 miles long with several thousand feet of ascent and descent.
• Terrain is tough mountain trails and so fell running and navigational skills are essential
• A winter run of this type is tough and requires good navigational skills, experience and self-reliance
• The event is ‘low key’ with minimal support and all participants will need to be suitably experienced and equipped
• Entries are limited and strictly limited to experienced and competent entrants. This is not an event for novice trail runners…!

Having run this twice before, I felt it was the perfect test for the Fastpack 30.

Since the the forecast was grim, and keeping the spare kit dry was essential, I packed the various bits mandatory kit all packed into dry bags. I put the loaded pack on and it felt good with the compression system doing its job nicely. One initial concern was that the pack sits higher than I am used to with the OMM Classic 25 and there are no waist pockets. Time on the trail would prove if this was an issue or simply a difference.

Waterproofs, Map, Compass etc...on the left and spare warm layer, hat, gloves stowed in dry bags

I loaded the mesh pockets on the front straps with munchies with additional food stashed in the external pocket at the rear. The idea being not to have to go into the main compartment unless I was needing spare layers. The large zipper pocket on the right hand strap took my rolled up ortleib map case perfectly along with compass and whistle. This proved invaluable on the two occasions I needed to make quick reference to the map to confirm a route choice. Had it not been as accessible, there might have been a temptation to steam on without checking first – losing time at best.

Conditions were brutal, with driving rain and high winds almost constantly, so I was pleased that whilst soaked through, there was no noticeable increase in pack weight.

Of all the course sections, the wind was at its worst on the initial descent from Grizedale Tarn. Again, the concern of the pack sitting high came to mind as I struggled to maintain balance in the fiercest of gusts, but I gained a level of comfort watching other runners with a variety of packs have similar issues.

By the time I reached the control at Side Farm, I was tired and the simplicity of being able to refill the drinks bottle quickly before continuing on the course was appreciated. In a similar vein, leaving the last control at Martindale Church in the last light, getting my headtorch out of the main back compartment via the roll top involved little in the way of faff, with the two clips on the compression system staying nicely in place.

Overall, I finished the event a happy beard with the pack doing everything I needed and performing well. At 30 litres it may be oversized for a one day event like the Tour de Hellvelyn but the compression system meant that it wasn’t noticeable and I am now looking forward to the next test with an overnight bothy gig next on the agenda. Will post an update to cover how it performs with a heavier load in the back soon hopefully, but so far can’t think on a dislike !

Has it replaced my OMM sack?…Very possibly, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking into a flexible pack for fast and lite adventures.

A huge shout of thanks to the folks at Beta Climbing Designs for the opportunity - lovely bunch who are passionate about the products they supply.

Aye ...it was wet !