Backpacks
Product 2018
Woman, Man
We took our time to test, evaluate, appreciate, and from time to time, criticize this Instinct pack that we see on all the races. An entire summer, with which we managed to cover a lot of miles, we also had some intensive use too.
This is a good product, well-designed and thought out, and that holds up well. The pack is hand wash only, no machine, and it held up well. Some runners said they lost a plastic end piece at the end of an elastic, but nothing terrible. They are supposed to be easily changeable and are part of the free after sales service.
The pack sits well and is breathable (we will talk more about the back mesh later on in the test). If you do feel the pack’s structure against your skin you quickly forget about when running as the carrying comfort is so good.
The pack is worn high up so adjust it correctly so it is in the right position so the weight doesn’t fall forward particularly when you have the water flasks in place. The two front chest straps finish the balance of the pack. You can adjust these straps too as they slide up and down. The pack sat firm and we appreciated the fact that it didn’t bounce about. The front straps are easy to clip in and out, even with gloves on.
The Ambition weighs in at 215g, maybe not the lightest on the market but it is tough. We have used a lot of packs where the straps have broken, the elastics have stretched, etc. You could maybe lighten it with better material sourcing. The pack also suits women with larger chests.
A semi-rigid clip helps keep the bottle holders in place. We thought they might create pressure points but they didn’t.
The entire fit around the shoulders and back don’t have any rubbing when the pack is correctly adjusted.
The back mesh is ventilated and very performant. Light, breathable, tough against tearing, and doesn’t smell.
Ok so the pole carrier is not the best designed in the world, even if they offer 5 options. Some brands now use quivers to avoid this problem. Instinct have conserved the elastic attachment fixings. You carry the poles on either side of the water bottles, vertically. Usage for foldable poles. They are reasonably quick to secure but then you have to mess about with the adjustments so that the poles don’t get in the way of drinking once running.
The Hydrapak 600ml flasks that are delivered with the pack are too long (or the pockets too short). They don’t fit properly and block access to the pockets beneath the flasks. The 2017 flask models were not the same design – the new packs will adapt to the new models. The large pockets are very useful for cramming all your race necessities. The flasks are tough, don’t leak and the semi-rigid tops enable easier handling when filling.
The rear of the pack has two large pockets: a black one that goes right down to the bottom of the pack so you can store all the mandatory kit that you may not use often. The second compartment, yellow, enables you to store your rain coat. Both these pockets are closed with a clip, not that easy to handle if you don’t take the pack off.
Last but not least, on the left shoulder there is a non-zipped pocket for the safety whistle. We didn’t try putting our keys in there… But there is a cord to clip your keys onto.
85 for just the pack, 110 euros the pack with two 600 ml Hydrapak soft flasks included.
The trail running pack Instinct Ambition 4,5 L is a good pack for running with all the kit you need for a race. Its conception and manufacture have produced a reliable and tough product. The price is correct.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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