REVIEW: Salewa Pedroc Pro 22 pack

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 UKC/UKH Gear 02 May 2023

Though it's designed for speed hiking, the advantages of this lightweight, form-hugging, and superbly well-vented day pack should be obvious whatever your pace, says Dan Bailey. If only it was a bit more durable...

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 yodadave 03 May 2023
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

I really struggled to get into reading this review, when you started it by disparaging what the bag is intended to do. If you aren't going to review a product for its intended use, it makes your review seem rather moot. I wouldn't expect a high end bouldering shoe to be reviewed for its performance as an all day trad beginners shoe for example.

Perhaps I'm still in readership survey mode but I thought you deserved the feedback.

Other than this I did find most of the review helpful.

In reply to yodadave:

Sorry you feel that way. Can you define 'speed hiking' for me? I do find it hard to take seriously as a separate niche between walking and running.

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In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

I guess, and being related to the Sales Manager at Salewa and having sat through numerous sales presentations from the Italians, Speed Hiking, as a concept in the UK, doesn't exist as we are slightly more traditional in our approach to the hills. You're either running (and not being a runner I can only surmise this involves wearing minimal clothing and getting very sweaty) or walking (brown boots, gaiters, enormous rucksack) - A massive over-generalisation I know, tongue in cheek of course.

What the Italians consider "Speed Hiking" is fast and light, where the approach is minimalist kit, bare minimum etc. Admittedly many people now hike in the hills in less kit than we used to carry, trail shoes instead of boots, running packs or small 12ltr packs instead of larger bulkier packs with group shelters, first aid etc etc. As a swift disclaimer I'm not in any way condoning heading into the hills unequipped. You should always carry the correct equipment for conditions and terrain.

Now me, I don't do many things at speed but I do enjoy lightweight kit and this is where I think Salewa nailed it. As you observed Dan (slight toggle failure aside) the bag is lightweight, breaths well etc. If you should choose to sprint up a hill then walk the rest it will do everything perfectly.

I guess, and before I ramble on any further, to define speed hiking would be a personal choice. If say I head into the hills with my brother I consider his choice of uphill speed would be defined as speed hiking whereas mine most definitely is not! The products as a collection are "speed hiking" but if we are more observant and look at the trekking/hiking range from Salewa as a whole they would simply be the lightweight options instead of the more durable options.

Your Mountain Trainer would be Pedroc Air

Your Mountain Trainer 2 25l would be your Pedroc Pro 22l

I hope some of what I've written makes sense. In a nutshell The Salewa Speed Hiking collection is the lightweight options to the Hiking and Trekking collection.

 yodadave 03 May 2023
In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Hi Dan, I would absolutely agree that it is incredibly niche, but would argue that gear is becoming more and more niche, as a generalisation. If you had started your review stating how niche it is I would've found no fault. Instead you started it with a mocking tone and now you appear to be asking me to define the thing that you chose to mock. I would hope that if you were taking on the review of a niche bit of gear you would be familiar with the niche it was designed to fill, whether you enjoy that niche or not.

How I define it seems irrelevant as I'm not commenting on it. I'm commenting on how I felt your comment undermined a review that I have already characterised as being helpful. Genuinely not seeking to be a pain, just offering my two pence. If my feedback is helpful, wonderful, if its just annoyingly pedantic then please ignore it.

Lovely scenery as ever in your photos

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In reply to yodadave:

Thanks Dave, it was a helpful post as it encouraged me to tone down my opener somewhat. I did come across as unnecessarily disdainful. Not the intention, though I do think jargon ought to be weeded out.

Rest assured that I've walked slowly with this pack, I've walked fast, and I've run. So somewhere in that it must have had a decent 'speed hiking' test, even though it is not a concept I think adds any value.

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 beardy mike 03 May 2023
In reply to Euan McKendrick:

Concept. Now there's a word I have come to loath when used in a sales context. To me it represents some guys sat in an office working out how to make something which has been around for bleedin ages sound new and exciting. I remember when they brought out the ice axes with "360 bonding technology". AKA epoxy resin, just like literally everybody does it and tried to claim it was a first... Why not just call it a light hiking pack? Tells you what it actually is...

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In reply to Euan McKendrick:

Thanks Euan, each to their own as you say!

Light, cool and comfy: toggle tear aside, this is a really good pack for any walker or runner, whatever it is they say they're doing, and at whatever pace.

In reply to beardy mike:

But without concepts and mood boards how can we possibly sit around drinking flat whites and creating the next best thing!

Jargon and acronyms, a designers favourite drug 🤣

 beardy mike 03 May 2023
In reply to Euan McKendrick:

Marketeers favourite drug. I can assure you all the designers are screaming blue murder...


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