Berghaus Octans 40 Race Rucsac

© dtullie
Elite international orienteer and competitive mountain marathoner Doug Tullie has been running about testing the Berghaus Octans 40. The rucsac was designed by Berghaus' new global elite design team, MtnHaus (UKC News Item here), with mountain marathoners and adventure racers in mind. So far the MtnHaus team have used their expertise to develop and launch/relaunch six Berghaus products: see here for the others. In this gear review Doug tells us what he discovered about the Octans 40 in the testing field. Is it the perfect mountain marathoner's rucsac?

Put through its paces: does the Octans 40 rucsac live up to its slogan: 'no adjustments, no shortcuts, no compromise'?


The pack sits very comfortably on your back  © dtullie
The pack sits very comfortably on your back
© dtullie

From a design point of view, the Octans 40 is undoubtedly an impressive piece of kit. I've received many positive comments about this eye-catching rucsac while out testing it. Yes, you are effectively a running Berghaus advert, but the bright Berghaus colours and logo are well balanced by the simplistic design. The Octans 40 certainly stands out in a marketplace in which many products have become over-designed.

Moving onto more practical matters, let's talk about weight. At around 700g for a 40 litre pack you can certainly appreciate that it is very lightweight, and I have found that it is also strong and adequately comfortable. Having heard others criticise the Octans 40 in terms of comfort, I have to say I found it to be on a par, at least, with other race sacs that I have used in the past. I often remove the foam back-padding from rucsacs to further reduce the weight, but with the Octans I didn't feel this was a good idea, or necessary, as the back material is the same super-lightweight fabric used on the front of the pack ... and the pad is so light anyway that this wouldn't have made much difference.

Yes, it is super lightweight. However, from an elite racer's point of view, I still wonder whether Berghaus have taken the lightweight design as far as possible...? I know it may seem trivial but does each compression strap not have 10cm too much excess!? These things add up! On the plus side, one of the most beneficial added features from a racing point of view, is the detachable chest pouch, which is almost a must for staying fuelled when you are on the run, allowing quick and easy access to energy gels and food.

Chest & waist straps perform well  © dtullie
Chest & waist straps perform well
© dtullie
Generally, ease of access to the pack has been well thought out. It has a very wide opening at the top, which you really appreciate when trying to dig something out from near the bottom quickly. The mesh pocket on the lid can hold a large amount of stuff and the mesh pockets on the side are nice and deep, which means that, although they are without drawstrings, you feel secure that nothing is going to fall out when you are on the move. The large pocket on the front is probably the best of the lot as it is large enough to hold a 750 ml drinks bottle which can be removed and returned with ease. Another plus: the mesh used on all the pockets also has an amazing amount of stretch to it, allowing you to really pack all the essentials that you want to hand when you are on the move into the exterior pockets.

The compression system is simple but effective. The main body of the pack is tightened by four straps, two on either side, which in effect decrease the depth of the pack so that it sits closer to your back. I was sceptical whether this would be a more effective method of tightening that an elastic system, but it is and tidier too! Where the pack is let down, though, is the positioning of the catch for the lid. It is situated very high up on the sac, which means that there is a limit to how far you can tighten the lid; a limit which becomes obvious when the sac isn't full as the lid bounces around a lot when you run.

Due to its no adjustments, no compromise approach I found the sac doesn't quite perform as well when it is only partly full as it does when packed. Essentially I think that if you are going to choose the Octans 40 to run with, you need to be sure that you are going to be nearly, or fully, filling it. When full it is a great sac, extremely light and a comfortable fit. While it is designed for top end runners to use on five day adventure races, I would also recommend the Octans 40 to any non-elite, two day mountain marathon racers who intend to be carrying enough to fill a 40 litre sac.

"...I look forward to seeing if Berghaus extend the same specificity of design to a 25 litre pack aimed at the elite mountain marathon racer!..."

When not completely full the bag does struggle to keep its shape and cannot be tightened adequately  © dtullie
When not completely full the bag does struggle to keep its shape and cannot be tightened adequately
© dtullie
Berghaus Octans 40  © Berghaus

Berghaus Octans 40

  • Adventure Super Light low profile back system
  • Top lid pocket
  • Side compression straps
  • Removable inner back pad/sit mat
  • Elasticated stability hipbelt
  • Zipped hipbelt pockets
  • Hydration system compatible
  • Stretch front and side pockets
  • Reflective print
  • Weight: 700g approx
The pack wouldn't be the best choice for elite competitors racing over two days, though. For top racers in this kind of shorter race a 40 litre sack would be too large, and even with its superlight design, at 700g the Octans 40 would be too heavy. MM runners need to be carrying a 25 litre pack, or less, to remain at the competitive edge.

As I have been impressed by the sac I thought the Octans 25 could be the perfect choice for me in two day races but I was disappointed to find that it is not designed to the same lightweight standard and weighs in at just over 700g. Unlike the Octans 40, the Octans 25 has not been developed by Berghaus' MtnHaus team. If they can design a supreme sac for five day adventure races then I am sure they can apply that same model to a 25 litre sac! I look forward to seeing if Berghaus extend the same specificity of design to a 25 litre pack aimed at the elite mountain marathon racer!

On another note, regarding general versatility, I have used the Octans 40 a few times as a travel bag and, despite it being intended as a 'specialist piece of kit for purist end users', it also functioned very well as an every day bag, allowing me to pack in a lot of kit which could be taken through the airport as hand luggage and carried off at the other end comfortably and fashionably!

Summary

Designed for elite adventure racers to use on five day races, the Octans 40 is also an ideal pack for non-elite mountain marathoners to use on two day races, if they are carrying enough kit to fill a 40 litre pack. I feel that Berghaus could make the design lighter still! - and think that the catch for the lid should be lower, so the lid doesn't bounce when the sac isn't full. I look forward to testing an Octans 25 elite mountain marathon rucsac if the MtnHaus team develop one!


Doug Tullie  © Doug Tullie Collection
Doug Tullie
© Doug Tullie Collection

About Doug Tullie

Doug is an elite international orienteer and a competitive mountain marathon/hill runner. He grew up on a farm near Hawick in the Scottish Borders and now studies in Edinburgh. After competing for Great Britain at three Junior World Orienteering Champs, achieving a top placing of 16th in 2007, in 2011 he represented Great Britain at the senior World Champs in France. He qualified through to the Final of the Long race, finishing 42nd. His goal is to win a medal at the championships when they come to Scotland in 2015.

As a Mountain Marathon runner he's competed at the OMM on three occations. Competing with an orienteering friend from Sheffield (John Rocke), he won the OMM C class in 2006 and went on to comfortably win the A in 2009. This year the pair will compete in The Elite Class for the first time with the aim of taking home the title on their first attempt, too.

Here he is on the right, crossing the finish line at the 2011 Orienteering World Champs.


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