Alpine Aqua 60l + 10l rucksack

The majority of the travelling I’ve done in Europe up to now has been cheap getaways with Ryanair – meaning very restricting hand luggage limits. And while I have a trusty, somewhat-dogged bag perfect for the overhead luggage bins, my travel plans for 2014 and my recent Christmas break in Sweden called for something a little more robust.

Enter my brand new rucksack:
the Alpine Aqua 60l + 10l, kindly provided by Blacks.

Why I chose it

There were two main reasons I chose this rucksack.

It’s a tad embarrassing, but the first thing that came to mind when I saw this bag was how cool it would be to look like a real traveller; I’ve always had a bit of a romantic image of the jolly backpacker casually interrailing around Europe running for trains and missing connections, and this bag fitted that perfectly.

My second, more rational reason was its versatility – the rucksack looked suitable not just for ambitious backpacking tours of Europe, but also for shorter, simpler getaways involving a lot of travelling around.

(The third reason was the fact that my Poundstretcher black-and-white polka-dot suitcase on wheels had found a small level of fame amongst my colleagues. I’m still trying to live it down.)

The trip

So after reading a few guides on handy tips for packing rucksacks, I took the bag for its first test drive on my mini adventure to Stockholm and central Sweden (via Amsterdam).

The pros

The Alpine Aqua rucksack has plenty of good selling points, but the best factor for me was comfort. I spent a fair amount of time during my trip wearing the rucksack and while carrying 20-odd kgs on your back is never going to be an enjoyable experience, the padded back and padded adjustable straps made it pretty comfy.

Another big factor for me was capacity. I got everything I needed in the bag, and only took a small messenger bag for my cabin luggage to use as a day bag while out exploring. But despite this, finding and retrieving my belongings was fairly easy – the rucksack has access from both the top and the bottom, meaning nothing gets lost in the depths. There’s also plenty of pockets for easy-access to maps, or guidebooks.

While it wasn’t particularly relevant to me, one feature of the Alpine Aqua you can’t overlook is its water resistance. The rucksack comes with a large waterproof liner to insert into the main part of the bag and a rolltop waterproof cover for the top of the bag.

Other benefits include the many straps for security, which also let you adjust the size and shape of the bag, and the fact it’s so lightweight.

The cons

While the Alpine Aqua doesn’t have many negative points, I did find a few drawbacks while taking her out for her first journey.

For me, the main negative was the fact the bag possibly has too many bells and whistles (it does actually have a whistle). Obviously this is pretty subjective and the bag was probably designed for more adventurous people than me, but I did find the huge number of pockets, zips, buckles and straps a bit… intimidating. Many went unused and I’m sure a few have gone undiscovered.

Another thing that has occurred to me since finishing my travels is that the rucksack wouldn’t be the best for carrying heavy valuables, such as a laptop. There is a flat pocket in the inner lining, but I’m not sure this would offer enough padding to keep your laptop secure.

Final thoughts

Overall, while the rucksack is really quite advanced, with features I might never use, I must say I absolutely loved it.

It was as easy to carry around as I imagined, it wasn’t a struggle to pack and re-pack over and over, and it took up a lot less space in the hostel dorm, which I’m pretty sure the other 13 people packed into my room were pretty pleased about. It was comfortable and my belongings felt secure, and I’m looking forward to taking her out for another spin soon.

And of course, achieving the dream of being a backpacker was priceless.

Disclaimer: my Alpine Aqua rucksack was provided by Blacks.