Bite The Bullet, Buy The Best

When it comes to buying expensive items like tools, appliances, or a truck, I try to buy the best I can afford.  I loathe replacement purchases.  Buy the best and only cry once.  The $259.99 price tag of the REV’IT! Stack 15L H20 backpack is cringe worthy, but it is worth the money.

REV’IT! has teamed up with the luggage and backpack experts at Kriega to create their own line of high quality packs that are comfortable, durable and waterproof.  The biggest advantage of this partnership means all REV’IT! packs use Kriega’s Quadloc-Lite harness.

The Quadloc-Lite is similar to a 5-point racing harness in it’s anatomical fit.  It puts stress on the torso where it belongs instead of weighing down the shoulders.  Center button is glove-friendly.  There is not a better attachment system on the market.

Padding and mesh where the Stack rests on the back provides even more comfort and substantial airflow. This mesh also lines the pack straps and is grippy to prevent slipping. REV’IT! stock photo.

The Quadloc-Lite harness has two wide straps that descend from the top of the backpack to form an X across the sternum.  The middle of this X has a glove-friendly center button that clicks into place where the straps meet.  These large straps then descend and wrap around the rib cage to the bottom of the backpack.  Net effect of the Quadloc-Lite system is weight transferred to the torso, not the shoulders.  Calling this a backpack is really a disservice; it’s more like a vest with a dry bag on the back.

Getting an ideal fit is easy with the adjustable shoulder harness.  Stealthy dots on both harness straps make getting both right and left straps exactly the same length with ease and bottom length adjusters have fabric retainers to keep excess strap length from flapping in the wind.  Once adjusted, the straps stay put for good.

The Stack 15L H20 is as waterproof as a dry bag, because it is.  Roll top closure is secure and external nylon fabric is durable with a reflective REV’IT! logo.  Lack of clinch straps give the Stack a neat and clean appearance.  This is a great looking backpack.

The Stack is fully waterproof and closes with a roll top and buckles in typical dry bag fashion. External fabric is durable ripstop nylon while a waterproof liner slips into the pack and attaches to the top mouth of the backpack with Velcro. A 3.75 liter Hydrapack can fit between the liner and the pack and the liner can be removed for cleaning, a feature we all will appreciate someday.

Small item pouch keeps important bits within handy reach.

The 15 liters of the Stack H20 pack is the perfect size, wide enough to swallow a laptop or an overnight stay’s worth of clothes while also slim enough for daily use.  A small internal pouch with zipper can separate smaller items like keys and a cell phone from the larger compartment.  Elastic pleats run vertically down the sides, expanding and contracting to self-adjust to contents, eliminating fumbly clinch straps.  Mesh and padding line the pack where it touches the rider for comfort and venting.  Additional accessories from Kriega’s catalog can be added to the front of the pack if there is a need for a bit more space or quick access to things like an action camera or GPS.

Here I am wearing my daily use Kreiga R20 backpack during our test of Harley-Davidson’s stellar Pan America deep into the Northwest woods, a cousin to the REV’IT Stack H20 Zoom in to see the Hydrapack hose on my left strap, GoPro mount on my right and the Quadloc-Lite attachment at my sternum. Even with all this gear attached to the front and a pack full of camera equipment, the pack never budged or got burdensome over two days of ADV travel.

I have mercilessly abused my old Kreiga R20 backpack for well over a year in every way from daily commuting and sport touring to adventure riding.  After living with it daily, I will not use anything else.  It is so stable at speed that I never cinched the waist strap so just removed it.  The fit is so comfortable and weight so evenly distributed around the chest that sometimes I forget I am wearing it, even when fully loaded at highway speeds.  REV’IT! packs are cut from the same cloth, literally. Again, think of the REV’IT! Stack 15L H2O like a chest harness with a dry bag attached.  There is a larger 22 liter version as well as two off-road variants with external webbing.  All of these packs are solid choices.

Even when fully dressed in gear and gloves, the center button provides and easy and positive
release to remove the backpack without looking down.

REV’IT!’s partnership with Kriega has a designed a winner.  If you’re looking to purchase just one backpack, the REV’IT! Stack 15L H20 should be in contention.  It is tough, waterproof, wears like a vest and is even stylish.  Although $259.99 is expensive for a backpack, buying the best usually is.  Pay for it once and be happy with it for years.

Ted