Given the very low weight of this pack I really wanted to like it. However I was never able to achieve a comfortable carry, mainly due to the narrow, unpadded hipbelt. With any load over 4-5kg I like to carry most of the weight on my hips, which requires a reasonably wide padded belt for comfort. The one on the Voyager 55 just won’t support much weight. The pack is also made from thin nylon and I found that this sagged unless I packed very carefully, again making the carry uncomfortable.
The shoulder straps are wide and the back system supportive. If you carry all or most of the weight on your shoulders then this pack will probably be comfortable. I think though that this design would work better in a smaller pack carrying lighter loads. The back of the pack isn’t mesh as in most packs but Dyneema, which means that moisture is quickly trapped, leading to a sweaty back. The pack is capacious with a wide mouth so access to the contents is good. The lid pocket is big and the mesh front pocket vast. The lid is also extendable and detachable. However, it flops forward when the pack isn’t full. Terra Nova do provide a flat piece of fabric with attachment points to use as an alternative lid for small loads. The detachable hipbelt pockets are tiny.
Although the weight is very low the price of this pack is very high. I’d rather see a padded hipbelt and slightly firmer fabric at the expense of a bit more weight as I think this would make a much more comfortable pack.
First published: March 2014
