The Highlander Ben Nevis 52l is brimming with useful features that you’d expect from a decent backpack, says Lucy Wallace.
As a Mountain Leader my day job sees me working in the outdoors with the public on overnight expeditions, often with young people or those on a tight budget for outdoor gear. I’ve seen quite a lot of cheap equipment fail catastrophically in remote places, and I’ve got quite strong opinions as a result. Highlander have been making inexpensive outdoor gear for the British climate since the 80s, and while their gear isn’t the cheapest out there, it is more affordable than the premium brands. For this reason, I was keen to put the Highlander Ben Nevis 52l pack to an extended test on a series of overnight expeditions this spring.
Lucy Wallace recommends
At the budget end of the market, this is one of the best expedition rucksacks I’ve seen.- lightweight
- excellent value
- easy to pack
- fussy buckles
- not as comfortable as some
| Quick Specs |
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| Price: £124.99 (available from Highlander Outdoor) Weight: 1266g Materials: 200D Nylon with PU coating Features: Adjustable back system, front and side pockets, internal and external lid pocket, hip belt pockets, side zipped opening, side compression straps, Velcro webbing tidies, rain cover Size: 52 litres capacity Men’s version: Yes highlander-outdoor.com |
I used the pack in all weather conditions. My first impressions were mixed, and I think it’s fair to say my views on most aspects of the pack changed quite a lot with time. I was initially quite negative about the degree of comfort (or lack of) on offer. It’s very lightweight, with a simple frame back system, with basic padding and adjustment. When I shouldered it for the first time, my heart sank as it felt hard and unyielding. However, with a bit of time and some tweaking, it settled down, and although the shoulders straps didn’t stop feeling bulky under my arms, I soon forgot about the hip belt, whilst the load felt stable and responsive.
In contrast, I was impressed at first with the Velcro webbing tidies, which tuck loose straps out of the way. If you’ve been hit in the face with a nylon strap a few times in a gale, you’ll know why I liked this idea. In principle it’s brilliant, but the loops snagged on things like tree branches, trekking poles and gate posts with annoying regularity, so I’m afraid I went off these fairly quickly.
However, the pack is brimming with useful features that you’d expect from a decent backpack, with lots of pockets, compression straps, ice axe loops and bungees for poles and hydration tubes. Special mention goes to the zipped pockets on the hip belt which are a nice size, as is the pocket in the lid. The volume and shape are great too, the 52 litres felt generous, as I was able to pack it for an overnight in sub-freezing temperatures with my big sleeping bag, my mountain tent and safety kit for my group too.
It is light weight, so it won’t be as tough as some of the heftier options out there, but over the course of the spring it saw me through three expeditions in the mountains with zero signs of wear beyond a bit of mud staining. I was deliberately hard on features like zips, buckles and stitching, and all held firm under duress. There are tougher and more comfortable packs out there, but they are a good bit more expensive than this one. At the budget end of the market, this is one of the best expedition rucksacks I’ve seen.
I think it would make a great Duke of Edinburgh Award rucksack. With neutral colouring, and nothing conspicuously genderised about the design, it would be perfect for smaller people of any gender and it’s tough enough to see a young person or siblings from Bronze, through to Gold expeditions.
Testing conditions
Lucy put the Highlander Ben Nevis 52l pack to an extended test on a series of overnight expeditions this spring in all weather conditions. Lucy is 5’6” with narrow shoulders.
