Oakley Toolbox Pack review

A super-sized hydration pack that’s no optical illusion

Our rating

4.0

120.00
72.00

Published: August 26, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Our review
Solid and dependable pack for epic back-country adventures

Oakley is famous for its glasses, though its wide range of bags also deserves some attention.

The Toolbox is Oakley’s first go at a full-size, 31-litre capacity hydration pack, and having spent several days using it to cart two litres of water and a bunch of trail tools around the local hills, we can say that it’s a well-sorted bag.

The main compartment uses a baffle to separate the excellent drip-free, two-litre Hydrapak bladder from the rest of the contents, though we’d have liked a three-litre bladder if it was offered. There’s a small mesh multi-pocket organiser on the inside of the back panel, but it’s really only for small stuff like cash.

The rest of the main compartment is just a void, so some care needs to be taken to load the contents with your regularly used kit near the top.

The Toolbox has two handy semi-hard external zip-up compartments complete with super-soft lining. The uppermost one is, given this is an Oakley pack, shaped to accept sunglasses, including Oakley’s non-folding Pro Frames. But of course, you can use it to stash other non-scratch items such as phones or cameras.

The second pocket is slightly smaller, but no less useful. There’s also an adjustable web harness on the outside of the bag to contain a helmet, pads or just some extra clothing. We also found it useful to help cart other stuff, like wheels,around the place.

Riding with it fully loaded is comfortable, thanks to generous pads and wide, well-cut straps. Cinch in the chest and waist and the bag is as stable as any similar-sized pack. We weren’t aware of having to nudge it back straight after diving through tight turns, either.

In short, the Toolbox isn’t any better or worse than others in any key areas and, for Oakley, it’s quite cheap. If you’re a fan of the O, you know where to go.

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