Evoc Gear Backpack 90L review

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L review

Voluminous backpack that’ll swallow lots of riding kit

Our rating

3

130.00
145.00
110.00

Andy Lloyd / Our Media

Published: April 7, 2024 at 9:00 am

Our review
Evoc’s Gear Backpack has ample pockets and compartments. It’s not without its flaws, though

Pros:

Water-repellent lining throughout; plenty of pockets; lightweight; easy to carry

Cons:

Black liner makes it tougher to find dark-coloured items; straps can’t be altered to carry in different ways; kit piles up in main compartment

The Evoc Gear Backpack 90L offers ample storage, with the ability to organise and stash plenty of kit ahead of carting it off to your next destination.

Thanks to the design, it’ll work for a variety of outdoor activities, including commuter cycling and mountain biking.

The main compartment is effectively split in two, thanks to a partition that’s held in place by Velcro, separating the top and bottom halves of the bag.

Remove the partition and you can boost the space for the main top-loading pocket.

The lower half is accessed through the side of the bag and features a self-contained pocket that’ll easily house winter mountain bike shoes, hiking boots or even snowboarding boots.

There’s a further zipped pocket on the front, complete with organiser sleeves, and a long pocket that stretches down one side of the bag, both of which are great for smaller items.

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L
Along with a front pocket, there's a slim pocket on the side, which is great for smaller items of kit. Andy Lloyd / Our Media

All pockets are lined with a water-resistant material, which is great on soggy days. However, because it’s all black, finding smaller items in the depths of the pack gets tricky.

Evoc has added padding throughout the sides of the bag to better protect the equipment inside. It still packs down flat for storage, though.

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L performance

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L
The upper compartment takes up roughly half the bag's capacity. Andy Lloyd / Our Media

Thanks to the double zip and because the top-loading flap of the main pocket folds down out of the way, accessing kit inside is easy enough.

Because it’s a backpack, though, kit is piled on top of itself, so it can take longer to find specific items compared to digging into an open suitcase.

I found the Velcro partition a little limiting in terms of capacity though, simply because it sits too high up, restricting how much you can get into the pocket.

If I had only a pair of mountain bike shoes inside the large side-loading pocket, it meant there was quite a bit of dead space.

Removing the partition expands the pocket and limits this issue, but accessing kit at the bottom of the pack isn’t as easy.

On days when I required less riding kit, I made full use of the side-loading pocket (and left the inner partition in place), shoving wet shoes and a damp riding pack in once my ride was done.

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L open
A self-contained, water-resistant compartment is accessed via a big zippered flap on the side. Andy Lloyd / Our Media

It’s always a plus when you can keep the really grotty items separate from your clean kit, so this is a real plus.

The pockets on the front and side are ideal for smaller items of clothing, or stashing tools and spares. Thanks to the robust water-resistant lining, I never worried about damaging the bag when stowing pedals, chain lube and sealant.

When loaded up with a few days’ worth of riding kit, the shoulder straps – which are reasonably well padded – coupled with the waist strap, make carrying the load comfortable enough.

It’s a shame you can’t reconfigure the straps into a different position though, simply because if you're travelling further afield, it becomes tricky to carry a smaller backpack as well as this.

The zips aren’t designed to be locked together and there’s no luggage tag included.

You can, however, pack this bag flat, which makes storing it easier when not in use. It’s really light too.

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L bottom line

Evoc Gear Backpack 90L
The Evoc Gear bag can hold a massive 90 litres of kit and is designed to be carried like a backpack. Andy Lloyd / Our Media

The Evoc Gear Backpack 90L offers a decent way to get kit around when you’re on the move, but it’s best suited to days or weekends away, rather than anything long-haul.

Its adaptable interior means it can work for more than just mountain biking. There’s ample storage for a decent amount of kit that can be organised reasonably neatly thanks to the pockets dotted around the pack.

The fact that it’s light and packs down small when not in use is a bonus too.

Mountain bike kit bags | How we tested

To test kit bags, the criteria is simple – load them with as much riding gear as possible and start lugging them about and using them for every riding trip we go on.

We’ve kept the kit we’ve been packing into these as consistent as possible, slinging the bags into the back of the van and making the most out of their different designs.

It’s been interesting to see how easy it is to lose smaller items in the more cavernous designs, or just how tricky it can be to re-pack soggy, muddy kit when there’s no dedicated space to keep it separate from your clean clothes.

Bags on test

Product

Brand evoc
Price 130.00 EUR,110.00 GBP,145.00 USD
Weight 1.7200, KILOGRAM (90l) -

Features

br_capacity 90.0000
br_capacity LITER
Features Size: 270 x 700 x 400mm

Flat pack: Yes