Technically the Skin Pro is a running pack, but it’s so light and the fit is so good it merits serious attention. It works because it’s not really pack-shaped – it’s more like a waistcoat, with straps that curve in one piece rather than a traditional shoulder strap/hip belt combo.
It fastens via a series of straps and, while they’re a faff to set at the start, once you’re done it’s just like wearing a top (we didn’t actually wear it as a top, of course – we’d have looked like high-storage perverts. But you get the drift).
Made from Ripstop nylon, it’s lighter than many similar products, with a multitude of pockets angled for easy reach on the fly. The large main compartment is expandable and easily takes a day’s worth of tools, snacks and extra layers.
The Hydrapak bladder is a doddle to fill and clean, and has an insulated panel to ward off the time when your drink reaches back-temperature. We liked this a lot. Because it’s designed for running we’d caution you not to overload it, though, and watch out for the shorter drinking tube.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
