Built big, tough and with plenty of useful pockets and features, the HURU is now one of my most used backpacks. Available now on Kickstarter, Founder Oleg Vlasenko sent over a pre-launch sample for us to test, so I used it for a few day trips and rides to the grocery story. Here’s the official details mixed with my own…
Straps and pockets abound, but the nice thing is, some of them are removable. The seatbelt-like strap with custom buckle on the back can be removed if you don’t need (I haven’t yet), or repositioned to loop over the top of the bag for securing taller cargo that uses the roll opening. The waist belt (aka fanny pack) is also removable. Combined, they save some weight, which is my only issue with the bag…it’s kinda heavy at 6.3lb (2.9kg) all in. To be fair, that weight is mostly only noticeable when carrying it by hand and empty. Once loaded and on my back, it felt like any other heavy duty pack. And heavy duty it is, with water resistant materials and zippers, thick leather handle and bottom, and a generally burly feel. No surprise it comes with a lifetime warranty.
The stuff shown above fits in it without expanding it, but you can easily add almost twice the capacity by unzipping the expansion section. Hidden in those folds are compression straps, letting you customize it and keep things from jostling around in there.
A couple features I really like are the separate laptop sleeve with side access, letting me get that in and out without opening the main compartment, and the wide main opening. The entire front flap zips all the way down, giving you unfettered access to the main compartment for stacking clothes and other gear in an orderly fashion. This makes packing it as an overnighter easier, and makes it easy to see everything, too.
The custom buckle is CNC machined and looks like it’ll last forever. Might even be overkill, but it’s cool. And both the chest and waist straps are removable, with the former being position adjustable, too. The waist straps are part of the fanny pack, which has three pockets…one on either side, and a larger one in the middle/back that can be used to hide things while slid into the backpack, or for quick runabouts (works as a shoulder sling, too, if fanny packs ever *cough* go out of style). The should straps are adjustable at the top and bottom to balance your load, and there’s a semi-rigid insert inside the back panel so it keeps its shape while you’re loading it.
They’ve met their funding goal and a stretch goal (which adds an internal organizer for every backer), but you can still get one at a deal on their Kickstarter campaign page.
