I have been testing the new Berghaus Remote Hike 23l pack. It is sold in male and female fit and I have the F23 version. The pack looks to be an updated version of the Berghaus Remote Hike 35 rucksack, which I reviewed in 2022.
The new Berghaus Remote Hike 23 includes a new version of the brand’s Freeflow technology. It is lighter in weight and designed specifically for lighter loads and wiht a redcued price tag.
Features include:
Nylon fabric made from 100% recycled Seawastex®
Female specific harness (in women’s version)
Berghaus’ Freeflow technology
Chest and waist straps
Compression system for volume adjustment
External storage options, including expandable pleated front pocket, 2 x expandable side stash pockets, 2 x on-the-go chest pockets and 2 zipped belt pockets
YKK zip on main compartment
YKK zipped stash pocket
Compatible with a hydration bladder
One size
Weight: 900g
Colours: Yellow or black
Price: £110
Buy from: Berghaus and Amazon.
My thoughts: Berghaus Remote Hike F23 pack
First off, I really like the bright yellow colour. I have written about my reasons why more people should wear bright colours in the hills and mountains, rather than black, browns and dark greens. So, even if you are wearing darker coloured clothing, this rucksack will stand out brightly. (That’s if you buy the yellow and not the black version!)
The design is great. Berghaus has long made packs with excellent back systems. The Freeflow technology keeps the bulk of the pack off your back and allows for good air flow.
It’s great to have a female-specific fit, too. I am a slim woman and the pack fits nicely. There is plenty of adjustment at the waist and chest if you are larger, so the pack should fit a range of women.
The overall feel of the pack is good quality and it appears to be made with robust and durable materials. The clips, zips, elastic straps and pulls are all a good size. So many times with packs, it seems the designers have cut the size of clips etc to shave some weight off the pack but they end up being too small , fiddly to use and easily breakable. It’s good to see that while Berghaus has aimed for a lighter pack they have decided not to skimp on important design features.
Saying that, I would suggest that they could swap the external pockets for a stretchy mesh fabric. This would reduce the weight of the pack and make these pockets more useful.
I found that unless I used a large water bottle in a side pocket, things had a habit of falling out. The pockets are open at the top and side and while there is an elastic pull sat the side and top, this isn’t enough to keep items inside. I had a couple of soft water flasks with me and they fell out several times.
The larger external sleeve would be better in mesh as well, in my opinion, because mesh keeps things in place and also expands to accommodate more kit.
The waist-strap pockets are good and have zips but I wish one of them was large enough to stow my phone. I do have a large phone but, then, many other people do as well and there is nowhere on the front of the pack to place a phone.
I want to be able to stash and access my phone many times but I couldn’t find a place to keep the item. Instead, I placed the phone in the side pocket of my Flanci skort.
In contrast, the zipped pocket at the top of the pack is excellent. More packs seem to have these pockets and I find the really useful for important items such as my PLB, compass and van key.
There are also fairly useful on-the-go chest pockets but they could be a bit larger.
The pack can carry quite a lot of kit, or you can compress the volume with a couple of adjustor straps. There are also straps for carrying trekking poles.
Inside is one large compartment and a rear sleeve for a water bladder. The main compartment is accessed via a wide-opening zip. One issue is that you need to undo the side compression straps if you want to fully open the zip. This is a bit annoying.
The fabric of the pack is nylon, which is created entirely from recycled ocean waste, from clutch strings to other used oyster farm materials. This gives the pack a better environmental score.
Overall, the pack is worth considering if you need a summer hiking rucksack. There are plenty of useful storage areas and the pack feels lightweight for the size. I love the colour and fit, plus the back system is excellent. There are a few niggles but nothing to stop me recommending the product. The Berghaus Remote Hike F23 pack seems reasonably priced at £110.