Golite Rush 10L Pack

I stumbled across the 10L Rush pack by GOlite whilst trawling through the outdoor shops in Ambleside, with a very specific mental check list, on what I was looking for.

I wanted the pack for longer ultras and also long days during the winter where more layers would be required therefore more room to put them in than a waist pack. It had to meet the following criteria

• Bottle holders, 1 on each side. I don't get on with hydration 'bladders' and the ones I have used were a pain to refill and clean, also if I wanted two different drinks then with one bladder this isn't possible. Bottles are easier and quicker to fill, convenient to see how much you are drinking or how much fluid you have left and have numerous other benefits to me.
• Size up to about 12L, having a bigger pack would me to pack more gear than I actually need, I already have a 20 something litre Berghaus pack that I have had for years which is perfect for multi day but too big for a day out.
• Waist straps with pockets. Having had these on a previous pack they were great, incredibly convenient for storing either small snacks between checkpoints or the camera and phone for a long training run along with a bit of money for example.

Typical gear you could fit in to the pack!

They were the main things I needed, some added bonuses of this pack are; 

• An internal zip pocket to store something you need to keep easily accessible such as head torch or spare snacks. 
• The 2 bottle pockets are made of a stretchy fabric that keeps them from bouncing out and they can therefore also accommodate something other than bottles too such as your gloves/head torch/whatever. Very easy to access these unlike other packs where you need the most flexible shoulder in the world to even consider getting a drink. 
• There is a 3rd stretchy pocket in the centre at the back which is great for sliding a map into without crumpling it to death, or fit a small jacket. 
• There is a sleeve in the back of the pack which would take a bladder if you are that way inclined. 
• Fully adjustable straps including the height of the chest strap. You can even remove the waist strap and pockets if you wanted to. There is a strap that can compress the pack too if it is pretty empty, to prevent things flopping around inside.
• Built in whistle on the chest strap, often in mandatory kit check list.
• Elastic cord on the back, if the pack is full or perhaps for those good English days when the weather can't make its mind up, you can wrap your jacket onto the pack secured ready for quick access. 
• Reflective bits, might save you from being squished if you venture onto the roads at night. 

Snug fit, easy access to the bottles

That is a summary of the features I have discovered so far. It is comfortable to wear for long sessions even with just a t shirt, haven't had any problems with it rubbing. The straps have lots of adjustability to keep it stable and secure. It's big enough for the likes of Lakeland 100 where you need to be prepared for varied weather and might even be out for 24 hours! 

The pack is lightweight although I don't tend to worry about shaving off a few grams here and there so I haven't actually weighed it. On the GOlite website its 450g http://www.golite.com/Rush-10L-Pack-Unisex-P46809.aspx

There is a drain hole at the bottom of the pack (you could just about fit a headphone cable through it, and to test it I decided to cross some water, I had my gear in the pack inside one of the waterproof 'fold over and buckle' type dry bags and that remained dry and sure enough the water came out of the pack, I had never really needed to worry about that in any of the races I have done with it although the likes of some adventure races maybe it would be more of a benefit?

A typical day out, the pack in action!

The pack is pretty sturdy so far after 6 months and  has a good quality, solid build, as I've been scraping past rocks and sliding on my back down snow covered slopes along with a few odd scuffles here and there the pack is showing no signs of wear, although perhaps due for a wash!

I paid about £30 for it and it was the only pack I could find that met all my 'wants and needs'  I would definitely recommend you check it out or perhaps even some of the other packs in the range, if you are looking for a new one! I'd say it would be ideal for something like the lakeland 100 or an all day outing but I would be seriously impressed if anyone used it for a multi day event being only   12 litres!

Any questions or if there is anything I might have missed off feel free to drop a comment!