The Lone Pine is a luxuriously soft, minimalist hydration pack. It’s designed to take 2L of water, via the excellent Hydrapak bladder, but also have enough space for a spare windbreaker, energy gels, tools and so on.
The pack is very light and, while it will hold heavier items, you wouldn’t want anything sharp in there for fear of puncturing something. We like the height adjustable sternum strap, which helps with fit and stability and we rate as fair. There’s a Lycra top to the outer pocket that helps prevent stuffed-in items bouncing out.
The back panel split opinion – some testers found it very comfortable, while others thought the vertical ribs sat rather prominently. This is one to suit the racers, we think, or riders who aren’t planning on needing to stop. We’d like side pouches, but it’s still a good pack for singletrack sessions.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.