Video | Gallery
I got to know the BACH brand on an Nyomtalan út kalandtúrán adventure tour - I'm not proud of it, but I hadn't even heard of it before! One of my hiking companions had a very interesting backpack, which immediately piqued my interest, and I examined it at the first opportunity. I got such a good impression of him there in the middle of the forest that I decided I had to get a bag like that. I did not look at the tested piece (Daydream 50), but the BACH Specialist 75 that best suits my purposes.
What was I looking for a backpack for? Primarily for my activity when I take (young) teenagers on multi-day adventure tours and in such cases I carry a lot more things with me than if I went hiking with adults (or by myself).
That is, I wanted a strong, resistant, easy-to-pack, comfortable hiking bag even with a heavy weight, since I have a large military bag. I will talk about this separately...
One of the outstanding features of the bag is the first opening, which runs the entire length of the bag from the bottom to the top, with a strong two-way zipper. Everything is immediately transparent and available. I have loved bags with this opening for years, they simply make packing and organizing orders of magnitude easier.
Another special feature of the bag (very important to me, which most hiking bags don't even come close to) is the really strong, resistant 1000D Cordura material. You can really feel immediately, at the first touch (I have a lot of experience with this), that the BACH Specialist 75 is made of real bush material.
This material is typical for the most professional strapa bags. All other details are also professional individually, I will of course cover them.
Despite the material, the weight of the bag is only 2.36 kg ("Regular" size - there is also a "Long" extended version). Which, of course, is not in the ultra-light category, but it is not heavier than most hiking bags, even though it is much more robust and stronger than them. How can this be?
First impressions
The design, material and design of the BACH Specialist 75 are definitely unusual among hiking bags. I already "loved" this in him, because that's why I chose him. When I opened the package, I was not disappointed, everything was as expected! It has a really nice green color, which is not military green, but rather belongs on a painter's palette. It is aesthetic in every way and invites you to nature and the road even at first hand.
The "second first impression" is favorable for me, but it might not be the same for everyone: the waistband is particularly strong, stiff and not too long. This indicates to me that the designer knew that more of the load would be on the waist and less on the shoulder straps. My number "not too long" is important because lately I have come across many bags that were designed in such a way that they almost reached around me, and the buckle didn't fit very well either - so I couldn't adjust it properly. At the same time, the good news is that if you need a larger waist size, you can solve this with the replaceable waistband (you can order it in advance).
All buckles, zippers, straps and straps were in the right place, easy to use and made of very good quality materials. They almost pamper the hiker that there will be no problem with them... but that would be normal.
I apologize in advance that during the nearly 400 km traveled so far, there were really no problems, and in fact, new positive realizations were made about the bag, whether I was on a multi-day adventure trip with the children, or I was backpacking as a training session.
Materials, design
Recycled materials (buckles, straps, lining materials). This is already a big positive, but not only the idea, but also the execution! The material of the bag is 1000D Cordura (probably the non-recycled part), which, in addition to being strong, resistant, yet flexible, has a pleasant touch. It is not brittle, it is not rigid, its strength lies in its resistance. I put this to the test on summer bush walks, and I was not disappointed.
YKK zippers, with sufficiently large and easy-to-handle pull rods, which are easy to grip with gloves on.
BACH's own buckles, which meet particularly high quality requirements based on previous use.
Unusual for a bag of this size and weight, the shoulder strap straps and everything else are 2mm wide, not the usual 25mm. This obviously means a reduction in weight, but at the same time, due to the excellent quality of the straps, it does not essentially weaken the load capacity (it doesn't matter if the load capacity is 150 or 200 kg, you won't be carrying more than 50-60 kg, even if you are a soldier).
The back of the bag is a bit unusual, but with a well-thought-out design, the company has created a well-ventilated, sufficiently supportive and maximally comfortable suspension but at the same time, it will be difficult to access the height adjustment of the shoulder straps and it is somewhat difficult to handle. Since you'll rarely claim this, it's not that big of a problem, but it's annoying nonetheless.
Details
Specification
Size: height 60 cm (R), 63 cm (L)
Volume: 75 liter
Weight: 2360 gr (R), 2460 gr (L)
Materials: 1000D CORDURA, YKK, BACH buckles and straps
The BACH Specialist 75 is remarkably light for its durability and volume. This backpack is made for long tours with a 4-season design and a very comfortable carrying system.
The first opening is incredibly convenient, the full-length opening front side makes everything immediately available, you can arrange in seconds what is cumbersome and takes longer in the case of traditional bags. The zipper is equipped with straps so that you can easily hold it even when wearing gloves, and you can close it with a safety buckle at the top to prevent it from accidentally opening.
Anyway, this never happened without the closure, even though I tested it while running with a heavy weight, to see if I would scatter my belongings in the forest. But no... it's good if you use it, Murphy lurks in every bush.
Thanks to the elastic side pockets and various innovative adjustable attachment points, you can easily reach, adjust and expand everything.
I especially like that the position and height of the side and front cross straps (which can be used to fix external suspensions or to tighten the bag) can be adjusted. This somewhat models the MOLLE system of military bags, but with reduced costs in terms of weight and material. The price of this is a decrease in stability, but the designers did not design it for military use. By default, there are 2 straps each on both sides and in the front (classic hiking bag layout), but you can get additional ones afterwards if you need them. Or you can make your own.
A very useful little thing is that the top opening of the bag - because of course you can also pack it from above - has been equipped with a very innovative closing system, which you can close and even open with one hand (even with gloves)!
The company also provides a very nice description of how to set up the backpacks. Of course, what is described there applies not only to BACH bags.
Summary
+ liked
-
Front opening with two-way zipper.
-
1000D Cordura, light, strong, practical.
-
Strap adjustment options.
-
Waistband - it looks like it was designed by someone who regularly goes off-road.
-
Removable top lid.
-
Design of pockets on the lid.
-
One-handed closing ring in the upper part of the bag.
-
Rain cover.
- disliked
-
Setting the back height is cumbersome and not well thought out. It's true that if you set it right once, you don't need to adjust it regularly afterwards, but "once" could be more practical.
-
The removable cover does not ensure that you can use it as a small bag or waist bag (of course, you can buy a strap separately).
* proposal
-
A carrying strap at the front or bottom of the bag would help a lot in carrying, either in the field or while traveling. This is typical for military bags, but it has also appeared on some hiking bags.
-
Inner compartment, pocket, in which you can put small things that are rarely used, but you don't want them to get lost among larger packages. These are typically placed in the bottom of the bag (e.g. there are several in the Mardingtop 70 bag).
Extras
One of the big advantages of the removable top lid is that you don't have to turn it over for convenient access to the backpack, which is often a headache in tight spaces or thick bushes.
The two outer pockets of the lid have a unique design, because you can open them from above, i.e. it is much more difficult for anything to fall out of them, and it is easier to search in them in the dark. Both solutions are very convenient when traveling by train or bus.
You can easily remove the waist strap, making it easier to transport on vehicles.
The outlet opening of the drinking bag is large enough, so you don't have to mess with straining the tube with a thicker end (e.g. equipped with a cap). Unfortunately, this is an unnecessary and annoying pastime for many bags.
A small but important extra is that you can easily change and move not only the large (side and front) straps, but also the "smaller" ones, such as the strap for the hiking stick or ice ax, which you can find at the front of the bag.
Finally, the hidden and rarely used special feature: the rain cover has a bottom outlet opening (water does not collect at the bottom, which inevitably happens in heavy downpours) and there is a small rubber strap with which you can attach it to the bag much easier and faster than usual, so that a Do not tear it off the backpack in a storm. This is a very big red dot!
Recommendation
I recommend it to you primarily if you like to hike in wilder, more difficult conditions and it is not a problem if your equipment is heavier or larger. Or - like me - due to the circumstances, you have to carry a heavier load, in more extreme conditions. But you will also find your solution if you are looking for a very durable and yet extremely comfortable, practical bag.
Based on my experience so far, I can safely recommend it even if you do bushcraft, because the BACH Specialist 75 bag fits everything you might need in the wilderness. In addition, you don't have to pack a lot to make it comfortable, but if you need to take on extra loads during the trip, that's no problem either (e.g. stones, trees, plants...).
I do not recommend it if you are a hiker with a minimalist approach, because although the durability of a piece of equipment may be important, this bag strongly approaches the "other side", with its material and design (e.g. the sponging of the waist strap and back strap is also designed for heavier loads, so themselves are more difficult than a UL hiker would accept).
Technical summary 4.84
Weight |
4 |
2.36 kg - not much compared to the quality, materials and design, but we are talking about a hiking bag |
|||||
Material |
5 |
1000D Cordura, YKK, BACH - the highest quality |
|||||
Manageability |
5 | easy to handle in every detail | |||||
Durability |
5 | there would be an extra point for that! | |||||
Suspension |
5 |
it is difficult to adjust - this could be a minus point, but due to the design it is worth an extra point, so the max. score |
|||||
Top part |
5 |
top opening for both pockets, which is very convenient and safe |
|||||
Middle Compartment(s) |
5 | first opening, easy to use, spacious, maximum packable | |||||
Side pockets |
5 |
large and strong, flexible side pockets |
|||||
Organizers |
4 |
easy to pack, the drink bag holder is good, but 1-2 small-medium compartments are missing in the large interior |
|||||
Straps |
5 | the extra point goes here too | |||||
Details |
5 |
drinking bag outlet, narrowing and carrying straps, reinforced lower part |
|||||
Rain cover |
5 |
very good material, accurate size, excellent fastening |
|||||
Extras |
5 | removable waist strap, replaceable belt pocket, large zipper tabs | |||||
Total score |
4.84 |
Free Joomla Lightbox Gallery