After four years, the upper pocket's zipper got caught somehow and got damaged in the process of trying to unhook it. After this incident, the zipper stopped functioning. I decided to cut out the pocket material and sew in the opening of the zipper. This worked great, but it did limit my use of the backpack, as I had to carry pens and the only pocket suitable for this was that one (putting pens in the inside pocket gets annoying because they are not as accessible). So, I ended up purchasing another Race X from MEC. I currently use both of them, but the main compartment zipper on the older one is starting to show signs of wear after five years, so I no longer stuff that one completely full like I used to. Overall, I carried more weight and volume in this backpack than ever intended, and it still lasted five years of heavy, daily use with almost (except for the top pocket zipper) no loss of performance due to wear and tear.
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| Sewed in pocket and mesh shoulder strap |
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| Inside pockets |
The main reason I like this backpack so much is that it packs unbelievably efficiently due to its shape. As a result, the 12L capacity can fit a lot more than other backpacks I've used, so one can easily downsize from their previous backpack when switching to this model - which I did.
I often carried a lot more stuff in this backpack than a normal person would, and it holds its shape exceptionally well even when stuffed full of heavy cargo. The other limiting factor is the zippers for such endevours, but the zippers on this product held up every time even when I thought it would burst open because it was so full.
The main material of this backpack (ripstop nylon) is extremely durable, yet light and thin. I have fallen with this backpack and slid on rocks, yet the material was left undamaged every time.
I find the weight of this backpack to be excellent too, given the amount of comfort features. The Airstripe system on the back is very effective at distributing the pressure evenly in an ergonomic manner on one's back. An implication of this feature is that it offsets the backpack from the back of the user. This enables the user to carry sharp objects because, even if they stick out in the back, they will not reach the user's back. Additionally, this offset feature allows for better ventilation of the back, which is a nice comfort feature.
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| Airstripe back supports |
The shoulder straps are very comfortable even when loaded with heavy weight due to the flexible mesh material and its width. This material also proved to be very durable despite its flimsy look. The waist and chest belts are good as well, but they are pretty standard style.
The rain cover is another excellent feature, which I made good use of in the Vancouver rain. It is stored in a separate pocket (zipper accessible) at the bottom of the pack. It wraps around the backpack snugly; side reinforcement of the pack provides an edge for it to wrap around, which makes this a exceptionally effective design.
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| Raincover viewed from the front |
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| Raincover viewed from the back |
Another neat feature is the reflective hook on the back: this can be used to hook a rear bike light onto it for added visibility in the dark.
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| Reflective hook for rear light attachment |
Compared to my Deuter Trans Alpine 30, the Race X is much more efficient in every way. In fact, I bought the Trans Alpine to use on days when I have to carry a lot of cargo, thinking that it will eliminate the need to have to use the brute force method of packing my Race X. However, after having owned the Trans Alpine for two years, I find myself barely using it because its so much more cumbersome while biking, that I usually just squeeze everything into my Race X. Regarding the difference in capacity of the Trans Alpine and Race X, the specifications state 12 and 30L. However, I find that the Trans Alpine, due to its singular, huge compartment, does not pack as efficiently as the Race X. If I had to guess, I would say that the difference in volume is less than two-fold - not even close to 2.5 - as the specifications suggest.
