This is an all new model, the Ultra waist pouch. It says 4 litres on the swing tag, but it’s got to be more than that. I’ll get some European Standard chickpeas and work it out with those and a B&Q bucket.
The Ultra will work as a stand alone piece, it will attach via buckles to the OMM Last Drop to make a modular carrying system and will also stow away inside (or indeed attach if it’s an OMM pack, ever wondered what the extra buckles are for under the lid? They were thinking ahead) your backpacking sack to be whipped out for the run along the ridge at dusk to bag the next summit (you can see what I’m planning here…).
It’s loaded with features. Inside we have mesh pockets to divide up the space, the main zip here has an emergency whistle on one of the zip pullers. The top has a bungee for stashing your waterproof. The hip fins have pockets, one elastic toppped, one zipped for security and the waist belt webbing is sensibly wide for stability and comfort. You’ll see above there’s a water bottle pocket. This has a bungee to cinch in the opening and keep your bottle where you want it, not rolling down the side of the South Glen Shiel Ridge, I realise that might just be specific to me. It’s interesting how one incident becomes the focus of worries for evemore. The bottle incidentally is a new OMM & SIS design, it’s narrow and easy to grip. It comes with the Ultra and will be available separately as well.
The lumbar pad is not sewn on all round and acts as a tunnel pocket. A map fits it it nae bother, as does my Oz Pullover. I’ll be happy using this on lightweight hills days as well as quick gad abouts, there’s plenty room for all your stuff. Weight is good at 200g.
I’ll be field testing the new OMM kit imminently and there will be more to say I’m sure.
I just asked on your page for Terra Nova’s new pack about their waist pack then I thought of this, have you had the ultra waist pouch out yet?
Aye, we crossed comments there…
It’s good, I’ve used it a fair bit. The wee hip pockets are handy and the bottle pocket is properly accessible.
It attaches to your other OMM kit as well.
We’ll have to have a show and tell meet at some point so you can see stuff!
Aye we will that!
Was oot for a quick wee jaunt to a bothy (Minch Moor) with Gordy last night then this morning we went up to the summit leaving the rucksacks and stuff in the bothy. It would’ve been handy having a “summit bag” for cameras, drinks, windproofs etc.
Oh aye, that was the first time I’ve used the Villain for real. I deliberately loaded it right up to test it, I had way more weight in it than I took on the WHW and it was still very comfy and stable. Extremely happy with it, I wish I had discovered OMM years ago. They’re fast becoming my fave outdoor brand.
Good call! I haven’t had my Villain on a trip since June or July I think. It is indeed time to get it and me out there.
Thats an inmpressive pic PTC*, where be that?
That was taken at 7am-ish approaching the summit of Mullach Fraoch Coire between Glen Affric and Loch Cluanie few months back. We camped on that top above my head.
This year has had some great trips.
More to come I hope!
Wee question for you, thinking of buying the missus the Ultra waist pouch for a gift for her long runs as she is training for Edinburgh Marathon, but she is quite slim waisted and I wondered how it would work on girl’s waists. Any thoughts? She’s borrowing my Lowe Alpine one just now and seems to quite like it.
on a similar note, got my entry in for the LAMM this year and as my gear has got smaller, I bought myself an Adventure Light last week and raced straight home to see if it took my MM gear. It did no bother. My 30l MM sac will still get used for non-racing overnighters, but the Adventure Light is the new race sack of choice! Its spot on and I expect to see the majority of folks using them on these events before long.
cheers
Del
That is a very good question, because the only issue has been a good fit on slimmer folk.
It’s best to try one on if you can get a hold of one, as it is a good bit of kit.
The next batch will be tweaked a bit.
The Advenrure Light is a great wee pack, I’ve used mine loads, capacity and comfort are just right, and those angled bottle pockets are brilliant.
Hi Pete,
I need a bumbag for work to quickly nip up paths to inspect them, though by quickly i might be gone a few hours on the flat. i need to carry a drink, a bar of something, maybe hat gloves and waterproof and a compact camera, small screwdriver and a few waymarker discs.
Would you recommend a OMM Ultra pouch 6L or a Inov-8 Race Elite 3 or Race Pro 4? I have to admit to being a bit lazy when it comes to hydration systems and would maybe use a bottle from home if i can secure it rather than fill up a bladder.
I did also consider some Deuter bum bags and the Osprey Talon 4 but couldn’t see that they offered anything more.
What d’ya think?
Regards
Bar.
The OMM is a good size for bits and pieces, but the bottle holder is optomised for the slimmer OMM bottle. But, can get a Camelbak 750ml bottle in there, and a 800ml Clean Kanteen.
If you’re slim, under 30″ waist you mind have trouble getting it tight as the original version (don’t know if it’s been updated) didn’t fit smaller folk.
Don’t know the others I’m afraid, I think the only one I’ve had a close look at have been the Haglofs ones.
Bumbags have to be just-so or they’re a nightmare to use.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for the info.
I am, due to actually exercising these days, plus a bit of stress, a 29-30 inch waist with no ass to speak of – so i think i might have trouble keeping a loaded OMM pouch above my knees!
I’m liking the Inov-8 options but i might find out on friday that my job is going so i’ve decided as it is a work-oriented purchase, to hold off an see.
Cheers
Bar.
Pete,
I need some boot advice. after my technicals event jacket wetting out on Sunday (i already plan to replace it long term with the new montane venture when funds can be counted upon), both my boots got soaked today. they are a brasher fabric goretex boot (not sure of name) and asolo flame goretex boots. they are used day i day out with precious little drying time and it seems to have killed them both double quick.
this time of the year work sees me traipsing along overgrown, wet paths and heavy, clay fields and byways. i would wear wellies but basic ones are (my works issue) are too big, unnecessarily steel toe capped, heavy, solid of sole and uncomfortable for anything other than a path or two.
today i was inspecting paths from 8:20 to 5:00, almost solid walking (on the flat) and all in the wet. in no time the boots had soaked through and so had the socks. a change of boots and socks saw the process repeated in minutes. i never used to have problems on holiday in the peaks or lakes but back in north essex, on wet grass, clay and rutted, partly flooded byways my boots aren’t lasting.
despite uncertainty at work i will have to buy a new pair as these two won’t dry and i’m not going to ruin my nike goretex approach shoes on ploughed, soaking wet fields. so tomorrow it is too big wellies, blisters and aching legs until i have enough and head to the office.
any recommendations for a boot that will last and can cope with the above. the are no mountains in essex (massive understatement) but there is some seriously slippy clay surface that i can’t always keep an eye on while i’m dodging brambles and rabbit holes.
any advice much appreciated. waterproof boots and jackets are my biggest money pit (after the bloody car).
Cheers
Bar.
Bar.,
Hope you don’t mind me chipping in here? I cover a fair mileage on river banks, after trout, in very similar conditions to those you describe. I have problem feet & after 40 years on mountains am still searching for really comfortable & waterproof hillwalking boots. I suspect that if your boots are permanently wet from constant use any membrane will fail very rapidly, whatever the quality.
I’m not a fan of waterproof socks but they may be an option combined with a separate quick-drying non-waterproof boot/shoe.
However, I’ve solved my walking-while-fishing problem with “wellies designed for walking”. I use the Aigle Parcours knee length, which are light, comfortable, supportive, well padded underfoot & have a quality, grippy sole. (Le Chameau do similar models.) I’m genuinely more comfortable after a long day on the river in these than when I’m on the hill in walking boots. For walking in they’re a world apart from your standard wellies & cost about £70 for the standard model(try The Welly Shop website). My only reservation is the narrow leg, but they’re also available with a side gusset if your calves are muscled from all that walking!
Hi thinkgreysky,
don’t mind at all, thanks for the help. today was waddling along in dunlop steel-toe cap wellies and not much got done as a result.
odd that you mentioned Aigle Parcoursas i had started searching ‘wellies you can walk in’ late last night and came up with hunters, aigles and, more recently, mucky boots. i share your waterproof socks doubt, mainly because, cost-wise i would only be able to buy one pair or two and have to re-use them – not nice. i also think sodden boots would still cause problems even if my feet stayed dry. the walking wellies have gripped the imagination though, but the costs surprised me hence looking at the £40-odd mucky boots. i think i need to find local stockists to check size and fit before buying online so cheers for the well shop suggestion. the really do sound the answer and a farmer at work (he’s our trojan horse) mentioned le chameau and had heard of aigle. i spent part of today alongside fishing beds near Leez Priory and i strongly suspect the Aigles’ would have been ideal.
thanks again for the suggestion it should mean i can salvage the asolos for mountain/holiday/summer use and might mean i like my job again for as long as it’s mine anyway.
Bar.
Sorry about the radio silence, I’ve been backpacking around Assynt :o)
A couple of things come to mind here, the Superfabric option. A few folk use it on their boot upper and it’s genuinely bomb/bullet/blade proof, has no water absorbtion no speak of so no wetting out and the breathabilirty is good.
But, it’s hideously expensive stuff.
Now, after visiting Berghaus last week an old solution has come to mind, what about Yeti Gaiters? They might not look too sexy, but will protect the boot, your trousers and even if the liner in your boot goes you’ll still stay dry, so could just fit them to old boots and carry on regardless.
Thanks Pete for the suggestion. I’m in an awkward position now as it seems almost certain that my job is going. Some talk of employment until March but not certain. I;m going to try and order something through work so that i’m not shelling out for something that, at the moment, only they will benefit from. Failing that i’m not sure but the answers are appreciated fro future reference.
Regards
Bar.
Bummer, I hope things work out okay. Troubled times, I’m pleased every time the phones rings during office hours right now.
Cheers Pete,
Apparently people are trying one last ditch attempt on my behalf but i can’t afford to get my hopes up again. the council restructure has ben full of misinformation.
i went at looked at wellies today anyway. might not buy, but looked. my boss said to try and order some boots through work but not sure how far that notion will get! no sense in having wet feet for however long i’ve got in the job though.
the muck boots tay had the biggest heel and sole i have ever experienced – i felt tall! (ish) and winter-proof. the hunter classics were disturbingly jack boot-ish and i felt as if i should be marching off somewhere – Poland, for example. once i know more at work or if it tips down i may go French and have a last hurrah on Le Chameau All tracks. they’re as soft as washing-up gloves (although i’m too manly to use them) i swear! good sole as well. never shopped in ernest doe for outdoors gear before. still, beats go outdoors ;)
Bar.
Joycee gets some decent gear through her work as she goes outdoors quite a lot. They use the same folk as I do, Arco.
Some wellies are pretty good, compression straps for a better fit and proper soles. The one’s I used to buy for apprentices were £4 a pair though :o)
Hey, if farmers walk all over the hills their whole lives in wellies we couild be missing a trick!
Something else you can do with an Ultra Belt.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/britner/29052010335.jpg
That’s my dog walking set up for a day in the hills.
Just a further option for Bar., gained from this weeks Lakes trip. Tyson’s in Ambleside are still selling Nokia Trimmi shin-high walking wellies from Finland for £59.95. http://www.fwtyson.co.uk/ (Incidentally how does one achieve click on access as in Ant’s post above?)
Not seen these for years. Is there a reason for that, I wonder?
How do you mean “click on access”?
Sorry Ant, I wasn’t very clear there! I was intending to ask the format I should use to insert a web address so that it allows the site to be accessed by simply clicking on the address within my message (i.e. without having to go via Google). Looking at my previous message I see that the web address appears in green, so whatever I did inadvertently produced the required result. Doh!
you just need to copy and paste the text in your browsers address bar.
If the link is very long like
http:/www.thisisnotawebsite.com/thislinkmayworkbutwonttakeyouanywhereyouarewelcometotrythough
you can use http://tinyurl.com/ to shorten it if nessersary
As long as you have the “http://” before the address it’ll work.
Thanks guys for all the help.
A fisherman friend at work (hold on?) recommended skee-tex boots made here in Essex and as worn by Ranulph Feines but they look a bit like something your granny would wear.
So in the end i took a leap of faith, assumed that if i can’t stay in PRoW work that i can find something similar and ordered a pair of Aigle Parcours. They’re bronze but apparently that means dark green – a relief as i had visions of looking like an extra from red dwarf or blake’s seven.
if i end stoney broke or working in an office all day i may end up having to use them as walking boots to justify this ;)
I think Pete might be right about farmers as they and field sports people seem to have loads of gear made for them (any colour so longs as it’s green or camo). bloomin’ expensive though – i’ll be sticking to rab and montane when next i can afford to.
Cheers
Bar.
Hope they work as well for you as they do for me.
OK pricey, but think how much longer your hill boots will last now you’re finally able to dry them out & give them a good dose of TLC.
There’s nothing wrong with Rab & Montane gear!
That’s a badass dog collar up there.
I’ve been by that shop in Ambleside a thousand time, next time I’m going in to see those wellies.
I want bronze wellies! That’s because I do want to look like an extra from Blake’s 7 though.
Cheers thinkgreysky i’v just heard they’ve been dispatched so hopefully they’ll get to me before the rain does! i tried on some Le Chameau All Tracks (1 size too small) and was impressed so the Aigle’s should be perfect.
Pete, you’ll have to spray them. that said, in my recent wellie search it appears that green or black is no longer enough choice. you might well find silver and, now i’ll tempt ya, orange and purple are certs!
Ah Blake’s 7 – be a while before haglofs produce velour soft shells though – the servelan women’s range maybe?
Bar.
Jeez, that’s bringing a few memories back. Servalan, always in white with the striking short hair, made quite an impression on me…
Never trusted Avon, shifty bugger he was.
Yes an villa would nick anything that wasn’t bolted down. Come to think of it Orac was a bit shifty! not alone on the Servalan thing though – ahem.
Arrived home late tonight to find my Aigles had arrived (only ordered Sunday night) and very nice they look too. Having trudged in dunlops today and got knee ache and gone through the heel of a pair of walking socks and earned a blister, i can’t wait to try them tomorrow. The bronze is, alas, a very dark, but slightly shiny, green.
Bar.
There’s a lot of “bronze green” outdoor kit, “verdigris” is another one.
Proper bronze? I’d bet they’d call it desert sunrise or some bloody thing.
One brand I know well are still waiting to annouce their new range because they can’t think or non-ridiculous names for the colours…
They should run a competition for daft names. i might even enter! discovered my Aigles, while very nice, need one of those footbed, insole thingys to be complete. although not ‘bronze’ as such, it is quite a dark metallicy green – robofarmer?
Bar.
Don’t say robofarmer, if Holly hears that she’ll go daft, she’s obsessed by robots and farms so it’s like her dream character, which I would then have to go and either find in a shop or make her one out of PlayDoh!
hi Pete,
I’m now back on the bumbag/shoulder bag (that bit’s new) hunt after remaining in my job and in anticipation of lots of surveys and inspections of public rights of way in as minimal a fashion as i can. i slim getting skinnier so i’m almost certainly giving OMM the swerve and have gone off Inov8’s options as i don’t want a hydration bladder option. in fact, i am now leaning towards a Maxpedition fat boy or a Haglofs guidebag, probably in medium. have you seen one of those at all on your trips to haglof’s grotto?
it looks like a student bag for wandering around museums in europe but is apparently waterproof and tough and it seems to have well thought out pockets. i have to carry a gps, 2xmobile, camera, assorted waymarker discs, o/s map, definitive map, screwdriver, water bottle/s, insect spray, bite cream, food bars, waterproof/wind top, hat etc. sometimes i can carry less and it ‘seems’ like the fatboy, and so maybe also the more urban-looking guidebag, are comfortable for day-long use and would release me from my rucksack and make the gear more accessible. i think i was being a bit hopeful with a bumbag notion maybe.
one thing about the guidebag. i just can’t find it anywhere. ‘pack your bags’ and ‘outdoorkit’ both show out of stock. such a pain to get sometimes the good stuff.
Bar.
Can’t remember the Guidebag from seeing the product ranges, but good to hear things are looking good work wise!
The closest I’ve got is the Haglofs Courier bag which I use all the time, bomber fabric and you can carry it on your shoulder or wear it side-saddle with a waist strap.
Going to be difficlu to get bsomething every-day tough. What you’ll be doing will show up any weaknesses in a bit of kit.
true, the more i look at the haglofs the more i see that it isn’t really intended for what i have in mine. a few snags on brambles as i burst through a hedge that’s obstructing a right of way and i’ll probably ruin it – or leave it behind! ;)
cheers re the job, it was a massive relief. just to got to find out how my girlfriend’s going to be affected by it all now before we can breathe a sigh of relief until the next restructure – so that’ll be a short sigh most likely.
i am sorely tempted by the Maxpedition bag, though it could be that my army surplus austrian army shoulder bag (i always thought i should of used it more, but it’s basically a one compartment bag with an unpadded strap) may be influencing me.
in a totally different area, i’ve updated my work’s craghopper sack-like kiwis (complete with breakable zips) with some on sale Rab treklite pants and some Rohan epic bags (retro, or what?). we’ll see how they fair in the work test, too.
Bar.
ps i’m off to look at haglofs courier bags just in case.
Joycee works for the council and they’re in the middle of cuts-turmoil too, not a good time for us regular folks is it.
Maxpedition or army surplus might be the way to go, TNF made a tough big-capacity bumbag in cordura with two bottle holders at one point, but ebay’s the only place for that now.
Ha, I just looked and there’s one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/North-Face-Black-Nylon-Fanny-Pack-/170596462827?pt=US_CSA_MWA_Backpacks&hash=item27b85770eb
I shall have a think.
You’ll both know all about the goings on then – yes, a bit grim really. i wish you both well with the outcome of that. We’ve seen good decisions and bad ones here but i worry that the politicians running our council are tripping over themselves to show they are making cuts. Until their posh cars fall into a pothole that is ;)
Thanks re TNF, i also found http://uk.thenorthface.com/tnf-uk-en/activity/trek-travel/equipment/daypacks/sport-hiker.html#item=sport_hiker_2 which is maybe a bit similar? 9 litres for a bumbag sounds trouser falling down capacity to me even though it has a shoulder strap of sorts so i find myself leaning towards a maxpedition.
the pain is (ain’t it always?) that they do a fair few models and no one ticks the boxes re price, size and features. the little one, the fatboy, has a neat water resistant draw cord thing but is maybe too small to carry that much, but price-wise and wearing (size-wise) is good. the larger, the ‘jumbo’ has a neat water bottle holder, the same draw cord affair, tonnes of colours, good capacity (could actually fit more than just a tightly rolled litespeed in this) but is bigger to carry (fairly conscious) and not cheap. There’s a cheaper jumbo variant, the ‘k.i.s.s.’ but this lacks the draw cord to keep water out and gear in. there’s also another make but it’s much like the k.i.s.s. in that you have no cinch cord to keep water at bay and lose the pockets of the jumbo.
they all have molle (this was new to me) attachment points and various useful (or not) pockets and pouches you can add. that said, i don’t want to look like i’m poaching or a soldier and these pouches (though one might be nice are bloody dear). all the bags have a concealed weapon pocket. i found this a bit off-putting to say the least as it would be a banana or cereal bar i’d have in mine; and that might get squashed. i concluded though that mad americans and their toys aside, it would make a fair pocket for waymaker discs and a screwdriver.
here’s the eye candy and yes… that is orange. depending on bag and cheapest retailer, i have dithered between black (a bit too suspicious looking?), green, foliage green (nice and non-military green look to it) and… orange. khaki isn’t too bad but a tad to desert for the footpaths, bridleways and byways i’ll be treading. of course, i’ll have to hide it when i get back to the office in case i get labelled as having a ‘man bag.’ :(
It’s big, a bit dear, named after an elephant and it’s orange: http://www.opticsplanet.net/maxpedition-jumbo-versipack-sling-pack-jumbo-versipack-0412.html
as above from the uk – you could buy a rucksack for that! http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/maxpedition/jumbo_versipack.html
Boy scout satchel anyone? it’s okay though. it also comes in black or khaki. no doubt lets in water and my gear out though. http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?P_ID=5630
very similar by 5.11 (last train to somewhere?). as above re water i think. http://www.511tactical.com/All-Products/Bags-Backpacks/PUSH-Pack.html#pr-header-56037
This looks less weighty, has the neat cinch cord arrangement and is cheaper but… probably get b-all in it. http://www.bronzemoonoutdoors.co.uk/online-shop/maxpedition-fatboy-versipack
My retinas and imagined capacity needs say foliage green jumbo. my sweet tooth says orange jumbo. my self and cost-conscious walker says og fatboy and take less or black K.I.S.S. and mini dry sack. my brain says, ‘why are you doing this to me?’
Any thoughts?
Bar.
Hmm.
That TNF sport hiker will never look that smoothly packed in real life!
The first Maxpedition model does look good, looks like it would be stable as well. That 40mm buckle to hold the flap down is just for looks though :o)
The K.I.S.S. version still has a bottle pocket and while the other ones look simple and maybe a bit more subtle, they don’t seem to have the bottle pocket.
It’sa tough one isn’t it, you won’t know how it feels and performs until you’re loaded up and out in the field.
The orange one as well as looking cool looks like industrila equipment too.
I’ve just been on ebay and there’s a bunch of Maxpedition on there, wee pockets that might be good on my pocketless Alpiniste pack. You’ve started me off here.
Hi Pete
i knew the orange would catch your eye. it’s holding mine a bit.
the jumbo also has a water bottle pocket but you can fold it flat when not in use. i had a look on ebay and american sellers aside (cheap prices but extortionate postage) it is a bit cheaper from web retailers.
i agree re tnf bum bag. it will end up like a lumpy spare tire round my waist and cause a trouser malfunction. i wish they would concentrate less on the ‘concealed weapon’ aspect which is bananas to me and go more subtle, lightweight and walker. not too walker though, it’s good to be different.
the orange one might attract flies in summer (hi-viz seems to do that) but it does remove the military aspect. the greyed out foliage green one, too. i just worry that when it arrives it would be massive. i’ve looked at the dimensions and loads of photos but as you said, until you get in on you…
jumbo buyers appear to say, if you’re thinking it will be too big, don’t – it’s just enough. but those with both do say that bigger means more awkward. there’s a £19 ebay fatboy advertised as a jumbo so i might go for that so there’s less pain if i get it wrong. i think i’d miss the water bottle and extra capacity though. Bugger!
totally agree with you on the useful pouches and pockets. there’s seem rolls royce though in terms of costs so a search for molle or webbing pouches should produce british-made ones at a lower price. i might have to look at that as well. i went on a college study tour to snowdonia once and one of the lads wore a webbing system instead of a rucksack. he seemed happy enough, though it did look odd. perhaps people thought us civilians were his prisoners? he had a pocket for everything though i never got the chance to see how much he’d weighed himself down.
Bar.
Tough to make a choice with such a left-field bit of kit, Karrimor made similar things aboput ten years ago, sold well in Japan?!
Whatever you get, I want photies of it loaded up!
Inov8 make nice bottle holsters that might fit on the shoulder strap. The hold the bottles too so when you take your pack off the bottle doesn’t fall out.
Hi Pete,
I showed a fellow PRoW Officer today to get a 2nd opinion on whether it would work for us and he was quite impressed. general impression was that the fatboy would be just abotu okay but that the jumbo was too large and unwieldy for the time we spend walking. so i think that if anything it’ll be the fatboy even if it doesn’t end up getting autumn/winter usage because it won’t take enough spare clothes.
i wil of course find a way to upload some photos if i get one and give an after use appraisal. i can’t help thinking that the concept given an ultralight or walking oriented makeover (did i just use the word ‘makeover’ on what is a basically a man bag?) would be a winner. all that said, my girlfriend hasn’t seen it yet and she may laugh me out of town. she described my newest merino wool beanie (a blue rab one) as looking like a cat’s a***. unsurprisingly the chocolate fish ones saw more use after that. speaking of which, i can’t praise them enough (got one of each weight) and only wish i could afford/justify some of their other stuff to go with the beanies and neck gaiter.
would also like to quickly recommend my rab treklite pants. a word of warning though, they’re a bit shiny. i blathered to my girlfriend about them being softshell when she asked if they were waterproof. she mentioned shell-suits and now i can’t get 80s liverpool footie fan gear out of my head. she has since said they look okay and besides; they’re light, comfortable and seem to be very well made.
Bar.
ps i like the look of those inov-8 bottles and holders. been thinking for a while that i should own something inov-8 and that would add a bottle to the fatboy option, hmmmm.
Soft shell/ shell suit, now you bring it up they don’t seem so far apart…
Chocolate Fish is great, it’s the fabric that makes the difference. I’ve been wearing it every day this week working in a freezing factory unit wrestling 1960’s pipework.
The bottle holders are really handy, I’ve used them on a few different packs, I’ll do a close-up on them on here, it’s long overdue.
Man bag :o)