I got the Salomon XA 25L pack a couple of months ago.
I’ve had a chance to test it out on a handful 2-3 day fastpacking trips
and it has quickly become my favourite pack for my fast and light overnight adventures.
In this video, I'm going to tell you what Iove about the pack as well as its drawbacks.
I'd been using the Salomon S-Lab Peak 20 for the past couple of years
which is actually a 22L pack, and it has served me amazingly well for races like Tor Des Geants
which had a lot of required gear, as well as a handful of fastpacking adventures.
But I always felt like I needed just a few more litres worth of space for multi-day missions.
The XA 25 is a vest-style pack with a roll-top compartment.
Flex Sensifit, developed from Salomon’s trail running packs, stretches around your
body, holding the load stably and letting you move freely while running and scrambling.
The hybrid construction combines wide shoulder straps, and twin chest straps
for an adjustable, snug fit.
The sternum straps lets you to adjust and connect the pack quickly, while allowing
for easier breathing while you run.
There’s also a removable belt to provide extra support and to help
further eliminate rotational forces.
It features taped, weather resistant fabrics with high-density structures
no zips or extra stitching - to resist tearing.
The zipper on my old S-Lab Peak 20 was something that always worried me.
While I’ve never had a problem with it even after hundreds of km’s on the trails
a zippered main compartment feels like a potential point of failure
especially when you’re eally pushing the volume of a pack.
With a top-loading design, I have no worries in really filling this pack up.
The durable carbon lace around the perimeter is a light and fast system
for compressing or expanding the pack.
I love the attention to detail like these little hooks on the end
which keep the cords from flopping around.
The straps and back-pad are thermo molded and sculpted to fit the spine and shoulders.
This padded back panel is made of vented EVA foam
which has worked well for me in warmer conditions.
The front pockets stretch to provide enough space for a day’s worth of calories
along with two 500ml flask pockets with secure loops.
I use these pockets for quick storage of things like my sun glasses.
It’s also got space for a bladder, although I personally prefer to rely on flasks in almost all cases
mainly in order to keep more of the weight and volume up front
instead of further loading the rear.
There’s also a small waterproof pocket inside that I use
for important things like keys and a credit card.
On the back of the pack, you’ll find a stretch-mesh stuff pocket which is great for anything
you might want quick access to like a waterproof shell.
In addition to an ice axe holder, there are several pole holder solutions
including the side laces which hold your poles very firmly in place.
The one I like best is in the front here which I use to quickly secure my poles
when I need my hands for maybe just a short scramble.
The pack is extremely light for its size and features, weighing just 509 grams
including accessories, or 443 without the removable waist belt.
It achieves this weight by relying on its vest-like suspension instead of a frame
and thanks to the thin cords in lieu of zippers and compression straps.
Since it’s designed specifically without seams close to the ground and using heavy
coated fabrics, this bottom construction protects all of your gear inside.
So far, I’ve been really impressed with how well the pack has protected my gear
from rain and sweat.
One thing about this pack though is that it fits quite large.
While I normally wear a medium/large size pack, I had to go down to a small/medium
for the XA 25 which fits me perfectly.
This unfortunately makes it less than ideal for some of the women I know who found
even the small/medium to be much too large.
Now if you need even more capacity, consider the Salomon XA 35 litre pack.
But at that volume, you’re likely to find that your pack is a little too heavy to run with.
So I’d recommend re-thinking your packing list if you’re finding the 25 litre to be
too small for 2-3 day fastpacking adventures.
So what you think, would the XA 25 fit for what you’re looking for in a pack?
Tell me about it in the comments below and subscribe for more videos like this.