Product Full Name: Acre Hauser 10litre hydration pack

Retail Price: £185

Available From: The Trailhead Bicycle Company and Stif 

Possibly the toughest riding pack ever

Acre are the mountain biking division of ultra hip urban cycling brand Mission Workshop, and have the same high-quality approach to everything they do.

The Hauser is their hydration pack, and it comes in both 10 and 14litre sizes. Here’s our Acre Hauser 10litre riding pack review…

The 10litre Hauser comes in six colours. All bar the bright orange version are subtle and a nice change from the bold colours that flood the market. Photo | Simon Nieborak

The details

The first thing you notice when you pick the Hauser up, is how tough the thing feels – it’s made from heavy duty Dimension-Polyant 210d nylon VX ripstop. This is the same ultra tough stuff used to make sails on yachts, and to add to it’s durability it also has a waterproof laminate finish.

This thing oozes quality. The laminated rip stop fabric is super tough, waterproof and very durable. It will outlast a hell of a lot of other bags out there. Note the gap between the main bag and the padded backing.  Photo | Simon Nieborak

The bag shares looks with the roll-top military styled bags from sister company Mission Workshop, but the slimmed down design has been designed from the ground up for mountain biking.

The back of the back is made from Ariaprene™ hexagonal perforated foam, and although is joined at the base and shoulders of the pack – is separated for most part. This allows for a very comfortable fit, and the bag doesn’t move around as you move whilst riding.

Despite the fabric being ventilated, the surface area of the bag is quite big – which means it can be quite hot in use. It didn’t bother me in the UK – but might be on the hot side for those with fairer climates. The ventilated shoulder straps, however, worked really well.

The wide base has multiple mountings for the waist and shoulder straps – perfect for customising the fit. Photo | Simon Nieborak

The bag features four weatherproof exterior pockets, and a removable tool-roll for keeping all your major trail tools and first aid bits in one place.

The main cargo compartment is secured by a roll-top closure which can also be used in the flap-down configuration to provide additional coverage for the front zippers. When the bag is stuffed full, you can still close it with the roll top – whereas the flap is better when carrying less.

The Hauser accepts any standard 3 litre bladder, and comes with a nice tool pouch. Photo | Simon Nieborak

A low zippered compartment hides carry straps for a helmet and pads, whilst an easily accessed side pocket can carry keys or a multitool. All the zippers are waterproof units that don’t clog up with muck.

Although the bag doesn’t come with a hydration bladder, it will accept most 3litre bladders including Camelbak, Hydrapak and Osprey offerings.

The bag itself is long, and the wide padded lower sits on the small of your bag comfortably. One of the things we liked best was the multiple anchor points for both the shoulder straps and waist strap. It meant we could get the bag to sit exactly where we wanted.

Overall finish of the bag is excellent – you definitely feel like you’ve picked up a high quality item.

We love the tough approach to the Hauser’s design. This is a riding pack that will last a long time – and continue to look great. Photo | Simon Nieborak

On the Trail

Whilst the bag felt immediately comfortable, it took a while for us to find a position that worked right in the saddle – but once dialled in the bag didn’t move around much, even when stuffed.

With the waist strap low, it never dug in and the sternum strap was useful for stopping the bag bouncing around. We used a Camelbak bladder, which worked perfectly with the bag – although bags that don’t come with a hydration bladder still bug us somewhat.

Although the tool roll is a really nice touch, for rides when you want to take a spare layer, hat and a few extras it took up valuable space so we used the main eternal pocket for essential tools instead and put inner tubes at the bottom of the main compartment. That said, the bigger 14litre size might suit UK riders more, given the amount of kit most riders tend to take on all day rides.

We say

The Hauser sits on your back well and even when loaded stays put.

The ultra tough fabric is brilliant for UK riders as it keeps the contents dry – and can be jet washed alongside your bike, post ride. We really liked the 10litre size for most rides we do, thought the 14litre size would probably be more useful for most UK riders.

You can’t deny the nearly £190 price tag is high, and the lack of a bladder slightly annoying – but if you were looking for a value-for-money pack there are plenty out there that serve purpose. 

The Acre Hauser is step aside from the typical riding packs out there. It’s a seriously tough bit of kit and excellently made from durable fabrics. And it just looks right. 

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