Hip pack meets backpack in Henty hydration pack

Hip pack meets backpack in Henty hydration pack

Extra stability and lowered center of gravity

Russell Eich / Immediate Media

Published: September 22, 2017 at 5:44 pm

Most hydration packs take one of two routes: full backpack style or hip pack. Each has its pros and cons, but what if one could remove the negatives and leave only the positives? Australian bag company Henty is trying to do just that.

There's a big flap covering pockets and loads of webbing to haul all sorts of riding necessities - Russell Eich / Immediate Media

So enduro

The rise of enduro mountain biking brought the uptick in hip packs along with it. They offer decent water and gear capacity, keep the weight low, and basically tell other riders on the trail that the ups don't matter, you're here to smash the downs. But they also have some negatives, the main ones being not staying adjusted, bouncing around, and pulling shorts down.

Henty's idea is to retain the positives and improve on those negatives. The Henty Enduro pack is basically a hip pack with extra stability built in, thanks to mesh shoulder straps. Other similar versions of packs that aim to place the weight lower have been tried, such as Wingnut, and Camelbak's Low Rider series.

Henty's new Enduro backpack hopes to keep the weight centered down low yet stable - Russell Eich / Immediate Media

Like any proper pack, there are pockets everywhere and dedicated straps for pumps. The pack features a large flap covering the main body which should keep the insides muck free.

The adjustable shoulder straps are made from an airy molded foam. Henty claims the material offers a bit of impact protection.It fits a three-liter reservoir, but you have to supply your own.

Henty Enduro backpack pricing and availability

Two colors are offered, black or camo. Pricing is set at $110 and AU$110, UK pricing was not available. The Henty bags are available now at select shops and online.