Trakke Findo backpack

There will always be a time and a place for high tech, low weight, go-faster rucksacks, but there's also an ever expanding niche for tough, beautifully made packs that will age elegantly and quite possibly outlive their owners. The Trakke Findo rucksack falls firmly in the latter camp, and only seems to look more lovely the more scuffs it incurs.

Yes, £195 is a lot of money for a relatively small rucksack, but we're not talking something mass-produced in a huge faceless factory in the Far East. The Findo is handmade, to order, in Scotland using components largely sourced – wherever possible, Trakke says – from the UK.

> Buy this online here

It's the quality of fabrics and components that really stands out as justification for the high price, though. Trakke's USP is a return to more traditional bag making techniques, to produce the sort of bag that scouts and adventurers of old would have used and loved for a lifetime.

The fabric of the Findo is waxed cotton, the straps are nylon and leather with felted wool, the buckles stainless steel. The company's aim is to produce a bag where nothing can fail, a bag that will age gracefully over many many years, showing its adventures along the way.

While the Findo is not a pack designed strictly with cycling in mind, being more of a general outdoor, walking or even city daypack, it is, quite simply, one of the best looking and comfortable packs I've ever used.

At only 10 stated litres, it's small but surprisingly roomy. It took a 13in Macbook with ease, along with various bits and bobs at the same time. It would also take a pair of shoes and a change of shirt, or an emergency shop, for instance.

The waxed cotton fabric, inside and out, coupled with a rather nifty design which folds in the corners of the main body, mean that even in heavy rain the contents didn't get soggy, and the fabric and leather panels didn't suffer either. I had some concerns about the felted wool padding of the straps in the rain but they were well protected by the leather and were fine.

The straps are comfortable even without the optional extra of a chest strap, and with this size of pack it's unlikely to be so heavy that this does not remain the case. I filled it to its maximum and incurred no problems with stability or comfort.

> Looking for the perfect Christmas present? Check out our ideas for the discerning cyclist here, and for women in particular here

Any adjustment of the polyester webbing portion of the straps also stays put without slipping, even when frequently removing and replacing the bag. The rather ingenious poppers that fasten the front of the bag manage to be both attractive and effective, with the little leather loop behind making them easier to operate, although they are still a tiny bit tricky single handed.

The zipped internal pocket is just the right size for a smartphone and wallet, and helps to reassure that everything will stay dry, while the side pouch pockets are, as claimed, big enough for a bottle of wine. Ah, the lengths we testers will go to... There's also a slimline pocket on the front of the main body of the bag.

It's not the lightest pack, but it's not designed to be. It's not the most technical pack, but it's designed to be just technical enough. It's obviously not the cheapest pack. What it is, is a genuinely beautifully made and well-designed pack, hand crafted in the UK, that will give years and years of service and, maybe more importantly, real pleasure in its use.

Verdict

Superbly crafted and a genuine pleasure to use. Just as well, as it will probably last forever