Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Daytripper Pack

The Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Daytripper Pack is great – it's tough, waterproof and well specced with internal pockets and external straps. It holds its shape no matter how much it rains (though the removable internal bracing makes it relatively heavy), and if this bright orange is too much there's also a black version.

At 332g this is at the heavier end of 3.5L bags – it's not hard to find ones that weigh 100-150g less – but that's the end of the negatives as far as I'm concerned. In exchange for the weight penalty you get a bag that doesn't soak through in rain, holds its shape come what may, and offers useful webbing and bungie straps for hanging stuff from the outside.

Much of the weight is in the substantial plate that braces the back and front by curving under the bottom. Its rigidity makes pulling the (inevitably) slightly stiff waterproof zip easier than it otherwise would be, and makes searching inside easier too. If lightness is your priority, however, you can remove the liner just by pulling two bits of Velcro loose. Without it, the Aqua Evo weighs just 163g.

Everything feels tough. The 400D ripstop main fabric is thick, the webbing loops are firmly stitched and the bungie attachment points are solidly welded. This bit's a really handy spot for stashing a layer, and the Oxford-branded tab in the centre has three points of attachment, which make it a nicely stable place for a clip-on front light. A lot of similar loops just get two, and let lights sag down.

Even the Velcro attachment loops are sewn to a tough backing instead of just raw, and the lower loop for the stem has a nice plastic buckle and a strap-end keeper that's elasticated for extra security.

I find all the little touches like this reassuring – somebody has put proper time and thought into the design and build.

Okay, if this version was any more savagely orange it could win an election, so it's not everyone's bag, baby, but the black version is a lot more stylish. That gets bright orange bungie cords and zip pulls as neat accents.

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Inside, where the orange background further helps with finding stuff, you'll find two mesh pockets: one elastic topped and the other zipped, and traditionally I'm supposed to suggest exactly what would fit in, so let's say a phone, multi-tool, puncture stuff, passports in various names, individually wrapped cheese slices... Otherwise, it's just one big compartment, which I must say is ideal for tubes, an emergency layer, those ominous-sounding 'food items', and more... (It officially measures 24x10x14cm and Oxford suggests a load limit of 2kg.)

Value

This feels very fairly priced at £27.99. The Ortlieb Accessory-Pack 3.5L Handlebar Bag is also waterproof, for instance, but it's £62 and the roll-top closure is less accessible.

The 4L Alpkit Toploader is very good, but only water resistant rather than waterproof, and it's more still at £63.99.

Even the Topeak Tubular Barbag Slim is more expensive than the Oxford at £39.99, despite only holding 1.5L and also not being fully waterproof.

Check out more options in our guide to the best bikepacking bags. 

Overall

This does everything I personally want of a bar bag. It holds a useful amount of stuff securely, keeps it dry, allows easy access, and gives you a spot to quickly stuff/grab a layer when you get too hot/drenched. It's built tough and, to top it all, it's cheaper and better specced than plenty of its competition. It's a winner.

Verdict

Waterproof and well-built with a design somebody's put proper thought into