High Peak USA Travel Backpack Review

Here we review the High Peak USA Travel Backpacks we have been using, referencing the criteria we mention in “How to Choose a Pack.”

Adrenaline by High Peak USA 75 + 10 L Pack

Kyle’s Pack

Overall:

We would describe this pack as fairly strong and sturdy. At the same time, the material is pretty light and durable. It doesn’t feel like it can easily tear or rip. It has accumulated minor scuffs through travel, but no tears or fraying. The pack as a whole is pretty light, amounting to only a few pounds total weight.

How does the High Peak USA Adrenaline work as luggage?

Pros: This pack is strong, light, and durable. It can hold a lot of gear with large compartments to accommodate most items. It’s comfortable to wear and front and top loading allows for easy packing and unpacking as well as access to items. It has a handle for picking up and moving.

Cons: Many straps which can become cumbersome and possibly caught in airport machinery (benefit that things are adjustable, though). Some compartments seem like random add-ons that don’t serve much purpose. None of the compartments have the ability to have locks attached.

Information about the size:

This pack is a 75+10L (85L) pack. It has worked well for us. It depends on what you put in it, but when full it has weighed anywhere from 33lbs to 45lbs. The size works fine in terms of checked luggage but would be too large as a carry-on most places.

Compartments and compartment size(s):

There are essentially 4 main compartments and then numerous smaller compartments. The largest main compartment is a front/top load section, that is very easy to put a lot of stuff in. It’s very roomy and has the ability to stretch a bit as it’s not particularly rigid.

There is an elastic section on the section closest to the back to put in a water bladder with the option of having the hose come out a special port for it. However, if the pack is full, there is no way a bladder will fit. This section also has the ability to extend further up to add 10L of space. It can be pulled close with a drawstring. This extension however, feels to be much thinner and less durable material – while it hasn’t been damaged I do worry about this section.

The interior of the section has 3 straps that allow you to pull the pack into shape when it is very full, and keeps things dense and in place. The front has a dual zipper with a velcro latch. There is no ability to lock this unfortunately. The front flap has a small zipper container as well accessed from the inside only, it cannot hold much, but is good for small items you may want quick access to.

Side Pouches:

There are two side pouches that can hold a moderate amount of items, though nothing of large girth. These run up each side nearly the whole length of the bag. Each one has a single zipper to close, and feels quite durable. There are outside straps as well to tighten the shape and make the compartments compact. Again, it is not possible to lock the zippers.

The top of the pack has a compartment that holds a built in rain cover and can hold a moderate amount of items. The underside of the compartment (shared with the main compartment) can hold a little bit and has a mesh netting to store some items as well. It serves as the lid to the main compartment and can be detached entirely if desired.

There are two outside water pouches with elastic bands that can hold large containers of water. But if the pack is full, it would be very difficult to put anything in these pouches.
The waist bands have numerous small zipper pouches, that are good for putting small amounts of cash, or cards and paper in for while wearing. But these pouches would not be advisable for putting valuable items in if not actively wearing. They also cannot hold anything of bulk in any way.

Top-loading or front-loading?

This High Peak USA pack is both top-loading and front-loading which we find pretty convenient.

Comfort (straps):

The shoulder straps are comfortable to wear, thick and padded, wide – but not too wide. The waist straps also allow for the weight to be comfortably distributed to the hips, though still leaves a little weight to the shoulders which can cause strain over extended periods.

There is also a chest strap, that can help keep the shoulder straps in a proper position with heavy loads. It is nice that it has an adjustment for body sizes so that the hip straps can comfortably fit with the shoulder straps. The pack as a whole can be fine-tuned to specific body size and shape, and ultimately can be worn without feeling too bulky so it’s easy to move around while wearing.

There are numerous straps all in all that can allow for the pack to be kept in a tight shape, to ensure the most comfortable wearing. It also allows for the pack to not get damaged while in transit. However, due to the many straps, they must be tied down, or banded so that they do not get caught in convey belts or machinery (not sure how much an actual risk this is but we err on the side of caution).

Alpinizmo Luna by High Peak USA 65+10 Liter Backpack

Briana’s Pack

Overall:

This is also a good pack. We considered both getting the same backpack but figured 1) we would like to tell them apart 2) I didn’t want to put all of our eggs in one basket. We weren’t able to try them out prior so we hoped at least one of them would work well.

We would also describe this pack as fairly strong and sturdy with light, durable, rip-resistant cloth. It feels solid and the stitching does not feel weak. It has accumulated only light scuffs through travel, with no physical damage. The pack as a whole is light, but it is heavier than the High Peak Adrenaline pack by about 1.5 lbs, ultimately coming in at just under 5 lbs empty.

How does the High Peak USA Alpinizmo Luna work as luggage?

Pros: Pretty much the same as above. It had been fairly durable so far, is relatively comfortable, adjustable, and the size works for us.
Cons: See above. This pack is a bit on the heavy side at 5lbs, but it is not unreasonably large. The front pouch zipper handle may be easily mistaken for a regular handle. Only one compartment has the ability to lock.

Information about the size: 

This pack is a 65+10 Liter pack, though strangely, in many ways it feels and seems a little bit larger than the other pack. When full (and when empty) it also tends to be a little heavier.

Compartments and compartment sizes: 

The largest main compartment is a front/top load section, that is very easy to put a lot of stuff in. It is roomy, and has the a ability to stretch a bit, though it has some rigidity to it. There is an elastic section on the part closest to the back which can have a water bladder placed in it or a thin object.

If the pack is full however, it would not be possible to fit anything in here. The bottom of the compartment is slightly angled due to an additional compartment on the bottom. The top of this section has the ability to extend further up to add 10L of space. It can be pulled close with a drawstring. This extension however, feels to be thinner and of less durable material – the weakest part of the entire pack.

The interior of the section lacks any straps to help maintain a dense pack and shape. The front has a dual zipper, attached via a plastic handle, with a velcro latch at the top. The zipper handle feels a little weak, and is easily mistaken as a pack handle by airport and transport stuff (hasn’t broken yet). There is no ability to lock this section unfortunately. The top of the front flap has a structure that allows for you to loop or tie objects to the outside.

Directly beneath the main compartment is a smaller (but actually fairly large) compartment that can hold a fair amount. It is half-spherical in shape, so some items may not be able to fit in here. It is flexible, but if the main compartment is overly packed, it may intrude into this compartments space. This section has one zipper with two tongs, so it is possible to lock this section.

Side Pouches

Like the other pack, there are two side pouches that can hold a pretty decent number of items as they run up each side nearly the whole length of the pack. Each one has a single zipper to close, and feels fairly durable. There are outside straps as well to tight the shape and make the compartments compact. This compartment is not able to lock the zippers.

The top of the pack has a compartment that a holds a built in rain cover and can hold a moderate amount of items. The underside of the compartment (shared with the main compartment) can hold a little bit and has a mesh netting to store some items as well. It serves as the lid to the main compartment and can be detached entirely if desired.

There are two outside water pouches with elastic bands that can hold large containers of water, though if the pack is full, it would be very difficult to put anything in these pouches. Unlike the other pack, the waist straps have no additional pouches or compartments.

Top-loading or front-loading?

Like Kyle’s pack, this High Peak USA backpack is both top-loading and front-loading. There are zippers in the front which allow for front-loading and a drawstring underneath the top which then snaps down to allow top-loading.

Comfort (straps):

See other pack comfort description (essentially the same). Additionally, There is a rigid, cup shape for the head to lay back against – however it can be uncomfortable if the pack is in a position not specifically upright.

High Peak USA Conclusion

All in all, we think the High Peak USA backpacks work pretty great. They are reliable and take plenty of wear and tear without losing integrity. The packs can hold plenty of items and don’t feel particularly limiting.

They can be a little bulk, but anything this size is going to be. A few of the smaller side compartments seem almost useless when the rest of the pack is completely full, but this has never been a complaint point for us.

Let us know if you have any questions about them!