Bikester tests: CamelBak K.U.D.U. 30 bike rucksack
For many riders, challenging multi-day MTB tours through the mountains of Europe are a yearly fixture. This is also true of our colleague Jens, who recently took himself to the Palatinate and Vosges regions (straddling the border of western Germany and eastern France) for five days of rough and ready riding – covering a total of 450 kilometres with 9000 vertical metres on varied trails. Although its name sounds like a type of African antelope, the K.U.D.U. is in fact the CamelBak bike backpack that Jens tested on his trip. As Bike Expert Manager at Bikester, Jens is responsible for ensuring that all our customers find exactly the equipment they’re looking for in our online shop. So, he knows exactly what a bike rucksack needs in order to handle longer distances problem-free. Whether he’s also an antelope expert remains to be seen however. See what he had to say about the K.U.D.U. below.
I love to cover long distances on my mountain bike and had wanted to ride in the Palatinate and Vosges for a long time. A suitable bike backpack was the only thing missing. The backpack needed a capacity of around 30 litres to give me enough space to store everything for five days. The K.U.D.U. TransAlp Protector 30 from CamelBak seemed to be the perfect backpack for the job. I really put it through its paces, spending the five days chasing elevation in wind and bad weather, while also somehow finding time to enjoy the varied landscape.
First Impressions
As I have quite a lot of experience doing multi-day MTB tours, the K.U.D.U. wasn’t my first bike backpack of this size. The quality of the workmanship was apparent as soon as I got it in my hands. I also noticed the integrated back protector – a very important feature should you fall, and removeable in a few simple steps. Besides being able to carry equipment including a helmet, some interesting features have been included that you don’t see on every bike backpack. These include an integrated safety whistle on the chest strap buckle, uniquely-designed hip strap, removable tool pocket, a small pocket with a soft interior for glasses or mobile phones and the facility to transport an e-bike battery. Even though I didn't need the battery compartment, e-bikers will appreciate it. After this initial examination, the backpack seemed to live up to expectations. I was curious to see how it would perform on the bike.
The K.U.D.U. knows how to impress on the trail
I was able to store all my equipment in the backpack without any problems and even had space for more gear. An integrated drinking bladder would have been nice, but unfortunately wasn’t included; I did however pick up the compatible 3l CamelBak Crux bladder before the trip. The K.U.D.U. was now packed nicely, and I was able to fine-tune the fit to my anatomy: the different straps allowed me to adjust the backpack easily at the shoulder and hips, and CamelBak even includes two chest straps for a secure hold. During the trip, the K.U.D.U. was exposed to weather conditions from sun to rain to light snowfall. The supplied rain cover, which is quickly and easily put on, provides very good protection against moisture. While riding demanding terrain and descending, the backpack clung perfectly to my back and stayed in position. However, the ventral and hip belt fins are very soft and flexible and only carry a little of the weight. As a result, most of the weight, especially when going uphill, rests on the shoulders, which eventually started to feel uncomfortable.
Final Thoughts
The CamelBak K.U.D.U. is the perfect choice for downhill mountain biking or Enduro trips lasting several days where optimal fit is required. I found it less suitable for long climbs because the main load isn’t shared equally between the shoulders and hips. It’s not the lightest in its category, but with its large and adaptable storage space, numerous well-thought-out pockets and robust zippers, the K.U.D.U. does give you almost everything you need for multi-day tours. It can even accommodate a Bosch or Shimano battery. It’s a pity that it’s comparatively expensive, especially given that there’s no water bladder included in the package.