Hen-who?
Henty are an Australian company, based in Hobart. They’ve made a name for themselves with some really smart and successful travel/commuter cycling bags (especially the Wingman) but this is the first time they’ve released a mountain bike pack. The Enduro was debuted at the Derby EWS round, a fitting launch.
Like a bum-bag, but more stable.
Essentially the Enduro is like a really big bum-bag (or fanny pack for you North Americans), but with a shoulder harness to stabilise it all. There’s a lot to like about bum-bags, they position the weight lower on your body for a better centre of gravity, and they don’t get nearly so sweaty up top. The downside is that once they’re loaded up with a lot of water and stuff, they have tendency to swing about if your trails are rough and involve a lot of body language. The Enduro looks to solve the conundrum by adding a very light, highly breathable mesh harness.
Jeremy Grey, Henty’s Co-Founder, told us inspiration for the design comes from ammunition belts used by infantry. Getting the weight distributed low and wide around your hips is the aim, and so the hydration bladder (not supplied) runs horizontally, rather than vertically. The idea is similar to the Camelbak Skyline LR pack we tested last year, which uses a wider ‘lumbar’ bladder, but the Henty definitely takes the notion of getting the weight down low even further. We used a 3L Camelbak bladder and on Henty’s advice filled it with about two litres. Filling it more than that made the pack feel a bit bulbous and it didn’t wrap around our hips so nicely.
How much does it fit?
Given the pack itself weighs just 500g and looks so minimalist, you can get a surprising amount of stuff into it. In There are stretchy mesh pockets, two large zippered sections (kind of like a toiletries bag!), hip pockets, plus a bunch of loops for hanging grenades off we guess. There’s another large zippered pocket in the harness section too, which could work for something small and flexible, like a lightweight jacket or map perhaps. In the storage to weight stakes, the Henty is impressive.
How does it feel?
Just as you’d assume, it’s a very breathable pack, and even though we had it loaded up with more than our usual trail ride supplies, it felt very light to wear. With all the bulk around your hips, the feeling really was more like wearing a bum bag than a backpack, just without the hassle of it shifting about on rough trails.
Our skinny test rider had the straps just about at their limits to get it all tight, which meant a lot of extra strap ‘tails’ hanging about. The waist straps use neat Velcro tabs to contain the excess, but the shoulder and sternum straps don’t have this feature – perhaps this will be a future addition, as this is a first release.
Worth a look?
Keeping your centre of gravity low is always a plus in mountain biking, and the Henty have done a splendid job of blending backpack storage and security with the positioning and breathability positives of a bum-bag. We’ve only had a handful of rides with this pack so far, so no word yet on durability, but our impressions so far are fantastic.
