Review: Groundtruth RIKR 24L Backpack

I can pinpoint some of the defining moments of my life. Choosing to study languages. Meeting my wife in a Notting Hill back garden. My first dawn summit. A brief conversation with a Sadhu on the edge of the Gosainkunda lake in Nepal. A near-death experience in an Ecuadorian favela. The birth of my children. But another, arguably yet more definitive, was the gift to me of a Gravis backpack from a fellow student in France. Whatever happened to that brand? It’s the one that got away. The Great White Whale of outdoors brands.

It was a revelation to me. Suddenly I had a backpack that felt like a natural extension of my body. It worked in every conceivable environment I needed it to – skating, riding, hiking, uni, travel. It felt like someone had designed it just for me. Its super helpful internal system consisted of several beautifully and differently shaped pockets and pouches plus sturdy inner walls with just enough give to squeeze in that extra book or mid-layer. When you opened up the zipper and folded back the opening, you couldn’t help but take a breath and admire the handiwork. And man, it looked cool too. 

That backpack has inevitably shaped what I look for since. Something versatile, tough, thoughtfully designed which pays attention to the specific items the designer knows you need to carry, but also builds in the flexibility for the variety of activities they know you’ll be doing. It needs to neatly slip under seats on planes, or between your legs on trains and still provide easy, organised access. It needs to be tough enough to be chucked down on crags and survive scrapes in dense vegetation. To carry just enough, but not too much, and not be too saggy when carrying less. It needs shape and form and not to become a burden when in the midst of your activity.

In short: finding the perfect backpack is quite a big ask.

Modularity and adjustability par excellence

I can’t remember seeing another modular backpack system that uses metal snaps. Super easy to snap on and off, this is a big win for me. I’ve mentioned the vast array of adjustment options. There are load lifters, there are hip strap/pads, there are strap keepers and there is a sternum strap. (Deep breath). There are twelve lash points, a detachable pouch, a detachable cylindrical soft insert, two side handles, a top handle, zipped side handles, a secret pocket and the now standard water bottle holder too. Oh and a trolley sleeve. Oof. I may not even have covered it all there.

Magnetic closures

Again I thought these were going to be flimsy and quickly lose their strength. Three months down the line with a fair bit of wear and these are still pretty vice-like and confidence-giving.