High Above Radpack on review – an elegant minimalist

27.03.2020
by

One compartment, one zipper – a minimalist’s dream. And of course, you’re free to decide for yourself whether less is necessarily more. We took a closer look at the High Above Radpack for you.

Price:$ 60 | Weight: 220 g | Volume: approx 1.4 litres

Visually, the Radpack makes a great impression. The minimalist exterior relies on a single zipper and can be customised with different colours like every High Above hip pack. The materials are of highest quality and completely water resistant. Unlike the bigger Cascadia model, the bottom of the Radpack is made up of several layers, which increase the overall robustness of the bag. Like all High Above models, the zipper has two sliders which allow you to open and close the pack from both sides – which is not always a given.

Almost all panels of the pack can be individually customized with different colours.

On the inside, the pack is completely hollow except for a partition on the rear and a key holder. Unlike with the Cascadia, the main compartment runs across the entire width of the pack, which means that it also fits a large mobile phone. Unless the pack’s completely full, smaller items and tools will fly around inside the pack – we had the same problem with the Cascadia. Here, a segmented rubber strip – like the one of the two smaller Dakine packs – or even an additional small partition on the front would make a big difference.

The main compartment only has one partition. In return, there’s enough room for a mobile phone.
Like all High Above models, the Radpack features a highly water resistant material and zipper.

The rear is lightly padded, but dispenses with the additional mesh pad on the outside. While this prevents the pad from absorbing sweat and makes the bag less susceptible to dirt, it tends to warm up more. Thanks to its compact dimensions and snugly fitting hip fins, the Radpack has the most stable fit of the three High Above models. In terms of comfort, the smallest pack is no exception to the very good performance of all the brands packs. Given the thin rear padding, you should place your contents with criteria though to prevent them from poking through the fabric and right into your back.

While the Radpack renounces the mesh on the rear this is still padded.
The excess strap is neatly tucked away inside the Velcro strap.

Note: depending on the colour, the outer surface of the X-Pac fabric is either made of light and smooth nylon (VX21) or stiffer, heavier Cordura fabric (VX51). Head over to the High Above website and look for the pictures of the different fabric samples. If you’re still in the dark after looking at the samples or if you have special requests you can always contact customer support. The test model in our pictures is made of the lighter fabric.

Comfort

  1. uncomfortable
  11. unobtrusive

Stability

  1. low
  11. high

Compartment Layout

  1. poor
  11. excellent

Climate

  1. unpleasant
  11. pleasant

Ease of Use

  1. fiddly
  11. straight forward

Price/Performance

  1. poor
  11. very good

Conclusions

The Radpack is compact and offers a very stable fit. While there’s only one partition, this can be used for a mobile phone. If you don’t mind the minimalist layout and relatively high price, you’ll get a robust, elegant and above all versatile bum bag pack that doesn’t scream ‘CYCLIST’ as soon as you wrap it around your waist. For pure mountain biking, there are better options in this size though.

Tops

  • Highly water resistant
  • Elegant look
  • Robust
  • High-quality materials
  • Customisable

Flops

  • Only direct orders form the U.S.
  • Only one partition
  • Rear not breathable

For more information head to highabove.net

The test field

Click here for an overview of the best MTB hip pack in test

All hip packs in review: Bedrock Bags Greysill Hip Pack (Click for review) | Bontrager Rapid Pack (Click for review) | CamelBak Podium Flow (Click for review) | CamelBak Repack LR 4 (Click for review) | Dakine Hot Laps 5L (Click for review) | Dakine Hot Laps 2L (Click for review) | Dakine Hot Laps Stealth (Click for review) | Deuter Pulse 3 (Click for review) | Deuter Pulse 2 (Click for review) | EVOC HIP PACK PRO 3l (Click for review) | EVOC HIP PACK RACE 3l (Click for review) | EVOC HIP POUCH 1l (Click for review) | EVOC RACE BELT (Click for review) | High Above Cascadia (Click for review) | High Above Lookout (Click for review) | High Above Das Radpack | ION Hipbag Traze 3 (Click for review) | Leatt Hydration Core 2.0 (Click for review) | Mavic XA 3L Belt (Click for review) | Mavic Crossride Belt (Click for review) | Mavic Deemax Belt (Click for review) | Race Face Rip Strip (Click for review) | SOURCE Hipster 1.5L (Click for review) | SOURCE Hipster Ultra 5L (Click for review)

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.

Words: Photos: Andreas Maschke, Christoph Bayer

You may also like