Clothing and Accessories

On test: The North Face E Race Boa

Details

Parent Category: Clothing and Accessories

Category: The North Face

Published on Tuesday, 10 November 2009 07:22

A backpack water perfect for cycling and freeriders, effective and innovative the technology Boa

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The Company

The North Face is a brand of VF Corporation, a multinational company that collects and manages wind in the world's most famous brands in outdoor sports, jeanswear and sportswear.

 The North Face, is engaged in outdoor sports, with a wide range of clothing, accessories and equipment for the hiker. It has therefore focused only on a range cycling, indeed the opposite is true: after having established itself in the field of extreme sports (with backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, etc..) Now approaching the world with a range of bikes, maybe not wide but high-tech.

The Range The North Face

Clothing for men, women and children, in addition to a wide range of accessories for hiking and extreme adventure, this is the range at a glance The North Face. If some leaders are typically "casual" does not lack the technical products more suitable to the most extreme adventure and tested by the greatest athletes in the world. Its range there are various garments that can be used effectively in cycling, from sweaters to jackets, anti wind to finish the backpacks. Among the latter is the collection of backpacks full of water in the E Race Boa is most striking for the technology used, however the full range of backpacks water (9 different models for capacity and style) is perfectly suited for use in bike.

E Race Boa

The E Race Boa, is not designed exclusively for the world of cycling, was born as a backpack water for the runner, but its technical features make it ideal for bike use, particularly in walking and cycling to off-road. The particularity of this model is the Boa technology, which lets you shake the bag for well water backpack, even when the bag starts to empty, avoiding that it moves inside the backpack. The same is made of nylon and nylon ripstop 70D Siloxane. The size is 41x27 inches. The bag of water contains 1.5 liters of water. The belts backpack and the same are complied with in order to evenly distribute the weight on the body. Two belts are adjustable and come together on the chest by a double velcro closure. The waist belt closes with Velcro and always has two purses that zip shut if necessary may be lifted off. Belt on the left is the scroll wheel that lets you shake the bag of water, as they are empty, while belt on the right is the magnet that stops the hydration tube with nozzle that can be placed in two positions open (for a rapid recruitment of liquid), closed (when you want to be sure that the liquid bait even accidentally). The backpack is provided in a single cut in two colours, what you see in photos (black / grey) and a version of green/grey. The weight we found was 432 grams.

Road test

The backpack water looks well made, with seams accurate and carefully selected. The belts are large and easily adjustable, while the double velcro closure ensures stability on the chest out of the ordinary. The waist belt is a further security stability, this easily adjustable and lockable with Velcro. The fact that the pack is one size means that athletes can find the slimmer waist belt too long and that is unable to close effectively. Especially women with xs and s size seen this problem easily overcome by shortening the belt by a good and capable seamstress. So also in life you can squeeze good for the body to the backpack. The two sides purses are useful for storing small items, from mobile phones to energy bars, on the side of life do not bother, but are always removable for those who find them unnecessary. Their usefulness, however, in using tourism is undisputed. It is easy to fill the bag, while a minimum of patience is needed to place it inside the backpack, exactly conformed to the size of it. Raising the wheel placed on the left ring loosens the cord that permatte to slip the bag into your backpack and then once down the same wheel only allows you to tighten the bag. The mouthpiece is crashing on his chest through ring magnet placed on the left, while the same can assume the liquid holding the same with identical. The mouthpiece is expected to open position and closed, to prevent any accidental spillage of liquid. In practical use by bike, on both road and off road, we can not but express the utmost satisfaction for this backpack. The sealing system is very effective and stable so as to avoid annoying jump on mtb even more stringent. The weight is well distributed on the body and after several hours did not feel pain in his shoulders. Excellent breathability of the fabric which is made, so that despite the test with high temperatures, we have never had occasion to complain of excessive sweating in the areas of contact between body and backpack. Effectively system magnetic seal of nozzle, never shaken. We noted then, as the same nozzle, can be left in the open position, never having experienced loss of fluid terrain, leaving the closed position to the transfer in your car when one places the backpack in the trunk. Boa technology is simple, but effective in its application and allows double effect: on one hand gripping the wire prevents the bag moves through the pack, which happens easily with other products mainly use in mtb, then allows the liquid to remain under pressure by facilitating the recruitment of the same, since there is no need ever aspire to, but just to have an excellent nozzle tighten the flow of liquid. On the road you encounter the same positive reviews found in mtb, and the most finicky will find a weight not just content, but inevitable for a backpack with such features and advantages of which are soon forgotten in the use of the surplus weight.

Conclusions

E Race Boa has proven to be an excellent product: not born specifically for the industry cycle, its undoubted technical qualities make it, however, a desirable product for the most demanding cyclist. Its ideal use is the long-time road cycling and hiking off road where this backpack full shows all its power stability, functionality and comfort. Excellent its realization, as the tradition of The North Face products. The only two notes can be detected in weight not little, but justified by the quality of materials used and the size of that bag, and the fact that the waist belt, given the one size may be too long for people living close by, in this case it is a detail easily overcome as stated above. Finally some considerations on the use of backpack water; its adoption is often relegated to an off-road use only (especially with the lack of a full bottle of housing) we have effectively used on the roads would bring a significant amount of liquid ( In addition to traditional water bottles) important with high temperatures and when there is no certainty of finding places to eat. Its use in cycling, it seems so very useful.

Is suitable for

Like all the backpacks of water is suitable for all those who do not make use of racing bikes, so bicyclists and hikers bike.

Price

The price is about 85 euros, higher than other products, but amply justified by the quality of the product, both for its construction with quality materials and finishes accurate, both for its effectiveness in actual use.

Positive aspects