Thinking about the Inov-8 Pro 12, any good? Any other recommendations?

must be a new niche

Pulls up chair. I do quite a bit of offroad running and have be curious about the inov8 packs since the bladder is kinda round the waist and has baffles. Love their shoes.

Plus if there’s only 2 of us, does that make it the most minimal of niches? 🙂

Have inov8 shoes – excellent.

As for pack – the old TNF Hammerhead is good.

i use a karrimore hydrate (hydr8) 15 litre sack for both its good, i guy i work with uses a salomon raid revo 20 litre that is also very good

Camelbak flashflo?

Flashflo

just happen to have the blue one that is surplus to requirements if you are interested?

I use the smallest OMM sack (previously KIMM). Seems to do the job nicely.
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Camelbak Octane 8. Really good pack; I’ve not used my Mule since I got it. It’s had great reviews from running mags as well.

I have an Inov-8 Pro 12, i won’t be getting another. The water pipe route is all wrong & rain water pools in the bottom. No matter what i try i can’t stop it bouncing when i run. Perhaps a little delicate for Mountain biking aswell. IMO

Berghaus make some really good riding/running packs, any of the Mach range would be good

The North Face Hammerhead? I hated mine for biking and no way would I have even tried it for running. It’s pretty heavy and far too much going on in it. A little like the Lezyne packs, far too fussy for me.
I’m currently liking my Osprey Talon 5.5 which is a good compromise of the two. It’s let down on the running side in that the only way to carry water is in a regular bladder vertically placed but then the much better for running Inov-8 range are awful for cycling. I borrowed one for the day and it was like a soft drainpipe strapped to my back, it was rolling about all over the place. Another reason I sold my Hammerhead on here is that it rounded off and did the rolling thing when fully packed.
My recommendation for a pack that will do both pretty well but I’ve yet to find something that will do both very well is the Osprey Talon 5.5. It could do with being a little smaller though and weighs a smidgen over 1lb without a bladder fitted.

I run with a camelbak HAWG.
They have a 3lt bladder and loads of space for extras, but could be a bit overkill for some. The external pull straps are very good at holding everything flat and in place and the shoulder straps have a pivot which seems to be great for stopping pressure and rub when the pack is full.
On a side note I don’t get on with the inov-8 type packs. The wrap around hip straps compartments tend to dig into my kidneys, so might be worth trying one out first.

Not got a 12 (though people I know have used them and don’t have any problems), but have a Pro-18, and it’s brilliant. Everybody I know – including myself – was dubious about the bladder position before using one, but everybody without exception reckons it’s a great idea after trying it. Far, far nicer than having it against your back all the way up.

I’d second the octane packes, they’re made for that kind of thing. Low masss, good hip support and straps, wicks sweat well and sinches down very well. I have the Octane 14+ and it’s perfick in all situations, although possibly a little large for your needs.

Ot has anybody had problems with the heal wearing out on their inov8’s i had 2 pairs of 315’s and while i thought they were great shoes, light and brilliant sole / tread they both wore out very quickly less than 6months used mainly in dry weather. my montrail continental divide have lasted 3 times that.

packs thought OMM were good and light but a bit too lightweight for mtb, have a look the Osprey talon

I’d 3rd the Octane packs. Think they were designed more for running anyway but they have a great expansion/compression system, very comfortable on your back and it has pockets on the waist belt which is really handy for bits you might need to grab without the hassle of taking it off and rummaging around in your pack. I have the larger version which I’ve used as hand luggage, then compressed it to use on trails to carry windproof, tools, food, water, etc. Also found camelbaks to well thought out and made to a high standard … IMO !

try the wingnut range, used mine a few times when i used to run.

packs thought OMM were good and light but a bit too lightweight for mtb

😕 What are you guys doing with your packs on a bike which makes a lightweight one not up ot the job?

When you talk about the heel wearing out, do you mean inside the shoe or on the sole?

Aracer, the answer is… falling off a lot! I use a camelbak mayhem for trail riding as I take too many stacks for my more expensive Octane.

Use both OMM and camelback for mtb’ing and Inov8 for running. Inov8 one is the elite range so less neon and no hydration pack space but is lighter.

Out of curiosity why you need a bag for running? Is it events or just a tootle round a few fields? I think in most cases a bag is a bit overkill for running? But personal choice and all that.

If I had to choose another bag now, I would look at the raidlight bags. http://shop.accelerateuk.com/feed/RLEBP really light and more features than you can shake a stick at. Perfect for Adventure racing and mountain biking.

I have a coouple of Camelbaks. Both bladders leave a bad taste in the water. It was worst when they were new, but it’s still there and is quite disgusting. On this basis I cannot understand why the magazines continue to rave about camelbak. Must be backhanders or incentives.

I had a Vagabond backpack by Source Hydration (I think they are an Australian company). The bladder in this backpack didn’t flavour the water.

Get one that opens up at one end to allow you to get a hand in to clean it.

For running, wouldn’t you be better off carrying a bottle?

Cheers for the replies guys, loads of ideas. Liking the Octane 8+, Raidlight and Osprey bags, will check them out.

It’s for Adventure Racing (Open 5, Ace Race & Microsoft UK Challenge) and general mountain biking duties.

My current Camelbak is so old I don’t even know what model it is but the zip has broken on the smaller pocket. On the second bladder, burst the first in a crash, has never tainted the water either, cleaned regularly with Tesco thin bleach.

For running, wouldn’t you be better off carrying a bottle?

No.

a racer – inside the shoe.

as for light weight packs i often catch my pack and my flesh on branches, stone walls etc. but i have never used these packs for the bike so they may well stand up to the job

Camelback Mule for me – had it a few years now and love it. Plenty of water (3L) and a reasonable amount of storage. Not the biggest storage space but works well for me both running and cycling.

aracer – Member

For running, wouldn’t you be better off carrying a bottle?

No.

Some would say a bottle was overkill really 😀

Latest version of the Haglöfs Ace is good, sits nice and low – a bit like a Wingnut – shoulder straps move with your torso, stretch in belt helps minimise riding up with hip movement. I wouldn’t particularly run with a Hammerhead. I use a Wingnut Hyper 3.0 for mountain biking, but I’m not convinced it would work that well for running, for my money, as a running pack, the Ace is better, but that doesn’t factor in personal preferences. I’d go try and few on, load them up in the shop and bounce around – embarassingly – to see how stable the bag stays.