I’ve had another bout of sciatica triggered I think from old rugby wear and tear on my upper back area and was considering giving a Wngnut Pack a go but googling doesn’t bring back many real life user reviews. I tend to ride for 3+ hours so carry 2-3 litres of fluids, first aid kit and tool etc, rain jacket or wind proof depending on the weather, pump C02, phone, energy food, inhaler and bribe money. So the pack I have been using an Osprey Escapist while having bags of carrying potential and is comfortable, to a point, may be aggravating my back.
So Christmas TV averted STWers whose using a Wingnut or has used one, tell me what you think.

expensive, good design, fragile.
look at camelbak equivalent, or bum bag type things. i use an osprey bumbag now. wingnut fell apart in about a year.

Onzadog to the forum!

Tried Camebak Hoss before and found it too long and narrow, would tap the back of ny helmet on descents…..oooeerrr misses 😆

I’ve had my old Hyper 3 for what must be 10 years now and it’s been great. It was one of the original US manufactured ones. I think they switched production to somewhere else and then had loads of issues. There are old threads on here with more detail if you do a bit of googling.

I really liked mine, and didn’t find it fragile.

Finding bladders to fit, mind, was a pain, and ultimately why I changed to a camelbak charge

Love mine.. Reminds me a bit of the belt kit I used to wear in my old job.
Low slung and comfy IMHO.

To be honest my old belt kit used to make my back ache too 🙂

Really like mine. Had it around 3 years and I do 5-6 hour rides solo round the Scottish Highlands so carry plenty of kit. I would really struggle to use anything else now. 3ltr bladders fit no problem and I have tools in one side pocket and food in the other so rarely have to take it off. The main compartment is used for extra clothes/jacket etc.

Downside is I had to have the main zip replaced 3 months ago which cost around £30 but the pack is so good I didn’t hesitate to spend the money. They do take a bit of time to set up to get really comfortable, but once done the load is so stable, virtually all the weight is on your hips and you don’t get a sweaty back which is great!

I’ve got the bigger ‘adventure’ model for long days, takes a regular 3ltr bladder and swallows plenty of kit for a day in the hills. Compresses fairly well when not full. Nice pack, ergon worth a look.

I like mine, a 2.5 – works best if you have it tied tight round the waist and loose round the shoulders in my opinion.
side pockets are great for access to tools/ food without having to take the pack off.
I have a niggly old injury between my shoulder-blades and this helps, plus it’s cooler than a normal backpack.
Straps are a bit flappy, bladder is a bit awkward, long drinking tube can cause issues, side pocket zips are a bit hard to undo with one hand, people will ask about your fanny-pack – minor issues.

I’ve got 3.one of them is getting on for 10 years old and is fine (bar the netting on the wings going a bit thin).
I put everything on the bike or in jersey pockets these days.

Cheers for those replies folks, I notice they are now being made again in the USA as opposed to elsewhere. Think I may give it a go, nothing ventured and all that.

Hello Oxy, how’s things?

I’ve got a couple, hyper 3.0 and the adventure. The comment about being fragile I think applies to the older ones. They’ve moved production closer to home (might even be in house now) and the newer pack feels a lot more robust. I like them a lot. Just one big pocket, no organisation in there but I’ve always put my kit in waterproof stuff sacs anyway.

Had my Hyper 3 for about 8 maybe 9 years at least. Pretty faultless in use. Bought a Charge LR as a lighter summer pack which has been good – but not as good as the Wingnut.

I rated them until the shoulder strap disintegrated on my enduro one. Not an issue i thought, ill order another from Ride Guide. It took 4 emails and a phone call to get an answer that they would order one in their next batch from the US. 3 months later i had heard nothing so i email the WingNut directly in the US asking to purchase another strap. I received a positive email saying they would sort it for me.

Well unsurprisingly i still have no shoulder strap. There seems to be some communication issues that i think come from Ride Guide.

Anyhoo. Great packs apart from that little drama 🙂

My old Hyper 2.5 self destructed – the waist strap was sewn onto the sides of the pockets rather than being one continuous belt. Poor design – the stitching ripped apart with heavy use, belt came away from pockets, though the concept works and it carried really well, always felt that there was less weight in it than there was. I liked the massive hip-fin pockets too, great for quick access on the move.

Replaced under warranty after a bit of ‘discussion’, it took several months to get a replacement. I thought they were always made in the States btw. Proper kitchen sink enterprise. This was a while back, I guess they may have improved, but build quality left a bit to be desired.

Hyper 2.5 here
Had for about 4 years and love it, presumably it should be from the poor quality era but it has a made in USA badge on it so may have been old stock, apart from the pull tags falling off the zips it’s still like new
For what you carry I would suggest the Hyper 2.5 is about perfect, in terms of bladder a camelback 3 litre lumbar bladder fits perfect (took me about 3 years to find this after experimenting with various others)

Very good and comfy wish i hadnt sold it but i sold all my gear off a few years ago as i sacked off riding. Now slowly getting stuff back and I’ll be after a wingnut again

I have 2, cant remember their names, one is small trip sack with enough for tools, water, food and a water proof, the other is a bigger all day jobby. So comfortable, you forget you are wearing it.Great kit.

I have two in differing sizes and think they’re great. Having the load lower really helps my shonky body, would never go back to a Camelbak.

If you ride anything steep and technical they end up around your side.
Rubbish but ok for pootling I guess.

I have had a Hyper 2.5 for 4 years not had any problems with it and wouldn’t use anything else, the side pockets are the best bit for me. These bladders are a perfect fit http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/camelbak-antidote-lumbar-reservoir/rp-prod86749

How the hell do they end up moving round soap do you wear it upside down or something? 😉

Is the Charge that much of a step down?
I have a dodgy shoulder and like the idea of moving the weight to my waist.

I found because there is no structure to the pack everything just bundles up at the bottom making it very bulbous and not at all stable.
Tried with a hip bladder and a 3lt antidote.
Raptor 6 for trail and Evoc fr16 for longer days are the best packs I’ve used. IMHO
I’m a serial pack buyer. 🙂
Found the Charge just as bad. Sold after 2 rides.

😉

I had a hyper 2.5 and it never moved once but then again i ride like a jessie

Got a 2.5 and rate it, used it pootling around West Wales and the Alps, megavalanche etc for the last 4 years. I prefer it to previons camelbaks but certainly personal preference.

I have the 2.5 is very comfortable. I think their
Mint for bikepacking kind of stuff I used mine
On 3 peaks cx, it was all I had at the time and it didn’t
Slide around wish I’d bought the hyper 3 now. Great pack for
Long days out

Thanks again for all the replies folks and for the link to the bladders…….ordered one of them to go with the Hyper 3. Looking forward to seeing if it helps in the back ache dept.

I thought it was a great idea poorly executed.
Poor stitching, fragile fabric etc.

The same designs pulled off by the bigger boy’s (camelback etc) would have me spending my money pronto!

DrP

Mine must be at least five years old. The glossy detailing is looking a bit shabby, but otherwise, still great.

Pros.

Lightweight for what it is.
Sits nice and low.
Low profile straps are grippy on the body and don’t add weight.
Plenty of webbing and a couple of good pockets.

Cons.

Lightweight straps mean putting on over a jacket is a faff.
Very little internal organization. It is a bag rather than a ‘system’.
If you’re in any way broad of beam, you can’t access the side pockets without taking it off.

I really like mine.

If you ride anything steep and technical they end up around your side.not moving at all

Its quite simply the best pack for dh and enduro because it does not move one little bit.