Evoc hip pack pro 3L or Osprey Seral 7

Can’t decide on which would suit me best. Currently have a Bontrager rapid pack, but wan tone that I can stick a waterproof jacket in (folds up into its own pocket so not overly big. Would I get a packable jacket into the Evoc pro 3L along with a full 1.5 litres of water in the bladder? Or am I better off going for the Seral 7 and have plenty of room? Rides are usually 20-40 miles with riding to trails and back again. Bontrager hip bag has been OK when the weather has been predictable, but with winter coming I need more storage and hip packs suit my knackered shoulders and bulging discs better!

Mine is a 3L Evoc Pro. I think you’d get a fairly thin, packable jacket in the main pocket alongside the bladder. There is a separate compartment for tools, phone, wallet and snacks. Not very big though……..

I’ve got a 3l Deuter. I’m pretty sure I’ve had the 1.5l bladder and a waterproof in it at some point.

By the time you’re getting up to 7l I think you’d be better off with a rucksack.

Have you ruled out Dakine? I really rate mine.

I had this dilemma/choice a few weeks ago. I was moving from a Camelbak Repack. I’m sure the Evoc is really excellent, but I am really enjoying my Osprey. Obviously with any hippack, you can’t carry the kitchen sink, but I certainly have no trouble carrying a full reservoir, a tyre pump, a shock pump and a waterproof.

Evoc user here, but definitely not a pack for carrying a jacket. 

Have a Repak too, a couple of different Mule’s and a big Evoc FR Trail

If I want to carry a jacket, it’s a backpack

2 months ago i bought the Evoc 3L pro. The waist strap stitching broke on the 3rd ride. Got a refund from Wiggle (phew!) and bought the Osprey. first ride with that tomorrow…..

I have the Rapid which is great. Also have the Evoc although it’s not done many rides yet. The Rapid takes one bottle and I have one on the bike. With 2 in the Evoc and one on the bike, I don’t need to use the bladder in the Evoc which means ample room for a jacket.

i have the evoc and use the bladder, i can then get a jacket in one of the bottle holders, it does need to be a very lightwieght jacket though.

I have the Seral. It’s pretty good. Compression straps on the corners really drag it in so if it’s not full it still sits nicely (possibly better) but you have the space if you need it.
The bladder is good, but I changed the value and the magnetic hose catch for the Camelbak ones as they’re better. The valve does fit but needs persuasion.

I have the rapid pack also which is superb for short rides.

I also have a 3l evoc hip pack pro for longer rides but I don’t use a bladder with it.
I use bottles, usually carry one 750ml in the side pocket for long rides, plus one on the bike.

The trouble with hip packs that are bigger / heavier than the evocish size is that they get increasingly uncomfortable and unwieldy. I wouldn’t really want a bigger hip pack than the evoc for that reason.

Without bladder, I can easily get a light water/windproof jacket in the evoc main compartment with snacks, shock pump etc.
At a squeeze, I can get a lightweight compressible down jacket in there but its maybe a little over full with snacks etc.

Another easy and cheap option for jacket carrying is a couple of loops of elastic round the jacket and round the bars. Saves loads of bulk in the hip pack, and makes even a smallish hip pack useable for long days.

I can’t stand using a backpack nowadays!

The trouble with hip packs that are bigger / heavier than the evocish size is that they get increasingly uncomfortable and unwieldy.

I think that depends on your pack shape and body shape.   Seral is more comfortable for me than many smaller packs. May be different for others.

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll take the plunge on the Osprey seeing that I have the Bontrager rapid pack for shorter rides

I have the evoc, I don’t have the bladder but find the bottle holders plenty hydration wise.

I have the Seral. Pros and cons vs a small light backpack are quite subjective – personal preference. I have to do mine up tight enough that for me there’s a comfort disadvantage but it’s not that bad. It holds my very minimal jacket and gilet easily so I think it’d hold a lightweight proper waterproof. I like the look of the back padding and structure of the evoc although I haven’t tried it.

Replacing the magnetic catch with a camelback one sounds like a good idea. I think I might do that. Anecdotally the earlier ones came away all the time. My later one only does this infrequently but it’s still a minor negative. Otherwise I’m happy with the bladder and valve. I like the Osprey valves.

Anither positive about Osprey is the company itself and their backup.

In response to some points about the unwieldy nature of hip packs, I’d like to say that my Seral 7 feels closer fitting and less unwieldy than my Repack. I am pretty certain it’s to do with the shape and design of the bladder, which is longer than the Camelbak. So it extends the full width of the pack, and therefore is less bulbous than the Camelbak one.

on the first couple of rides, I found that the Osprey magnetic catch was less secure than the Camelbak. But I’ve now realised that it only breaks away once in a while, and on the flip side, I find it much easier to re-clip the drinking hose on the Seral than on the Camelbak while riding. So on the whole, now after 6 weeks, I think I actively prefer the Osprey. Although I have to admit that it does unclip now and again.

In case you’ve not ordered yet, I have a Seral 7 I was going to sell.

Drop me a message if interested in secondhand.

It was the unclipping that irritated me about the Osprey.. every time you moved it seemed to unclip and then attach itself to the steel fra me. This would then lead to groping about for the bite valve. Back to bottles for me

It was the unclipping that irritated me about the Osprey.. every time you moved it seemed to unclip and then attach itself to the steel fra me. This would then lead to groping about for the bite valve.

I just tuck the hose under the waistband instead of using the clip.

I’ve the Seral and really like it, but I’m clearly overpacking as I can get my tools, a couple of emergency snacks, my phone, keys and the bladder in and there isn’t much space left. I don’t think I’ve got a lot of tools as they are all small but will sort everything but my cranks and rear cassette.
Unsure how I’d get a jacket in… perhaps I’ve completely missed the compression straps and they are fully compressed.
Only issue I sometimes get is the pack slips down a bit – this tends to be when I’m a bit bigger round the gut, when I do shift some weight and my gut isn’t quite so round there is no slippage.
I like the bag as it works well for me.

I put my tools in a tool bottle on the bike, which means I have lots of space in my Seral. Regular load out is full water bladder, mini FAK, dry bag with spare bits (whistle, Headtorch, voile strap, space blanket), and then space for an insulated jacket and a light waterproof. That’s the main pocket. Phone, key and snack in the smaller one

Importantly a windproof gilet fits in one hippocket, with hat and buff or arm warmers in the other one

I use it for nearly all rides these days

My Evoc Pro 3L is essentially full with a lightweight waterproof jacket (Endura MTR shell), insulated gilet (OMM Rotor), and micro first aid kit (no bladder). Stuff a bottle in one side pocket, and whatever else in the other although they aren’t big enough for even a light waterproof. Very stable but not for doing a lot of jumps if you have even one water bottle. The separate back pocket helps organise things but doesn’t give any extra space.

It’s nice that the Osprey hip pockets are much taller than the Evoc.

The Talon 6 (hiking focused one) has bottle stashes rather than a bladder, and adds compression straps for a jacket. However, it doesn’t look like it has the same design to keep it stable while MTBing.

@benp1 – are mixing up a backpack with a bumbag? I can’t for the life of me work out how you get all that kit into it…what make/model of all that kit are you using please? I suspect I’m needing to massively up my budget for kit if all that does fit in.
That is an impressive amount of kit to carry in a not-so-massive item.

I actually have both … the evoc is more comfortable when loaded and I prefer the size
Of the side pockets. It’s more suited to shorter rides. The seral, being bigger, is
More of a “day” pack.
You would struggle to get a decent waterproof in either though !

Thanks everyone. I’ve gone for the Seral 7 just because for most of my shorter rides of 1-2.5 hours the Bontrager rapid pack is fine.

But I suffer from low blood pressure and do not drink on rides so I’m wanting a pack with a bladder to encourage me to drink so that my wife does not have to find me collapsed on the toilet after having a vasovagal attack! The last one a couple of weeks ago has her convinced I’d died – not good……I was in hospital hooked up to an ECG machine and constant blood pressure monitoring and a drip as I was dehydrated. Blood pressure when stood up plummeted to 90 over 60 and the nausea was immense and I had to be held up to finish the reading, not pleasant at all.

There doesn’t seem to be a rain cover available for Osprey hip packs, is that right?

Rain covers are great for keeping things clean, just rinse off after a ride. I have ones for my Evoc hip and back packs.

I use a bar bag on my Seral when I need mud and rain protection. One of the dry bag ones that rolls up at each end. Slip the bad in inside and do up the clips.

@DickBarton – it’s 100% an Osprey Seral 7
It’s all light packing stuff but it fits in great, if a little tight. I’ve not worn a rucksack for a bike ride (excluding the odd but of bikepacking) in a  couple of years I reckon
Insulated jacket is a berghaus hypertherm but generally prefer to take an OMM rotor gilet which packs down better, its only for riding home from the pub or a mechanical. Jacket is usually a rapha lightweight job or a windproof if no rain is forecast

I don’t put a cover on mine, tend to use mudguards

Just to add another voice I have the Evoc and regularly pack it with a jacket, in my case 7mesh copilot and it fits no stress, previously packed Endura MTR and again no worries.

Is it a tight fit – yes, still wearable and pack phone / pump etcetera in it – also yes.

Had a repack before and found it uncomfortable for my body, but like others also have a Camlebak (something) but rarely use it unless on a full day epic ride and even then will need to carry lunch before I take it over the Evoc.

James

Thanks for the kit list…looks like I’ll definitely need to up my budget to get the kit to fit.

There doesn’t seem to be a rain cover available for Osprey hip packs, is that right?

I use the Evoc cover and it fits pretty well.  I do usually use a bit of velcro or a clip to ensure it doesn’t accidentally fall off, but so far it never has.

Good to know the co-pilot fits in the Evoc as that is the jacket I have so will definitely pack into the Seral 7. Also might get the evoc raincover if it fits the serial as well. Thanks everyone for the responses :)

I have a Seral 7, it’s ace. Fits nicely, is really comfortable for me, and happily takes a lightweight, reasonably compact jacket plus small first aid kit, pump spares, tube, food etc. I don’t love the hydration tube attachment, but it’s bearable once you cut the tube down to suit.

You can also fit a bottle under the compression straps on either side if you want to. Looks slightly precarious, but has been pretty reliable for me and has the side benefit of increasing the effective capacity of the pack if you don’t use the reservoir. 

@Chakaping

You have a message

cheers

steve

Just warning, well two, for anyone looking for a Seral 7.

There’s a lot of previous years stock about, and (as with everything) it’s often not clear which version any retailer has for sale. For example they might have old pictures but new product. Not that it matters hugely, but if they’re the same price I want the new one.

The new ones (and maybe the old ones too?) have the Hydraulics LT reservoirs which have Hydrapak Comet bite valves. This is a smaller diameter than the other Osprey type, so the bite valve cover is a very loose fit and therefore useless. There’s a new type of cover but doesn’t seem to be available in this country yet unless you buy a complete Hydrapak branded valve which includes it.

As a long-time user of the Evoc, I’m not impressed with the Seral. YMMV of course with different body proportions, riding type etc.

First thing you notice is the front belt is narrower, you know it’s there unlike with the Evoc. Pedalling off, you notice how it droops down more at the rear.

It feels less secure even when done up tighter than the Evoc, with the same weight in it. Even with the bladder empty and a light load, you feel it rising and falling on jumps and drops.

Surprisingly, I couldn’t get much more into it despite supposedly being 4L bigger or 2.3x the size. My usual Evoc stuff, plus 750ml of water and micro survival bag (they go in the side pockets of the Evoc), and a spare pair of gloves. So I reckon 4.5L of stuff inside it.

One benefit of everything going inside, unlike when carrying a bottle on the Evoc, is that you can still fit a rain cover to keep it clean and dry. The Evoc one fits but isn’t as secure – I added a cable tie and carabiner onto it just in case.

The outside pocket is a proper pocket unlike on the Evoc which has the pull-open flap with two linked zips.

Never used a bladder before but it worked great. My bottle on the frame always gets a bit dirty despite my mudguards, so it was nice not to need to get a glove dirty when drinking. Impossible to tell how much water was left in the bladder, that’s a general bladder problem though. Also easier to drink around the helmet chin bar, I can only just about manage it with a bottle. The magnet held fine in all the rough and jumps. There’s a plastic frame on the bladder presumably to avoid you squashing it too much, but with a half full bladder I found the frame just wasted space.