TRIED AND TESTED
Each year I try to get out into the wilds of the European Alps to
drag a bunch of gear through its paces, and although this has been
curtailed a little by “medical considerations” in the immediate past
couple of years, it’s something that I love, and not even a brush
with cancer will keep me from my beloved high and wild places!
Last year I group-tested a bunch of packs on the mountain trails
and amongst them was the “Sparrow” from WISPORT.
The smallest of Sparrow backpacks family the 16 is the latest
generation of compact backpacks made of extremely durable
500D Cordura Nylon and developed in collaboration with Polish
Military forces. The main advantages of the Sparrow 16 backpack
are removable, ergonomically shaped and lightly padded shoulder
straps, a spacious hydration-compatible main compartment and
multiple MOLLE attachment points.
The main compartment of Sparrow 16 comes with an internal
hydration sleeve on the backside inner, a zippered pocket and
multiple elastic loops for easy organisation. Additionally, above
the sleeve pocket are a hook for the attachment of hydration
system and a passage for the hydration hose or an antenna. The
pack features a front compartment with zip closure, and multiple
quick release buckles allow the backpack to be quickly dropped
when required. The side compression straps allow the pack to be
adapted to the size of carried kit and prevent it from shifting inside
which may cause unnecessary noise, discomfort and disturbance
to balance. On the front of the pack and side panels are multiple
MOLLE strap attachments points, which allows for mounting
various MOLLE accessories.
Durable and lightweight, the Sparrow 16 pack is perfect for
carrying all you need to a full days training or operations, and
serves well as a patrol pack when you need to dump your big
bergan!
Moving up a notch to what I refer to as “Three Day” packs
WISPORT have a whole heap of models in this important 30-50L
capacity area, and my personal
favourite of the bunch is the
ZipperFox 40L. One of the more
recent additions to WISPORTs line
of military packs, the ZipperFox
40L was created as a modified,
slightly larger and more versatile,
version of their Silverfox 30L
model. Designed for medium
duration trips or patrols, this new
generation of single compartment
tactical packs benefits from
extremely lightweight and durable construction, high degrees of
functionality and innovative technology.
The main feature of this unique pack is an inverted “U” shaped
clamshell zip opening, which allows for quick and easy access
to the main compartment from the top and both sides at the
same time. Additionally the ZipperFox comes with re-designed
Semi Adjustable System (SAS) Plus carrying system which now
includes profiled straps, a removable buckled waist belt, rigid
back construction and highly breathable padding. Thanks to the
AR
etc) to over 100 stores in Poland and throughout Europe. Whilst
they may not be so well-known in the UK and USA I think I can
safely say that they have a “track record” for making good gear,
one that the PMCI teams can personally attest to!
pmcimagazine.com