The Vango Contour 60:70 is the first and only backpack I’ve bought for camping. It has tons of features, especially when you consider its budget price.
(4.8 / 5)
The Bottom Line
- Great value for money
- Tons of features for the price
- More than enough room for any length backpacking trip
- Back system is a pain to adjust, but hugely comfortable
- Weighs 2.4kg
Purchasing
This backpack is available from numerous websites. Its recommended retail price is £75, but it is almost always on sale. I got mine off Amazon for £40, though Ebay is worth a check as well.
There’s a range of colours available, and there are two size options: small and normal. These are to cater for the different back lengths. Typically, the normal will fit most people. (I’m 6’3 and I’m nowhere near the end of the adjustment)
Fit
As mentioned in my packing guide, one of the most important features of a backpack is how well it fits.
The Vango Contour 60:70 excels in this regard. It is about the cheapest bag you can get which still has a fully adjustable back system.
This is Vango’s own Quick Adjust back system, which allows you to adjust the length between the hip strap and shoulder straps. Because of this, when it’s adjusted right, this bag is just as comfortable as the more expensive bags I’ve borrowed before.
Because of the cost, however, this back system is a bit more of a hassle to adjust, and if its not adjusted well, the velcro can make some noise as it rocks back and forth. Regardless, since you only need to adjust the bag once, this is not really much of an issue.
Features
This bag has tons of features you wouldn’t normally find at this price point.
Firstly, there are a number of extra pockets, with side pockets (these are great for storing food), one big pocket in the ‘brain’ of the pack, and an additional inner pocket for your valuables. These really help with organising your items, and save a huge amount of time when stopping to get food / waterproofs etc.
This bag has also has openings both at the top and bottom of the main compartment. This doesn’t seem like much, but it makes packing and unpacking a breeze, and means you can make the most of the space. On top of this, the top of the main compartment can expand to allow for an extra 10 litres of flexible space. A nice touch is the separate inner pocket for a hydration pack.
There’s also a nice feature in the form of the walking pole loops on the back. This makes carrying walking poles a breeze, especially if you don’t want to use them the entire time.
General Comments
This pack also does well in terms of the quality. Even after using this backpack for hundreds of kilometres, we’ve had no issues with quality, other than looking a little less shiny.
This backpack is also a great size. 60 – 70 litres is perfect, as it can fit everything you’d want for your hiking expeditions. I’ve used this backpack for everything from day hikes to long multi day expeditions.
As for the weight, this rucksack is 2.4 kg. This isn’t a heavy rucksack, but it certainly isn’t lightweight. Having said that, to save some weight, you’d either need to spend a lot more money, or cut a lot of features.
Summary
All in all, the Vango Contour 60:70 is a great rucksack, especially for the price. It is very comfortable when adjusted well, and comes with masses of features. The one downside is the finicky back system, but this isn’t much of an issue.
If you’re looking to get into backpacking, but don’t want to break the bank, this is a great option.