Backpacks

Alpkit Ibex 50+10 Backpack | Review

With the Ibex 50+10 backpack, UK-based company Alpkit have delivered another outstanding bit of kit.

It’s no secret that we’ve got a lot of time for UK-based company Alpkit. With the Ibex 50+10 backpack proving yet again that their people know how to deliver quality products at a price that won’t leave you destitute, it would seem like our love affair with this brand shows no sign of dying a death anytime soon.

The Ibex is wonderfully simple in a way that so many outdoor products aren’t. With a 50-litre plus 10-litre structure, this lightweight alpine climbing sack has been designed to swallow up your ropes, helmet, harness, camping equipment, additional clothing layers and various other bits and bobs in the most no fuss approach imaginable. Room for all your stuff in a lightweight bag that’s easy to use, what more could you possibly want?

“Room for all your stuff in a lightweight bag that’s easy to use, what more could you want?”

The main Ibex compartment is constructed from VX21, a technical fabric commonly used as sail cloth which has excellent strength-to-weight properties. This section of the bag can be extended for extra capacity and cinched closed with drawcords – FYI, the drawcord sleeve is reinforced for added durability. The base is made of 500D Cordura which provides an effective balance of abrasion resistance and weight.

Everywhere you look on the pack you can see thoughtful add-ons delivered in a simple, user-friendly, way that anyone can appreciate. Take the stabilising straps, for example, or the well-placed hydration port; not necessarily revolutionary additions to a backpack but done in a way that illustrates how getting the basics spot-on can elevate a product above any competition that might’ve become distracted by a superfluous gimmick.

The Alpkit Ibex has a removable back stiffener with a central alloy strut that can be moulded to your profile. Photo: Chris Johnson

The Alpkit Ibex is a simple yet effective backpack that you're going to love. Photo: Chris Johnson

Made in the UK, the Alpkit Ibex is the ideal backpack for adventures in the British Isles. Photo: Chris Johnson

The Ibex is a lightweight climbing sack designed to swallow all your gear with the minimum of fuss. Photo: Chris Johnson

One of our favourite things about the Ibex is that it can, if you so choose, be fully stripped down to the most minimal and lightweight sack imaginable. Like Kurt Cobain switching between the full-on noise of ‘In Utero’ to the back-to-basics acoustic sound of ‘Unplugged in New York’, the Ibex can be as complicated or as uncomplicated as you want it to be.

Rather usefully, the Ibex is available in two back lengths. Why exactly? Well, because people have different back lengths (obviously). That and, well, some climbers favour wearing packs higher on the back during ascents. Speaking of backs, this product’s removable back stiffener has a central alloy strut that can be moulded to your profile when your bag is loaded up for adventures.

The Ibex comes with Alpkit’s 25-year Alpine Bond warranty. Seams are double-stitched, load-bearing straps are sewn into the seams, and all the contact points here are bar-tacked. This is a bag made in Britain, and one that’s made to last.