Backpacks

Jack Wolfskin Eco Loader 24 Pack | Review

You know algae – that green slimy stuff that lives in ponds? This pack is made out of it...

Why We Chose It: Eco-friendly, functional
Price: £90
Weight: 870g

Jack Wolfskin have gone to some impressive lengths to make sure this pack’s impact on the environment is as low as possible. But what’s perhaps even more impressive is that those efforts towards sustainability haven’t been at the detriment to the pack’s performance, as can often be the case.

What’s It Best Suited To?

The Eco Loader’s 24-litre capacity makes it the perfect size for any day-long outdoor escapes. You’ll comfortably be able to fit your lunch, a few warm layers and a thermos flask inside with space for any extras as well. I can see myself mainly using this for hikes, but I’ve also found it suitable as a running pack as well. There are also traits that I think will suit climbers too.

The S-shaped zip opens the back right up so save you digging around for small items. Photo: Chris Johnson

The Features

Aside from the impressive eco-credentials (which I’ll get to in a bit), the most eye-catching thing about this bag has got to be that main zip. While it might be unconventional, the design is actually quite useful, with the four zip toggles giving you the potential to open up the top, or the base, or you can open up the whole front of the pack if you’re really struggling to find that loose headtorch.

This long zip is a potential flash point for water ingress, but fortunately there’s a waterproof cover stowed in the base so you can keep the pack covered up when any rain arrives.

Other details include a zipped pocket for your phone and other valuables that’s concealed at the side of the pack for quick and easy access. There’s also a bladder pouch on the inside and a little Velcro tab that you can attach your keys or a headtorch to.

The back system is fairly basic, involving an internal back panel with light foam padding and then a foam padded harness as well. There’s a stretchy slidable strap on the sternum and then a very simple removable hipbelt made from webbing.

Why We Chose The Jack Wolfskin Eco Loader 24 For Our Green Gear Guide

According to Jack Wolfskin, this whole pack is made from 100% recycled and sustainable materials. 18 recycled, post-consumer plastic bottles went into making it’s durable synthetic fabric for instance, then there’s the foam in the back and on the shoulders which is made from algae.

Using algae has a number of useful benefits in regards to sustainability. First of all, it’s renewable and provides an alternative to CO2 producing plastics, but then there’s also the fact that in many water sources, algae is growing too fast and it therefore needs to be removed in order to allow other marine life to survive. The main reason it’s growing too fast? As usual, it’s a man-made problem thanks to fertiliser run off from agricultural and industrial processes.

Don’t worry, the Eco Loader doesn’t look like it’s made from algae. It doesn’t smell like it either.

The eco-credentials of the Eco Loader don’t stop there. It’s also bluesign approved and it’s completely free from any of those nasty environmental hazardous PFCs that are often used to make outdoor products water resistant.

Verdict

Having run with this, I’ve found there isn’t much airflow going on – it’s a pretty basic back system. It does help to manage fairly heavy loads though and it keeps things from digging into your back. Overall the pack is durable, it’s functional, and those eco-efforts are mightily impressive, so the Ecoloader gets a thumbs up from me.

More info: jack-wolfskin.co.uk