ProView – Thule Alltrail Hydration Backpack 22L Review

The Thule AllTrail Hydration 22L is the perfect pack for just about any non-technical adventure you can think of from hiking to skiing to traveling and everything in-between. Loaded with well thought out features, just the right amount of space, and sleek design, you’ll find you rarely leave home without this pack. Nice enough to show up to the office with, yet rugged enough to go on an evening adventure; the opportunities to use this pack are endless.

When people think of Alaska, they picture mountains. While we do have many magnificent mountains that offer unlimited adventures, we also have many bodies of water. During the winter when everything freezes over and you can travel over these waterbodies, access is opened up to virtually anywhere. Ice skating across frozen lakes, skiing over swamps, fat biking through frozen sloughs, and chasing the northern lights are just a few of the many adventures I took this pack on. It was small enough for efficient travel, yet roomy enough to pack the appropriate gear to ensure my safety for the selected outing.

Weight/Capacity

Weighing in at just a smidge over 2lbs, this pack is hardly a strain to carry. The capacity is perfect for a day out requiring a small amount of gear. One of the most important piece of “safety” gear to carry when traversing frozen water is a change of clothes just in case. In the winter, this pack easily accommodated my dry bag with spare clothes, an insulated water bottle (carried internally), binoculars, a spare puffy jacket, and a hearty lunch. I’ve also recently accepted a new position requiring me to commute to town for training. I can fit my full sized laptop, large water bottle, workout clothes with sneakers, and lunch in the main compartment. 

Features 

To say the AllTrail Hydration pack is loaded with features is an understatement. I greatly appreciated the included rain cover when encountering heavy snow squalls and its own dedicated storage pocket for safe keeping. The top pocket is great for stashing essentials such as quick snacks, GPS, and hand warmers. This pocket also has a key hook and 2 mesh pockets for further organization. Inside the main compartment, there is a dedicated space for the hydration system with a zippered mesh pocket on the front, perfect for keeping the rest of your snacks from disappearing to the bottom of your pack.

Outside of the pack, you’ll find a stash pocket on the front perfect for those layers you want easy access to. There are loops for trekking poles on the bottom of both sides of the pack and corresponding straps integrated into the front stash pocket. While they work great for their intended purpose, I found they also accommodate my tripod nicely, which is a huge help for spring bird surveys! There are two more pockets on the side great for drinks or snacks and a handle on the top making the bag easy to grab. 

The ReTrakt™ quickly became one of my favorite features once the temperatures rose above freezing. I have moved away from using hydration systems for several reasons, one of which is they can be a pain to manage. With other systems, the hose is either flopping around or tied down tightly, the reservoir slips down and is uncomfortable to carry, and/or the hose kinks up inside. The ReTrakt hose feeds out through a slot in the pack, down through a couple loops on the upper shoulder strap, clips into a hook halfway down the strap, then attaches with a magnet below that. The magnet is strong enough to hold the hose in place until you need it, then snap it back when you are done. The reservoir hangs nicely from a loop at the top inside the dedicated internal bag pocket.  There is a baffle built into the reservoir that eliminates the rounded bulge feeling, but can be opened up to increase capacity. This set up makes hydrating a breeze when hiking, biking, skiing, or just out sightseeing. 

Function/Performance

This pack never left me disappointed. The fabric does an okay job of repelling moisture on its own in the event you get caught in the weather without the rain cover on. The top load set up helps keep gear from falling out. The fabric does not snag and held up to temperatures well below zero. I found that the outer side pockets don’t quite accommodate a full-sized Nalgene bottle, but fit my Grayl Ultra Press and a can of bug spray perfectly. This set up makes it an ideal pack for my upcoming field work, which requires either working alongside water bodies or traveling to rural communities where potable water is often not available and mosquitos are abundant. 

Fit/Comfort

It took a few wears to get used to the feel of this pack as the shoulder straps sit slightly wider than other packs I own, especially if I do not use the sternum strap. The sternum strap can be slid up or down for your comfort. There is also a small but effective waist strap. With this being a smaller pack, I often did not use the waist strap and loved that it can be comfortably tucked away. The shoulder straps offer a nice amount of padding. The compact design helps keep the weight centered on your back. Though this pack offers a good amount of adjustment in the straps, it is limited enough that it might not be the best fit for a plus sized person. 

Look/Style

Despite being used daily for the last couple of months, it looks as good as new. I love the sleek look and lack of huge pockets/straps that end up getting caught. This will also make it a great pack for air travel. Yet another benefit is this pack looks nice enough to take on a business trip without giving the impression you just came off a trail. The green and white fabric lining the inside and a few hints of blue on the ReTrakt system give just a pop of color. The color selection is very neutral, but limited. It would be nice to seem some reflective material on the back of this pack since it’s a great size to use for bike commuting, but this can easily be added by the user.

Durability/Construction 

From the Thule website, “All Thule bags are rigorously tested to ensure they will stand the test of time. Our luggage even goes through an extensive 50 tests before it’s given the Thule logo.” My pack shows absolutely no wear after a couple months. Any acquired dirt or dust is easy to wipe off. Unfortunately, the first pack Thule sent me ended up having a couple defects with the ReTrakt system. Thule was quick to stand behind their warranty and replace my whole set up, leading me to believe the situation was a glitch and not a common occurrence. 

Friendliness to the Earth

Thule is part of the bluesign® system, which is, “an international standard for textile production aimed at reducing the impact of manufacturing on people and the planet.” They take seriously the concepts of respecting human rights, labor laws, health and safety, the environment, and chemicals used in the manufacture process. They also support several conservation organizations. One critique I have is the packs are mailed out in a plastic bag inside a box. I’ve seen other companies utilize recycled plastics or, even better, biodegradable plastic substitutes. While it’s great to have a long-lasting product that will likely not be destined for the landfill anytime soon, packaging should also be considered in reducing waste. 

The Final Word

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Thule AllTrail Hydration 22L to anyone looking for a good, all-around pack. I love gear that is multifunctional and long lasting. The easy to manage ReTract hydration system makes drinking on the go easier than ever. Though Thule might not be the first name that comes to mind when shopping for packs, this high quality one is certainly worth a look!

---

Shop Thule on Outdoor Prolink. Not a member? Apply today!
Check out other Thule reviews.