ProView – Thule AllTrail 10L Review

Legs burning, I hike up the dusty, desert trail above Payahüünadü and the White Mountains. The high ridgelines of the Sierra Crest peek out from behind the desert hills, coated in winter white. My Thule AllTrail 10L Hydration Pack is snug against my back as I charge uphill. There’s no need to pause to mess around with my hydration hose as I take a sip of water: the magnetic ReTrakt system allows my hose to snap back into place as I release it. Gone are the days of fiddling my hydration hose back into place, or dealing with it flopping around on my chest as I hike, bike, or ski. Little backpack, full value: meet the Thule AllTrail 10L Hydration Pack. 

Best Use for This Pack

The AllTrail 10L pack is an excellent choice for day-to-day use, hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and other low-impact activities. As an admin at an outdoor education organization, I appreciated the high versatility of this pack for day hikes and skis on scouting trips, school visits, and heading to the coffee shop to get some computer work done. 

Comfort and Fit

I found the Thule AllTrail 10L hydration pack to be quite comfortable for the activities I used it for. As a 5’ tall woman, I thought the structured and somewhat stiff, air mesh back panel was a bit long for my torso. I don’t think this would be a problem for taller folks, but I did notice that the slightly too-long back panel impacted my comfort while using this pack. That said, the back panel was structured but well-padded. While I wouldn’t use it for climbing, or any activities in which I need more free torso movement, I found it to be a good back panel for hiking, nordic skiing, and mountain biking.

The shoulder straps on this pack are low-profile and comfortable with minimal padding. There was nothing especially notable about these shoulder straps.

The pack has a removable hip belt for extra stability while mountain biking or doing higher impact activities. I personally removed the hip belt for most use cases, as I found it to be unnecessary due to the small size of the backpack. The hip belt is very long and highly adjustable for a wide range of hip sizes. On me, this meant that there was a lot of extra material hanging down due to my narrow hips.

While I could take or leave the hip belt, I found the sternum strap to be very useful. It helped keep the pack secure on my back while skiing, hiking, or checking out sites for future outdoor education programs. The sternum strap is located on a slider that can be adjusted up and down to find the perfect fit. 

Features and Organization

The ReTrakt hydration system was easily my favorite feature of this pack. The system features a magnetic sleeve around the hydration hose that snaps right back into place on the fabric-covered magnetic strip on the shoulder strap. Once I finish taking a drink of water, I can let go of the hose and allow it to snap into place, no fumbling required. The ReTrakt system also kept my hydration hose out of the way while hiking, biking, or skiing, with no need for adjustment and re-adjustment throughout the day.

The AllTrail hydration backpack has a low-capacity main pocket and a dedicated internal pocket for the Hydrapak hydration reservoir that comes with the backpack. The main pocket has relatively low capacity. I was able to store a 2.5L hydration reservoir, a fleece jacket, a mini first aid kit, and a few other essentials. It also easily fit an 11 inch MacBook Air.  The pack is a good size for a casual day hike or bike ride, but not the pack for a big day out. 

The hydration pocket easily fits the 2.5L reservoir that the pack comes with, but could also work well with a smaller or less-full reservoir. An integrated hook system at the top of the pocket allows you to ensure your reservoir won’t slump down and fold during use.

Outside of the hydration pocket, the pack features a small, zippered, mesh internal pocket. This pocket is just big enough to put my whole hand into, and is best for a few snacks.

On the exterior of the pack, there is another zippered pocket for small-but-important items. This pocket features a clip for storing keys securely while out on the trail. An internal mesh pocket with two sides can be used to store a tube of chapstick, earbuds, a phone, or anything else you might want easily accessible throughout the day.

The pack also has two external side pockets that I found too small and insecure to be useful. I could fit three fingers into this pocket, but could barely reach the bottom of it. The only items I would feel comfortable putting in these pockets would be a granola bar or two, due to the lack of space or a zipper. I wished that these external pockets were larger and more secure while out using this pack, especially since they’re too small to fit a small water bottle into.

Style, Versatility, and Durability

This pack, much like the rest of Thule’s line-up, is sleek and attractive, with Thule’s typical no-frills design. It looks nice for a day out and about, but is plenty functional for low-impact aerobic activities. Additionally, I loved the “Pond” color of my hydration pack.

The pack is highly versatile for low-impact, aerobic activities and day-to-day use. I used my AllTrail 10L Hydration pack for a scouting trip that involved hiking in the desert, cross-country skiing in the mountains, and a visit to Manzanar National Historic site. It felt like a good choice for a wide variety of temperatures and exertion levels, with enough space for all of my frontcountry essentials. That said, it only has space for one to two layers, so choose wisely depending upon your day’s mission!

I had no durability issues with this backpack, and found it to be made of typical Thule high-quality materials. The pack outer is durable water repellant (DWR) coated polyester. While certainly not waterproof, it did okay at repelling minor splashes of water. 

Friendliness to the Earth

Thule is working to be an environmentally friendly company through durable design, sustainable material choice, and energy-efficient manufacturing. This pack is bluesign certified®, adhering to international criteria built to protect workers, consumers, and the environment. Additionally, Thule set the goal of reducing CO2 emissions from their facilities by 65% in comparison to 2014, and to source 75% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025. Finally, the company is committed to purchasing electricity exclusively from renewable sources. By 2020, 99% of Thule’s energy originated from these renewable sources, setting a high bar for environmental sustainability.

The Final Word

This versatile hydration pack is an excellent choice for the day hiker, mountain biker, or cross country skier. It also works well as a casual pack for everyday life, from walking a neighborhood trail to heading to the coffee shop. The ReTrakt hydration system kept the hydration hose out of the way with no need to fumble around throughout a hike or bike ride. Thule’s ever-sleek design is attractive, practical, and versatile for the day hiker, nordic skier, or mountain biker. 

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