Gear Review: Inov-8 Race Pro 18 L

When I day hike I like to go fast and light.  I like to carry just what I need and nothing more.  I find the larger the pack I take, the more weight and unnecessary items I start to bring along.  With the Inov-8 Race Pro 18 L pack, I have just enough room for essentials.

The pieces that make the bite valve

The Inov-8 Race Pro series is a great series of packs for runners, cyclists and day hikers.  The Race Pro line comes in several volumes ranging from a 12 L to a 30 L in the pack style and two smaller fanny pack styles in a 2 L and a 4 L.  The 18 L pack comes with two hip belt pockets, one of which is mesh the other is a water resistant pocket with rubberized water-resistant zipper.  The pack has three compartments accessible from the back.  The top pocket is a small mesh stretch pocket for small items.  The main compartment contains a rubberized, water-resistant zipper and allows for access to the frame-sheet by way of a Velcro entry.  The last pocket is a mesh pocket open to the elements and has multiple access points.  The pocket has a reflective loop for visibility as well as attaching a light to it.  The hip-belt has a single adjustment point and the shoulder straps have a sternum strap to prevent slipping.  The sternum strap has an integrated whistle.  Check out the video for more details on the various features of the pack.





The pack has a unique way to store water with a uniquely designed bladder and pocket system called their “H2Orizontal Hydration System”.  The water reservoir, which comes with the pack, is very wide and sits in a pocket that spans the lumbar area of the pack as well as extending out into the hip belt.  The bladder itself, able to hold 2 L, is a top loading bladder with a fold and slide closure.  The unique design of the bladder with welded vertical bands is to prevent water from sloshing.  The hose is fixed to the bladder and comes equipped with a protective mouth covering.  The pocket for the bladder is accessible from the back under the frame-sheet.  On both sides of the bladder slot are hose access slots.  The hose comes up under the arm and attaches to the shoulder strap by two strips of elastic webbing.

The pack in use

I took this pack with me to Zion National Park in Utah on a series of day hikes.  The day of hiking totaled at least 8 mi (13 km).  The first hike up to Angel’s Landing was a little rugged over the last section requiring some hand scrambling.  I stowed my trekking poles in the back stretch pocket.  The pocket wasn’t really deep enough for this, but the few items I had inside the pocket helped stabilize the poles and hold them in place.  The pack moved well with me over the rough patches.  I hiked over the Great Arch then onto the Emerald Pools loop to complete the day.

The bladder has been great to use.  The mouth-piece took a little getting used to as it had a different mouth-feel.  But as the mouth-piece is round, there is no figuring out which way to place the hose for use.  The covering is easy to remove and replace providing great protection to the wet mouth-piece when I put my pack down.  I also didn’t have to worry about water loss on some of the dry sections I’ve hiked.

Pack sag when in use

This pack also went on a series of day hikes in Bryce Canyon.  Because I didn’t have the pack seated tight to my back, which I now do, the frame-sheet bent under the weight of the load.  I flipped the frame-sheet afterwards to no ill-effect.  On the next trips out, I cinched up the pack tighter to my back and higher on my hips for a better fit.  I did get caught out in the rain on this trip and while the rubberized zipper kept out light rain initially, water eventually worked its way into the pack with prolonged exposure to rain.

I’ve used this pack on quite a number of day hikes, in areas also including the Grand Staircase, Escalante, National Monument, the Wasatch Mountains, Rock Creek State Park, Capital Reef National Park, Tintic Mountains, Espirito Santo, Magdalena Bay and Shenandoah National Park.  It has quickly become my go to pack for three season day hikes.  It is easy to fill and regardless of how full the pack is, I have no trouble installing the bladder into the bladder pouch.  The top loading bladder makes it easy to fill and freeze.  It is best to freeze with little water in the hip-belt wings just to allow for flexibility.  I haven’t noticed any sloshing of water with the horizontal design.  I do wish the hose had a quick connect so I didn’t have to freeze the hose or remove it from the pack to refill the bladder.  Overall this has been a great pack that I feel will get many more years of use and abuse.

Inov-8 has recently upgraded the line.  Among the improvements and changes they have made to the line, one was to improve the accessibility of the bladder by adding in a zippered pocket and a mesh panel to hold the bladder in place.

Manufacturer	Inov-8
MSRP	$90 USD
Weight	Pack: 17.6 oz (499 g) Bladder: 5.4 oz (153 g) 16.6 oz (470 g) from manufacturer

This story was originally posted August 7, 2010.