Proviz Reflect360 Touring Backpack

Lightweight and comfortable to carry, the Proviz Reflect360 Touring Backpack delivers a lot more than just high-visibility for cycling adventures and commuting.

Proviz's USP is its 'Reflect360' material, which it incorporates lavishly into its extensive range of clothing for cycling, running and more. My immediate suspicion is always that form and function will come a poor second to the all-embracing aim of getting you seen on the roads. Fortunately, Proviz seems wise to the importance of its products being good kit in all respects.

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Reflect360 uses microscopic glass beads to create a highly reflective fabric which is still soft and flexible enough to incorporate into garments. In this case it forms most of the outer pocket on the pack and lights up like some demon owl when you turn a beam on it. That's great for night-time riding and, if you commute through the winter, is enough in itself to recommend it. In dull conditions, though, it turns a sort of dove-grey colour that's not especially eye-catching.

The first impression I got on picking up this backpack was of its remarkably low weight. This is mainly down to the lightweight nylon used in construction. This is thin and rustly and I was suspicious that it might not be up to anything more than light duties. On the road that's not an issue – it's more than robust enough for commuting and touring duties. However, as I also found out, it survived some rough-and-tumble in the woods and heather on a few mountain bike outings with no ill-effect. The longer I used this bag, the more I came to trust it.

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The fabric is also quite water-resistant (Proviz claims waterproof) but the zips are not; so while it will shrug off showers, in persistent rain it's as well to fit the supplied rain cover. This is of the usual 'large shower cap' variety and lives in its own zipped pocket at the outside bottom of the bag for easy access. Once in place, of course, it covers up all that reflective fabric. Proviz also makes reflective covers which you could buy separately, priced from £19.99.

The main compartment is rectangular with an enormously long zip that comes three-quarters of the way down each side, which makes it easy to empty quickly – maybe a bit too easy, mind your valuables don't fall out, especially as there are no zipped pockets inside.

It carries plenty of gear: I was able to fit in tools, a waterproof jacket and a lightweight down jacket with room to spare.

That extra space can be used to hold a water bladder, which slips into its own pocket at the back of the main compartment. This worked well with my Camelbak 2 litre bladder. There's a Velcro loop to put through the bladder hook and keep everything stable. The hose exits through a hole at the top which is well covered to prevent rain leaking in but a bit of a tight squeeze for the right-angled valve to go through. It did, though.

The outer pocket is half-length and sits high up, which could upset the stability a bit if filled with heavy items, but why would you? There are two mesh pockets and a full-width nylon inner pocket for food, wallet and the like, while the outer pocket itself has ample space for gloves, hats and so on. It doesn't have expansion panels at the side, so once filled it tends to encroach a bit into the space of the main compartment. Even so, there's plenty of room for all manner of day-rides or as supplementary carrying capacity for touring or adventure riding.

There are compression straps at the shoulders, sides and bottom of the pack to snug everything down and these have strap tidies to prevent unwanted flappage. The waist strap does not, unfortunately, so a couple of stray ends of dangle there, though I didn't notice them in use.

The waist strap incorporates two zipped pockets, a handy feature I've seen on some Osprey packs and a good place to stick the car keys if you forget to put them away before you put the rucksack on, which I always do. The bag is supplied with a separate pouch for mobile phones or cameras which attaches to the shoulder strap. I didn't get one so I can't report on how that worked, but it certainly adds to the excellent value of the product.

Also at the sides, we find bottle pockets which make this a good walking pack too. I found these a tight fit for a standard cycling bottle and taller ones tend not to sit very deep, but the side compression straps help to make it secure. Up top, there's a grab handle that you'll find surprisingly useful.

Once on, the pack can be easily adjusted using the shoulder, waist and chest straps. This only needed doing the first time really. I was able to get this to sit just 'so', even on my 6ft 3in frame. The chest strap is elasticated, which is just as well as it's quite short. If you are barrel-chested, check there's enough for your requirements.

On the bike, I was really impressed with the fit and stability of the Proviz. It hugs the back very well and never moved, whether I was in the drops or rattling over some roots on the mountain bike. Although the shoulder straps are only lightly padded, they never cut in. In fact, more than once I had to check that I actually had the thing on. That's always a good metric.

The pack is stiffened with a flexible internal board, backed with foam pad that's cut with ventilation holes. Despite this, I found I had a clammy back at the end of rides. That's not really a major issue as I find this even with packs designed to sit away from the back with a nylon mesh for ventilation. Sweating is a part of cycling.

Despite its lightweight construction, Proviz seems confident that this pack is up to the real outdoors. Why else would it incorporate a rescue whistle in the chest strap clip?

Value

You can buy cheaper rucksacks, but I think the Proviz is great value for what you get – Rivelo's Coombe Dry, with its reflective patches front and rear, is twice the price at £100, and the Osprey Escapist 18 is £85. The Deuter Race X is lighter at 550g, but heavier on the pocket at £64.99.

Conclusion

I like the Proviz, it's a really good backpack for a variety of uses. The construction and finish is nothing fancy but it certainly seems strong, which is the main thing, as I like any plastic product I buy these days to have a long life.

Verdict

For cycle commuting to touring, walking or even a little off-road action, this bag performs well above its weight