Product Review: OverBoard Pro-Light Waterproof Backpack: 20L
Let's take a look at the OverBoard Pro-Light waterproof backpack. It's made from a slightly lighter weight and more pliable material than the rest of the OverBoard range and it's packed full of features. At the front you'll find bungees to attach a bike helmet or lightweight jacket and also a zipped mesh pocket. The Pro-Light has meshed drinks bottle holders on both sides. Handy for longer day trips.
Against the spine is a long zipped pocket for a drinks bladder. You've got padded and vented shoulder straps, gear loops and a clip for the drinks bladder tube. There is an adjustable a sternum buckle which can be moved some 10cm up and down the shoulder straps for comfort. The sternum buckle also features an inbuilt emergency whistle. The adjustable waist strap is easily removable (personally I've taken it off as I use this backpack for carrying my laptop, so I stripped off additional straps). There are also optional straps you can sack, simply pinch the top against the stiffener, and roll it down tightly three to four times before securing with the buckle. Ideally roll it down tightly onto the contents inside as it this positive pressure that creates a tight seal. Finally smooth the Velcro strap down over the top to keep your pack nice and neat.
As you can see, it's a neat little backpack. We tend to call the 20 litres the Goldilocks size because they are impossible to overfill. You can put everything you needed for a day trip without it getting too heavy; sandwiches, change clothes, towel if you're going swimming, that kind of thing. We find 20 Litres is a good size to have on your back all day. It's comfortable and won't get too heavy.
30 Litres is great if you need a little more volume. Perfect if you commute to university or the office and carry a laptop and a bit more gear in there.
OverBoard also do a 45 litre version in the Classic waterproof backpacks - perfect if you really need to haul a lot of gear. It's great for doing a bit of wild camping and going away for a few days, that kind of thing.
So these rucksacks are 100% waterproof, and they're rated to IP66. So briefly submersible. We wouldn't hold it under the water for any length of time. Because as you'll see, if you hold it under a little bit of air can bleed out of the role top seal here, which means that water can be getting in just a tiny tiny trickle. But as you'll see, when we throw it in the water, it floats to with the seal well clear of the waterline, so no concerns of water ingress anywhere.
Like all of the top o the range bags that we sell, the material panels are fused together using radio frequency waves to effectively create one solid piece of material. So it's completely impervious to water.
Lets test this product!
I've held the backpack under the water for 10 - 15 seconds and you can see a small stream of bubbles escaping from the rolled seal.
We've done the test so we can show you just how waterproof these bags are. Let's open it up and have a look inside. Looking inside and you can see there's a wee bit of moisture in around the seal but it's literally is only a trickle
There's a tiny bit of moisture in around sale. But it's it really is pretty minor. So if you had this in a boat, for example, and you're getting waves thrown over it there will be no ingress at all. They're really really good piece of kit. In fact all of OverBoard's waterproof kit is really good. You just have to remember to give it a good three or four rolls, tight rolls. Secure the buckle and that keeps it watertight.
