UKC

"Built To Send have created a surprisingly simple piece of equipment, but one made from the highest quality materials, and with a level of care and deliberation that sets it apart" says Toby Archer. If you too favour the unashamedly durable and functional (at a price), then step this way... 

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I met a couple of lads in Italy in Sept. who were using something similar & turned out to be the manufacturers (www.parbat.it). I was well-taken with their enthusiasm & the product itself looked excellent - a comparison might be interesting.

Great write up. I have a similar design Montane Ultra Alpine that's made of this VX fabric and it is very tough. The one on the Montane pack is the less hard wearing VX 21 which I'm guessing they used to get the pack weight down. I had a dig around and this material isn't cheap to buy in its raw form.

When will you be getting on vid to do your reviews? I recon you could pull it off.

Seconded!

Do you know what? With this 2009 review https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/clothing/waterproofs/westcomb_specter_lt_ho... I reckon I might have been the first UKC reviewer to use video in a review! There are lots with video now, it's just the core UKC team have much higher production values than I've ever managed! :⁠-⁠)

No chance, not due to price, features, durability or anything sensible, I just cannot condone the company name.

Built to send, ffs

The rather silly name was much discussed believe me!

If you'd like to support the company but aren't so keen on the "Built to send" message, you can always purchase one of their "WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW." t-shirts...

I always expected the core climbing crowd to be influenced by quality, not brand names. 

I am mildly taken aback by this too.

It seems like a quality product, made my a pretty small/specialist brand, and rather than focussing on that product - or that brand - we're talking about whether or not we'd buy it on the basis of their name.

What is it they say about books and covers?!

I see that they're UK based. Unless they expanded from manufacturing Royal Mail bags, what are they sending? And where?

It is maybe a bit of a silly name for a UK company, but we all know what it means by now. 

No one is going to mock you for climbing in an old quarry whilst wearing a Mountain Equipment fleece, despite the quarry being nowhere near a quarry. I've never seen anyone hopping between climbing venues just because they are wearing Craghopper trousers. You don't have to only use your Berghaus rucky in Austria, Germany or the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. I could go on, but I'm sure you'll be happy if I don't.  

What I'm a bit surprised about with the responses to the review, is that no one yet has gone "HOW MUCH FOR A FLIPPING RUCKSACK???!!!???" Perhaps I have actually dealt with the price question adequately in the review!

Hoping next weekend I might actually get chance to strap my ice tools to it and wear it up a winter route of some description. I will report back if I find anything like it's really easy to lose a white pack in a snow drift...

Indeed - and yes I see few arguments about "Beanies" really being mountain equipment or whether sandals are really suitable for the "North Face" or whether you can really climb that hard when you're wearing an "E9" t-shirt. 

The grumpiness of some people beggars belief.. 

Just don't leave it at bottom of crag, you won't see it (being white of course).

Stuart 

Enjoyed this typo!

Built to Send is a pretty awful name but not as bas the use of "rucky". Ergh!

Does it beggar belief or more 'harsh your buzz, bro'?

What you and Toby are talking about is a different kettle of fish (e.g. naming a laptop bag 'Everest') and has been done by outdoor brands basically forever, to make their kit sound like it can perform at the pinnacle of the sport. Though I'm sure adopting daft Youtube slang is bound to get more folks in London to buy them for strutting around the tube, with their rolled-up fisherman hats and twizzly mustaches.

My opinion is that there's more to it than a name. It's a cycle: brands frame their image around a certain ideology or message to sell their products, and then consumers purchasing those products reinforce that ideology. This is an example of a company which has chosen to build a gung-ho image with in-your-face branding, and I think we all know the target market. Climbing has come a long way in the last decade in terms of attitudes towards inclusivity, but there is still a long way to go. If you are a first-timer showing up at the crag or climbing wall to find everyone unironically wearing "RELEASE THE BEAST" and "WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW" t-shirts, packing their kit into "BUILT TO SEND" rucksacks, are you going to feel as though there's a place for you in this community? It probably depends on who you are, i.e. your demographic- and I don't think that's a good thing.

Do I want a new rucksack? Yes. Do I want it to be durable? Absolutely. Do I think this looks like a good product? Certainly.

Do I want to use my purchasing power to promote this particular brand's message? Nope.

You’ve read an awful lot into the name! What is their message? I’ve followed them on Instagram for a while and haven’t really noticed one

I've not seen any of their social media content, so my previous comment is based on their website and products. The t-shirt examples I gave are genuine.

Each to their own - if I was buying a T-Shirt, I'd do it elsewhere. If I liked the bag I'd buy it and forget about the little tag on it (or cut it off it proceeded to wind me up so much).

Depriving myself of a good product under the premise that I'll create a better climbing community is beyond what I think is sensible (or possible)

Tim

So they are! I’d not seen them, not really my thing but I do like the rucksack and the name, I thought it sounded purposeful rather than macho.

I don't think you are taking my comment in the spirit in which it was meant.

Send is one of the more ridiculous phrases used in climbing, it's nonsensical nature leads to it being reviled but it also lends itself all too easily to piss taking.

It is not difficult to imagine the roars of laughter and ribbing when one of these is spotted in the wild.

Did our forefathers despair of us with equal.measure when in the.80s we all started calling each other "youth"?

I hope they did.

Yeah, the pragmatist in me is telling me to just crack on regardless and buy one. Points one to three may well outweigh my idealism in the end.

Or if UK made and durable are big selling points to you may I suggest looking into Lochaber Mountain designs?

 https://lochabermountaindesign.co.uk/alpine-rucksack/

A fully custom 40l alpine/winter workhouse bag for £240.. 60 squids cheaper than this offering. And ~250g lighter. And better colours. 

Shameless promo I know but can't get more micro-company than sewn out by a bloke named will out of a bedroom in Fort William. And the bags are genuinely really good. Shown by plenty of decent "sends" they've accompanied on thus far...

Those look very nice!

Summiteer also looked good and significantly cheaper but their website seems to have disappeared. I'm very happy to see ukc reviewing smaller and newer brands like these, even if there's no way I can afford to fork out £300 on another day pack.

Have top-end packs stopped using dyneema/Cuban fibre now? It was all the rage for a while and still seems to be in the US. 

I think you'll find most people are concentrating on enjoying their outdoor time rather than looking for opportunities to piss take and look down on people.

I don't know why you get downvotes for that - I'm glad I don't climb with people who look for marginal excuses to belittle me. Normally our pisstaking is a bit of mutual fun and if it was ever painful enough to make me think about changing my life choices, I'd find a new partner.

Unfortunately some people find more joy in putting others down than doing anything themselves...

Piss taking can be great fun for both parties but you need to know the person. If someone walked up to me at the crag and did it they'd get called a knob, if one of my old school friends did it they'd get something right back along with a good laugh.

I have seen some really good feedback on them and did take a look when replacing my rucksack a few months ago, but didn't have the dosh available.

I like that. I've been a fabrics geek for many years having built all sorts of stuff, and the fabric options offered are reassuring that he has put the work and knows what he's doing, at least when it comes to materials.

Still nothing beats a chunky cordura for ruggedness, and still nothing beats dyneema x-grid for a weight/durability coompromise. DP's VX fabrics are gimmicks that look good but don't last well and are overtly heavy for what you get. There is a reason you don't see major manufacturers using them and it ain't cost.

This is interesting - what do you base that on? What is it that you (or someone) sees as gimmicky? So far the pack is resisting wear very well, but I totally accept it is probably still only about 6 months I've been using the pack.

It seems Built to Send have been using the fabric for some time, do you reckon they are seeing returns? If they are I wonder why they still using the fabric if it doesn't last well?

Whilst I see your point Rob, I think it's quite naive to think that brand identity (perceived or otherwise) is not a significant factor in influencing purchasing decisions. There is a certain American clothing/equipment brand that I would not wear due to (in my mind at least!) the brand being associated with certain negatively perceived section of society, that despite me also being very aware that the brand produces top level gear used by professionals on some of the most challenging environments/routes on earth.

I don't know how it compares directly but I have a Grivel pack (Zen) made out of VX-21 and it has lasted very well. The VX-42 is a beefier version, so I don't know why it wouldn't be bomber as a material. 

It looks like a great bag, one that would last a while, I like the simple design, not too dissimilar to the stuff Karrimor was putting out at their peak with the Hot ice/rock/route bags - single compartment, bullet proof fabric, webbing/ladders for excess kit, simple hip belt. The top design is better as you can overpack it without busting the zip on the top pocket though.

The main thing that would put me off is the colour!  It's a shame that the VX42 fabric doesn't have more options aside from white, black or grey. I don't want a completely black bag & I'm guessing that the white becomes a dirty light brown colour after a few trips?

    

That's a much wider point than the one I was intending to make, but I completely agree - branding plays an absolutely huge role within the decision making process. It's interesting looking at the results of the various readership surveys we've run for this very reason, as you can see the ebb and flow of what's in and out of favour. Always interesting to analyse why (or at least it is if you're into thinking about this sort of stuff, which we are - if not, it'd be extremely boring).

I was waiting for someone to bring up the XPAC. IMO laminates are not the best choice for climbing backpacks as they are not as abrasion resistant for their weight than something like PU coated Nylon Cordura, and also cost a lot more. VX42 is still a significant improvement in terms of durability vs the standard 210D ripstop nylon used by most in the commercial outdoor industry however, so fair play for that. I just think that much better options exist. I could go into this in more detail but will spare you all. Laminates do look very nice though. 

I personally think that quite a few climbers will struggle to relate to Built to Sends brand image. It’s more than the terrible name, it’s the awful t shirts and the marketing. For example they describe XPAC VX42 as one of the toughest materials on the planet, which is obviously untrue.

However, I love the minimalist design of their packs and I love that they’re a small company manufacturing in the UK. 

Also thanks for the shout out Gemma.

Ooooh, you are gonna regret asking that and bringing out my nerdiness. (And this written before i was about to post, yes, i overdid it. Couldn't control myself, haha)

Gimmicky in the sense that looks hi-tech and it for sure looks the business. This originated as a sail reinforcing fabric (just mylar and the polyester x plys) which people started using in packs, DP saw the business opportunity, and it exploded due to its characteristic look. But its performance and specs are anything to write home about.

Going by the specs so you don't have to take my word for it (i have actually tested this and other vx fabrics as has many people),

https://www.x-pac.com/product/vx42/

it weighs a smidge under 300g a metre (297 to be exact), whch is nearly 50% heavier than a beefy 500d cordura (210ish). Even 1000d cordura (as used by that Lochaber outfit above), which is the heaviest thing you'll come across in a pack and will survive a nuclear holocaust, only weighs a little more, at between 310 and 350g/m depending on the coating (so far as you don't go the full TPU coating way) so the difference between a pack made with vx42 and one made with cordura 1000d is 100g at most.

That's a lot of weight for an 'utralight' pack.

Does the weight = durability? Not really. VX42 achieves 1700 taber cycles on the abrasion tests, a cordura 500 and up will get several thousands (this cordura 500 @~230g/m gets a claimed 10,000, but i suspect som bs there https://www.eastexproducts.com/products/500d-nylon )

Tear strength, the VX42 gets 31.2 warp and 21.6 fill LBS. Cordura 500 gets around 40/40, cordura 1000 gets 70/70 .

So the VX fabric is heavier, less abrasion resistant and weaker than old school cordura. Were they to use cordura 500, it would be lighter, stronger and more durable. Maybe it wouldn't look 'built to send' though.

Looking at a lighter fabric (not ultralight by any means), take this for example .https://www.challenge-outdoor.com/ultra-collection

Ultra 400 is 158gsm, 8,800 Cycles, and Warp: 187.7 lb , Fill 161.1 lb That's half the weight of vx42, 6 times more abrasion resistant, and a hell of a lot stronger in tear strength.

Going ultralight, Ultra 100 is 99gsm, 3,600 Cycles and Warp: 69.4 lb , Fill 89.6 lb. Beats the VX all over, just doesn't look space age

Ultragrid as used by that other outfit is in the middle. At 158gsm it's half the weight of VX, tear strength beats it all over (apparently "don't  tear" https://www.challenge-outdoor.com/ultra-grid ) and it's a little less abrasion resistant at 1100 cycles, which is due to the face nylon being recycled. Classic dyneema x-grid fabrics have a nylon 6.6 face fabric which achieves 2 to 3000 cycles. I got an original POD black ice made with the og x-grid which is still going strong after 15+ years of heavy abuse.

So basically, the VX fabrics don't offer any performance benefits that other fabric don't beat, and it's mainly due to its construction, and the sail heritage they come from.

They are a sandwich of 3 'fabrics'. A face fabric which is the one taking the abrasion and offering most the strength. (a 420d nylon in this case), a plastic film that offers waterproofness, and an inner lining to protect the film, plus the x ply reinforcements.

The inside taffeta lining offers nothing other than protection for the film, so that's dead weight and no performance benefits. The film offers waterproofness, which is nice, but it's not very waterproof once you make holes with a needle and have a big ol' hole at the top. It also separates when a seam is overloaded.

So what you end up with, out of those 300 grams a m2 fabric, is a 420d fabric which is not even made with nylon 6.6 as the top performing fabrics are, the rest is just extra bagage.

Then the reinforcement X, being sandwiched in between, offers less reinforcement and protection than a tighter ripstop would but to boot the raised profile creates wear points for it to concentrate abrasion, which combined with the fabric retains crease memory means that it wears off faster than on paper.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that the fabric is made of tissue paper and will fall apart in 2 outings.But it is the wrong fabric if you want to market something as being durable or light.

I just did

Proper rant that, good work!

I really don't see what this sack has to offer over and above other sacks,.... from Aiguille Alpine for example....

Barbeg

I wasn't aware of that wee outfit, cheers for the link Gemma, and great to hear from Will too. I'll take a look.

Mr Lopez- holy moly! That's quite the tome of useful information. Thanks for passing that on. I'm reminded of the deep dive that slingfin did on tent materials and UV (https://www.slingfin.com/blogs/the-beta/uv-and-u-tent-fabrics-and-sun-damag... for the fellow gear nerds).

Toby- great review. The price question is an interesting one- what was insanely expensive not so long ago is gradually becoming normalised. A Crux AK47 retails at 369 quid these days! I've been using a second-hand pack for most adventures in the last decade. It has had a few major repairs but put up with heaps of abuse and outlasted many of my friends' rucksacks- several times over in some cases. If I can buy one do-everything rucksack to replace it which lasts a decade, a mere £20-30 per year for the privilege of owning such a reliable piece of kit would be well worth it.

Built to send: if you're reading this, thanks for putting together a product that seems to be durable, minimalistic and functional. The market needs more of this philosophy, and it looks like an awesome range of rucksacks. However, the impression I got when visiting your website has put me off, particularly your t-shirt branding. I'm left with the feeling that you have made some assumptions about the sort of people who will need your equipment which, in my view, are outdated. I would be more inclined to buy your rucksacks if I felt as though you were aiming your brand at everyone who is looking for uncompromisingly functional and durable kit to use in the mountains- not exclusively those who like to take their tops off and do pull ups till they puke. And yes, some exaggeration for effect, but you get the gist.

£299 Wow. Built to Spend...

The Arc'teryx Alpha FL 30/40 is hard to beat if you're patient and pick one up when they're in the outlet sale. I paid a little over 100 quid for my 30. Light, simple, durable, good tool/crampon attachments, no extra faff, comfy. Job done.

The price of everything has gone up markedly over last 2-3yrs but outdoor kit seems to have even more so ! Even 'entry level' winter hardshells, for example, are now around 300 quid.

Amazing. Great stuff. That is exactly why Cordura and UltraGrid are (for me) the best options. UltraWeave has amazing stats but doesn't come in bright colours and is too expensive.

Good to see minimal complaints about cost. I wonder if people realise where their gear is made when they complain so much about price. Someone in the comments for the UKC mountain pack comparison review was insistant that a mountain pack should cost under a hundred quid. These packs are all made by human sewing machine operators, not by robots. So in that statement you are effectively demanding someone is paid a slave wage.

If we want to talk about good value I would recommend looking at Aiguille Alpine, they are amazing value (sub £200) for a bombproof made-in-UK product. My own products are a little more expensive but more custom.

I suspect that one of the reason why Aiguille Alpine aren't particularly expensive is that they have a core range that is essentially unchanged for many years - possibly decades with some models! I'm sure they work great and some people love them, so why change something that works? But obviously some cost come down as you keep producing the same product.

Whilst I take your point I think that might be being a bit unfair to at least some of the smaller more specialist companies with a brand reputation they need to defend. I remember interviewing the founders of Jottnar back when they had only just started, and Tommy told me that they, as a small company, couldn't survive an "ethics scandal" either in terms of labour conditions or environmental standards so they had used various third party services to audit the companies they were working with in China to ensure they wouldn't be exposed in that way, and that the people making their clothing were treated well and paid fairly. Of course people get paid less in the Far East than employees here in the UK, but that is not necessarily "slave wages". Of course there are case of that, but fortunately it seems less common after the Nike sweatshop exposes of 20 years ago.

You can get a decent climbing pack for under 100 quid if you go to Decathlon I guess. Decathlon obviously produce on a scale as big or bigger than anyone else, but they also seem quite keen to prove their environmental and fair labour standards these days.

This is really fascinating although the one bit of your argument that I might push back on is this bit:

Maybe it's just me but I'm not sure it does that much better, or indeed better at all, than other modern pack fabrics. So if that was the primary reason Built to Send picked that fabric, it hasn't worked on me. As I said in the review the best word I could come up with to describe the over all aesthetic of the pack is "agricultural". That's maybe being a bit mean, but I'm sure you take my point. From the photos, Will's Lochaber Design packs look great using a different fabric. I don't know, but I suspect Built to Send probably are aware of the alternative fabrics out there, it would be interesting to hear from them if they could explain why they went for the VX fabric over competitor products. 

As a nerd I bet you would admire the seam sewing on the X2 - it is very clean looking, quite hard to see where they are.  So as long as the seams keep going, and remain as tight as they are now, that it is a manufacturing detail that is admirable.

Yes maybe, but i guess that's where market targeting comes in. A lot of people thinks it looks awesome, obviouly the guys at BtS think is awesome, and it still is a very popular fabric in the MYOG community

. Hell, i think it looks awesome. I also think those "welcome to the gunshow" tee shirts are awesome, so there is that.

Don't understimate the nerdiness of a nerd. I painstakingly align panels to make sure the ripstop weaves align from panel to panel to get a proper seamless look. I'm weird like that

For me as a total layman, the newish fabrics feel a little crinkly and brittle. I have a Dyneema bag and a VX bag and the one with the big rip-stop cross grid makes me feel like it would be more durable and resistant to small inevitable holes becoming massive gashes. It gives the impression that it will isolate any damage to a small, patchable space. 

I have no knowledge on fabrics and deep down inside I know that the Dyneema bag is the more-bomberer of the two, but my first impression was the other way around. 

I'll very much depend on what 'dyneema fabric' it is, but if it is the mostly dyneema type fabrics then you are correct it'll be less durable than VX.

Dyneema by itself is a horrible material for a fabric . It's very slippery so it can't be woven and hold the shape. Coatings won't readily remain attached to it so that can't be used to hold the weave, and so it's mainly laminated to a carrier film (cuben/dcf/etc.). You won't be able to tear through a fibre, but the fibres will separate leaving behind the same result, a gaping hole.

As it depends on the fibers being stuck, the dyneema layer also tends to be thin, so not very abrasion resistant. Also it's very non-stretchy, so seams are challenging and have to rely mainly on taping.

Dyneema excels when mixed with other fibers. As a reinforcement ripstop, or sometimes with a more heavy density of dyneema to polyester/nylon.

For example https://www.facebook.com/ripstopbytheroll/videos/2769763233068497/