• Overall Rating

  : 4 out of 5

Tatonka is a family-run German company with its own manufacturing facility in Vietnam. The company prides itself on social responsibility and runs a fully transparent ‘open factory’ which anyone can visit. With a low weight and an impressive array of features, this female-specific pack – the Tatonka Hike Pack 25 – looks impressive at first glance.

It doesn’t disappoint in use either, despite a few minor niggles. The build quality of the pack is excellent, with durable-feeling fabrics. The shoulder straps with adjustable chest strap are a good shape for the female form. They are low profile with only a little cushioning, but it’s enough. Likewise, the hip pads are quite modestly cushioned, but it is stable and comfortable to wear. That said, focus has been placed on making the fit narrow – this is commonly the case with female-specific packs, but the result is that the pack is quite long for its size.

The top pocket finishes up quite close to the back of my head, which I’d normally only expect with a much bigger pack than 25 litres. It’s a niggle that wouldn’t be a problem for someone with an average to longer torso, but it didn’t work for my shorter body. The storage space is ideal for summer hikes, with a good number of pockets in which to keep things organised. The roomy front stretch mesh pocket is a nice addition, ideal for stuffing a coat into, but it also contains one end of the compression strap for the body of the bag – tidy and out of the way, but just a bit fiddly to fasten. The detachable rain cover suits British (and German!) weather nicely, while the internal hydration bladder sleeve caters to other water needs.

How Lara tested

Lara used the packs through winter and spring on a variety of hikes in the Malvern Hills, Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. She is 5’5” tall with a relatively short back length in relation to her height. These reviews were first published in the June issue of The Great Outdoors. You can compare it to other in our guide to the best daypacks for hiking.