off-road.cc

The Showers Pass RainSlinger is a minimalist pack that’s comfortable and secure – and very good at keeping your stuff dry – but the lack of compression straps and only-just-wide-enough waistband can niggle.

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The RainSlinger is a tough-wearing, weather-resistant pack, featuring a large central pocket and one smaller zipped pocket. It’s about the size and shape of a large box of tissues – it’ll take two water bottles – and while the waterproof material is fairly inflexible, it has enough give to sit comfortably against your back. There’s a padded central block to shield you from lumpy objects in the bag, too.

It’s waterproofed with a single-sided coating of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane, if you want to know). It’s a tough, rubbery coating commonly used both for waterproofing and strengthening fabrics, while adding considerable abrasion and stain resistance. It’s also used in nappies, so it’s obviously good at keeping toxic sludge at bay…

The RainSlinger proved very weatherproof, working perfectly through several rainy two-hour rides, and lots of muddy, wet blasts though lakes of puddles. I even hosed it down a couple of times, and the only time water got in was with direct hosing at the small zip. That's easily avoidable.

I found the waist clip webbing just wide enough - any less and it would cut in when tightened, but it’s OK. If not loaded too heavily it sits well, with minimal bounce and no side-to-side issues (the grippy texture of the pack helps here). There aren’t any compression straps to compress that stiff fabric, though, so things tend to rattle around unless you stuff something in as padding.

The webbing is looped on the back for hooking on lights or cargo, and Showers Pass do an LED that fits the pack specifically. Reflective accents in the webbing add visibility, at least until covered in mud, though to be fair that takes some serious doing.

There is no provision for a bladder, and although you can fit two water bottles, I wouldn’t recommend it as it gets uncomfortable at that weight. You also need to be sure your bottles don’t leak…

I found the RainSlinger best for short-ride essentials (with the bottle on the frame), and for longer gravel/adventure rides for keeping devices dry, snacks close to hand, and avoiding having to delve into your main packs on the bike. It could also be useful for not drowning your electronics on wet commutes.

Price wise it’s about standard for its size, but for me, the RainSlinger is neither feature-rich enough or flexible in terms of use for regular, serious off-road riding.

• Showers Pass

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