The Easter long weekend was one of the best we’ve had weather-wise for a long time, so we decided to head down to the NSW Sapphire Coast and enjoy a few days of camping.
Our packing strategy when it comes to camping trips is to usually use coloured tubs for utensils, lights and blankets, a large duffle or suitcase for our clothing and a sturdy backpack for hiking and beach days.
We decided to test out a range of High Sierra’s products for our latest trip to see whether they held up to our usual favourites from Kathmandu and Patagonia.
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For our main bag that houses jackets, jumpers, T-shirts, activewear, socks and sneakers, we used the Composite 76 cm Wheeled Duffle V4 ($330) which is large in its size but can also be wheeled from your car to the tent.
The V4 duffle is deep like a traditional suitcase, so you won’t have to worry about leaving anything at home, and has straps on it so you can convert it into a large backpack on the go.
There are various quick access pockets we stored electronics and cables in when they weren’t in use, and the zips are lockable — which is an added safety layer when you’re storing things inside a fairly accessible tent.
Despite its size, the duffle is incredibly light to carry when empty and the handle collapses so it can be stowed away when not in use.
The winning ticket on the trip overall though was the Trooper Backpack, which is currently on sale for $90.30.
The moment my fiancé saw the khaki backpack he was impressed, notably by just how much can fit inside it.
It has three main storage pockets which comfortably take our sandwiches, snacks, two water bottles, two beach towels, swimming costumes, goggles sunglasses and a range of other smaller items.
We took it on a six kilometre hike to a waterway on the south coast and used the chest strap to secure it in place.
While it doesn’t have a strap around your waist for extra support, the backpack was more than comfortable to carry around for hours at a time and became our favourite piece on the trip.
“Trooper is designed to look and feel tough, with its durable and functional construction. It features a padded 17 inch laptop compartment for easy and secure tech storage,” the website reads.
“The large, main compartment is perfect for organising small and large essentials — allowing easy access to all of them.
“The backpack is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles — designed for life, backed by a lifetime warranty.”
Outside of the practicalities of both bags we received a number of compliments about the overall look of them too, proving you don’t have to forsake fashion for functionality.
To shop High Sierra’s range of bags, head to its website here.
