Disclaimer: Zorali sent me the pack. I was not obligated to write a review on the pack but I like it a lot. Here’s my review on what I like and dislike about the Zorali Escapade Backpack.
I’ve been using the pack pretty consistently for 2.5 months now, through a mix of commuting (by bus and bike), as a grocery bag, a few days hikes (such as the Breast Hill Track) and even an overnight hike in Skippers Canyon (yes a 30 litre pack is enough for overnight trips).
In short, it’s a great pack and goes good in all scenarios.
But going into more detail, you can read the specs, as well as my likes and dislikes about the Zorali Escapade pack. You can see the product page on the Zorali website here.
BAG SPECS
- Upto 30l capacity
- 1000D Oxford Nylon
- YKK Zippers
- 8 Pockets (internal and external)
- Laptop pouch
- Detachable waist belt
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE ZORALI ESCAPADE BACPACK
It gets compliments.
If anyone knows me personally, they know I don’t wear anything in order to seek compliments. But wearing the Zorali Escapade Backpack makes people mention things along ‘nice pack’ and ‘that’s a cool pack’, quite often. So if that makes you feel good (I’d be lieing if it didn’t make me chuffed), this bag is a winner.
How light it is versus looks.
When I was looking on the Zorali website, I was looking at the pack and in my mind it looked heavy. Like it’s a pack from the 1990’s. But it really isn’t that heavy given it’s not made of super light fabric, nor does it claim to be an ultralight pack.
At 880 grams, it isn’t that much more than the 22 litre Macpac Rapaki at 770 grams but packs in 8 more litres.
The colour options.
I like the 5 colour options on offer at the time of writing. They’re all in the same colour palette more or less.
It stands up when on the ground.
As someone who uses running vests a lot for my day to day life, it was nice to have the Escapade backpack and it sat up which makes packing it a lot easier.
It’s a squarish shape.
It’s a boxy shape, but not in an ugly way. It makes the packing easy as it stands up on the ground, and when it’s not super full, you can tighten the straps so nothing flops about loosely.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE ZORALI ESCAPADE BACKPACK
The strap can come out of the buckle
The first time I used it, it was pretty full and when I was doing up the straps they slipped through the buckle. This wasn’t the best first impressions, and is something I’ve always been mindful since but it’s never happened again (probably because I’m consciously using them).
The laptop pouch
It’s the first time I’ve seen the laptop feature on the bag function like this, and personally I’m not a fan of it. It just seems awkward and a couple of times I’ve been using the pack and I randomly see that the laptop pouch has come open.
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Lifetime warranty. They do offer this, but I like how they make the wording clear as they can:
“We back all our gear with a Lifetime Warranty. So for any defect in materials or workpersonship across the reasonable lifetime of a product, we’ll fix or replace it.”
What the ‘reasonable lifetime of a product’ means is always up for debate…but it’s pretty standard for outdoor companies.
Lifetime Repairs
“If your gear gets damaged, we’ll repair it for free.” This is cool, but I would need to see this in action to ensure they follow through.
They ship internationally.
That’s cool. And they’re upfront with the pricing, listing the pricing for lots of countries and regions.
They do reply to questions on the website.
I like this. And they seem like genuine questions (no AI from what I can tell). They don’t always get back to people for a few weeks which could be something they improve on, but at least they do…eventually.
The best place to buy the Zoralia Escapade pack is from their website.
If you’ve got any questions about Zorali’s Escapade Backpack, let me know in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com. I’m happy to help!
Chur,
Jub
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.