Neve Gear Wallaroo V2 Ultralight Pack

Ultralight: where gear is concerned, the big backpacking buzzword. It usually equals big dollars, too. For some, these price points are a turn-off; for others, the costs make lightweight products downright unattainable. I’m glad to say, however, this is where Neve Gear are making a difference: quality products at a more affordable price.

Neve Gear’s Wallaroo V2 pack is a case in point. At $299 for an 830g roll-top backpack, its price caught my eye. How good would it be, though? After twelve days of hiking in Tas, and three overnighters since, I can confidently say this: It’s better than good.

Perhaps its most surprising feature is its usable volume; you get stacks of practical, packable space. Despite it being just 45L, my wife and I have managed to fit six-days’ worth of kit in our Wallaroo packs. (Granted, it was summer, so we had slightly less gear, but I mean very slightly.) The volume is expanded externally by the front mesh pocket, the Y-shaped top strap, and the generously sized drink-bottle pockets (both easily stashed our 1.5L Nalgene bottles). There are other roomy pockets, too. Both shoulder straps have mesh pockets large enough to accommodate my 7-inch phone, which also fits in both of the hip-belt pockets. And for those of us who use hip pockets for snack storage, the Wallaroo delivers in spades; I managed to fit six muesli bars in each pocket. Impressive.

So how comfy is it? For me, very. Assuming you pack smartly and avoid having hard objects (gas canisters, cook pot, etc) directly against your back, the back panel quickly moulds to your body’s contours, while the inverted U-frame provides structural stability. Load lifters also help to customise the fit, and the shoulder-strap padding is long and wide, which I’ve found reduces pressure points. On the topic of pressure, the Wallaroo’s hip-belt design is also clever: It’s well padded, and dual tensioning clasps on each hip strap allow you to finely adjust tightness. While I wouldn’t say I never had sore hips (which I regularly suffer from), my pain was certainly minimised. This is especially notable given that I often carried large volumes of water for a dry camp. Neve claims the Wallaroo’s comfort load limit is 18kg; from what I’ve experienced so far, I don’t disagree.

The Wallaroo is available in small, medium and large sizes (which each vary in weight, volume and frame length), but bear in mind that the minimum hip-belt circumference of 70cm is standard across all sizes (this may be a factor for slim individuals). While sufficiently large and strong, it can be difficult to store and remove items from the front pocket when the main compartment is fully loaded. The position of the chest strap is also fixed, and as is often the case with packs, you’ll also need a rain cover or dry bags, as 210D HDPE gridstop nylon isn’t waterproof. Some stitching on the pull loop (the one you can use to pick up the pack) also ripped when I—in a blasé fashion—hauled it up fully laden.

All things considered, for a lightweight pack under $300, you can’t expect any more from the Neve Wallaroo. It’s better than good. And hey, it can stash bulk muesli bars, too.