Lomo 30L High Visibility Backpack Dry Bag

The Lomo 30 litre waterproof rucksack hails from Scotland, a nation renowned for its hospitality and decidedly wild weather. Aimed at motor/cycling audiences, there's a lot on offer here for outdoorsy folks generally.

It's made from old boots' tough UPVC, which is easy to clean and extremely weather resistant so should look good for many years with periodic wipe-overs; although twelve years spent riding in London etched permanent, grimy souvenirs into my waterproof panniers and messenger bag.

RF welded seams continue the impervious theme and haven't shown any signs of weakness, though habit predisposes me to pack camera equipment and other valuables in dedicated waterproof sacks.

Lomo boast that it will even float, so long as you've remembered to roll the top three times over, a claim I can vouch for having attached a spare dog-lead to the webbed strapping and taken ours for a twenty minute swim at high tide.

No surprise then that the contents have remained bone dry whether it's literally been raining dogs or blasted with a high pressure hose at point blank range for several minutes.

Bold, retro-reflective chevrons and stripes are not only prominent but proliferate both straps and base, so there's less chance of dropping under driver radar when bombing along on the drops. Blinkies will also latch securely aboard webbed sections for additional security, which might reassure those who prefer its less extrovert black version.

Thirty litres translates as a serious amount of kit; more than I'd be happy to haul further than ten miles. While this size of rider mounted luggage requires more definite over-the-shoulder checks when entering the flow of or overtaking traffic, there's been no issues with helmets catching the top when checking over one's shoulder.

Sensibly padded sections offer decent support, and reasonable airflow while the straps keep sway firmly in check, though bulkier loads will still result in some obvious sweatiness beyond five miles or so. While the cavernous compartment tempts lazy packing, resist the urge to bung everything in, and tailor the straps accordingly to avoid uncomfortable bunching.

Verdict

Effective, inexpensive waterproof rucksack for shorter distance commuting and general outdoor use