Gourdon Reviews

Brilliant bit of kit.  I got a 20 litre Gourdon before a trip to the Scottish Highlands last year. We were camped in the middle of nowhere and Gourdon was the drybag for my sleeping bag on the way in, and then my daysack for walks every day. In the evenings he got sat on to keep me dry by the (smoking) campfire.  On the way home he was my hand baggage on the plane.  Since then he gets dragged out whenever I need a smallish waterproof bag.

Versatile, tough and well designed, Gourdon is great.  Add in the Alpkit service, free postage and the amazing price and he is little short of a miracle.

Holy moley (whatever that means). This is a well made piece of kaboodle. Mine’s a big one, and my Gourdon is a hefty 30 Ltr too. I thought it might be a bit too big but I tend to carry enough kit to cater for the odd idiot found wandering around with Ataxia on top of Ben Nevis in a shell suit and loafers in the middle of winter. No, really. Only thing I would have liked as a retro-fit would be the addition of some kind of elasticated strapping/basket/net thingy on the exterior for holding a drinking bottle/map/fleece etc. I am in the process of designing/fitting my own as I write. Having said that, it’s right on the money for its current stage of its evolution.
And what nice people to deal with to boot.
Britain still has greatness tucked away in little pockets.
Soooo reassuring…........!

I am extremely satisfied with both the product two gourdon 25l), customer service (quick, friendly and good replies), delivery (less than 48hrs from UK to Sweden! FedEx probably deserves thanks as well) and the very low prices (similar products in Sweden are 4 times as expensive).

I dont have words! I am looking forward to put my bag to the test in the Swedish winter, Costa Rican jungle and the alps. Here we go!

Received my Gourdon 20 in the mail yesterday, looks great….may be some time before I can test its waterproof capabilities it was 36 degrees C here in Perth WA yesterday, when it eventually rains I’ll let you know how she goes.
Thanks

I’ve been using the 25l for my daily commute for over a year now and it’s the dog’s knees (or is that the bee’s balls)! I cycle/run an 8 mile round trip and this bag is just awesome for the following reasons:
- holds all the essentials comfortably (laptop in sleeve, work clothes/shoes, washbag, towel, sandwiches) without rubbing
- is properly weatherproof so am guaranteed that everything inside comes out in the same condition it went in
- surprisingly tough - I’ve went on my arse a few times on the bike in the snow/ice and no rips yet
- sufficiently bright that cars can see it in the dusk and not knock you off your bike unintentionally
All in all, for the price, this bag is an utter bargain and I would consider it an essential commuter item

*Note* I owned the 30L, but it was a nightmare - too long and cut the back off me when running.

I bought a red Gourdon 20 rucksack ages ago and I’ve lost track of the amount of people who have stopped me and asked me where I got it from – I should be on commission! I have battered this little rucksack and it is still completely waterproof and has no rips, tears or nicks – it’s fantastic.  It regularly gets dragged along to muddy rugby pitches and stuffed full of first aid kit, hauled round endurance mountain bike races and was the family rucksack on a beach this summer. It proved it worth at keeping sand out of the expensive electrical goods.

I can’t fault the product and it’s a price that can’t be beaten – trust me, I’ve looked. In addition, you get the now legendary Alpkit customer service. I just hope and pray they keep their feet on the ground and don’t turn into one of those faceless companies I’ll cross the road to avoid.

Well done Alpkit!

Best day bag around, smart, comfortable, weatherproof.

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Bought on a whim. Looking for a ‘proper’ rucksack to use as a daysack, maybe overnight use, saw the 25L Stealthy Gourdon and thought ‘why not, it’s only £20’ Fantastic buy. Big enough for both uses. Also means I can strap it to my cycle rack and go off for a walk without lugging panniers about. Really wish it had a couple of loops, or something, either side of the body, to secure straps/bungees to so that won’t ride up - but that’s a tiny point. Downside - i wish I had waited until the 30L version had been in stock, but when it is, I will get one of those as well. 10/10

Just ordered a replacement for my first Gourdon 20 litre. It has lasted 19 months of use. Or to put it bluntly it has had over82 weekends of use (some weekends without use but also got used as a commuting bag for a few months 3 to 5 times a week plus twice on a weekend). Basically I’ve tested it good a proper.

SO here’s the failings -
The mesh pockets have ripped in numerous places but somehow still hold stuff like cereal bars, compass, wrappers, etc without loss.
The strap that is within the roll top closure bit snapped due to fatigue where It bent round to clip shut and the toggles hold it down. It still worked so no problem.
The final nail in the coffin is the fabric on the front or back (away from the strap side) wetsout then completely leaks. I could have carried on with it by making usre I put it down on dry ground like all the other sacks I use but chose to get a new one in black.

Conclusion - it won’t last forever or even as long as more mainstream makers but it will earn its £20.

Request 1 - MAke the 25 and 30 with bungee cords on front and for compresson
request 2 - Use better mesh if possible, it is not durable.
Request 3 - If above is not possible don’t change it as it basically works.