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The Ortlieb Soulo Backpack is a minimalist backpack for everything from city to summit. Its waterproof construction and closing system mean you can be confident to leave a laptop inside on a rainy commute to work or keep your clothes and gear dry on a wet hike in the great outdoors. The outer waterproof zip pouch keep valuables safe and the 5 year warranty and German design and construction give you the confidence to easily justify the price tag.
Ortlieb Soulo Backpack at a glance
25L capacity in a very waterproof backpack
Great for the daily work commute or for the weekend trails
lockable and secure magnetic clasps
padded secure sleeve for laptop and waterproof outside pocket
In Depth Review
We’ve all been caught out in the rain when backpacking. In my gear review blog I usually recommend keeping all your gear inside a dry bag inside your backpack or using a cover to keep things dry. Even this wont work if you are wading across streams or put the bag down carelessly.
I already reviewed the amazing Ortlieb Atrack a while ago but this new backpack gives you a little bit more flexibility in being able to be used for the daily commute as well as day hikes.
Fabric
The Ortlieb Soulo is made from a PU-coated polyester fabric that although fully waterproof has a natural fabric look to it on the outside. It is available in three colors and I chose the grey option.
Compartment Access
The lid or top of the bag folds over in a 3 Dimensional way to ensure no rain gets in when the bag is upright. Its has some puzzling but brilliant clasps that look complicated but somehow always click shut easily due to strong magnets inside them. You can also adjust them inside by turning a lever anti clockwise and it ‘locks’ them in place so they cannot be easily opened without sliding the levers back again. This means that in a busy crowd it is basically impossible for a pickpocket to gain access to your bag quickly so it boost the overall security .
Inner Pockets
Once inside the main compartment there is a dedicated padded sleeve for laptops to keep them dry and avoid shocks. This can be removed if you want to save a bit of space and weight when out on trails.
Outer Zip Pocket
There is an outer zip pocket on the back that has enough room for things like your cell phone, keys, wallet etc. The pouch and zip are waterproof so they will keep things dry even if you are opening or closing the main compartment in the rain.
Harness
The harness on the Ortlieb Soulo is adjustable for both height and width which means it can comfortably fit all shapes and sizes. The sternum strap can be set from 4 different heights and the arm/shoulder sections can also be adjusted for tightness.
Gripes
The quality of the material used does have a tradeoff with weight and the backpack will be a bit clammy against your back in the Summer, but the harness padding does a good job of keeping it off your back. I was lazy in testing and threw my oversized laptop in the main compartment rather than the inner sleeve. This meant that over time the top corner of the laptop rubbed against the stretchy corner section of the top of the bag and actually wore a hole through it.
Verdict
The Ortlieb Soulo Backpack is a minimalist backpack for everything from city to summit. Its waterproof construction and closing system mean you can be confident to leave a laptop inside on a rainy commute to work or keep your clothes and gear dry on a wet hike in the great outdoors. The outer waterproof zip pouch keep valuables safe and the 5 year warranty and German design and construction give you the confidence to easily justify the price tag.
PURCHASE $220Specs and Features
| COLOR | cement |
|---|---|
| MATERIAL | PS52 |
| BAG TYPE | single |
| ADAPTER | – |
| DATASHEET | Download |
| 360° VIEW | 360° View |
| WEIGHT | 1100 g | 38.8 oz. |
| HEIGHT | 47 cm | 18.5 inch |
| UPPER WIDTH | 36 cm | 14.2 inch |
| LOWER WIDTH | 31 cm | 12.2 inch |
| DEPTH | 18 cm | 7.1 inch |
| VOLUME | 25 L | 1525.6 cu.in |
| LOAD | 10 kg | 22 lbs |
| PROPERTIES | mig, nopvc, ip53 |
About Ortlieb
Independent opinion makers and the international specialty media supported the development of the brand ORTLIEB from the very beginnings with enthusiasm. Every month, on average, an ORTLIEB product is awarded with a “Best Buy” or “Recommendation”. This is definitely a permanent incentive for the 130 employees to commit themselves for maintaining the high quality and innovative power of ORTLIEB.
The truck tarps of the first years were replaced by new materials which are custom designed according to ORTLIEB’s specifications. These are followed by new technologies which have been used for several years. As always, all products in the high frequency welding process are exclusively manufactured at the company head quarters in Heilsbronn: “Made in Germany”, it’s a matter of honour. This is also reflected by constantly rising numbers of employees, a fact for which Hartmut ORTLIEB was awarded with the “Jobstar” in 2005 by institutions of the region Nuremberg.
For more than 30 years, ORTLIEB has been providing momentum in the bike and outdoor market and has set standards in the field of high functional equipment.The target has always remained the same: individuals who actively spend their leisure time in nature should feel independent from all facts they cannot influence, in other words: from the weather.
