The EVOC Trail Builder 35L Pack

Evoc claims the trails we often take for granted and ride no matter the conditions have been built with gallons of blood, sweat and tears. While I can't say I've cried much during my clocked-in hours of dirt-slinging, I have sweated more than a few gallons. There may also have been a time or two when the axe came too close to my limbs or a rock damn near flattened my fingers for the tears portion of that volume. If there are tools to make the day easier while building or maintaining a local favourite, they should be utilized. In the process of using this bag for its intended purposes, I discovered some not so obvious use case scenarios as well.

The new-ish Evoc Trail Builder 35L is a recent refresh of the popular Trail Builder Pro which was a 30L pack. The extra 5L comes with various shapes and sizes of pockets and allows the rather cavernous Evoc bag to carry the world. The engineers behind the bag focused heavily on fit and ergonomics. Armed with padded shoulder straps, extra wide hip wings, a chest strap and a hip belt, as well as the highly ventilated air circulation back system, the mighty Trail Builder 35 settles in like a saddle well-fitted to a horse.

The heavyweight Cordura 1000D has a subtle print and while the fabric adds weight to the system, the bag feels indestructible. A bag designed to carry dirty and sharp objects safely on your back needs this kind of structural integrity.

Four outside pockets, including two on each side for taller, rounder objects, one soft-lined goggle pocket and one dirty garment pocket at the very bottom, are just the start to the list of the compartments you can find in the Trail Builder 35L. It is so well-organized and thought out that it is quite possible to forget what you put where. Once you start using the bag more often, the search becomes second nature and everything falls into place.

On the inside, there are at least 7 more compartments to make sure your search for that one little thing takes longer than necessary. The amount of separation you can achieve between your tools, clothing and food is so great that, apart from being a trail builder's companion, the Evoc can easily step in to be that international travel pack. Overnight alpine trip with a sleeping bag and a mat? Look no further! Toss everything in this thing and hike/ride your heart out. On the next Chilcotins adventure, this bag may come along.

While you'll have to wait (not long) for the related article to come out, I recently rode in and out of the trails on Seymour with a small mobile bike shop's worth of tools and a second fork in the Evoc. The pack remained comfortable and the contents were secure.

The bright orange rain cover is an Evoc classic. While I don't love the inconvenience of having to remove the cover to access the insides of a pack, it adds additional protection. This one also alerts trail users to your presence, saving you from being run over by a frothing mountain biker while you're hard at work.

There is also a 3-pouch nail roll-up bag attached to the bottom of the Evoc Trail Builder 35L. This is a smart addition to the already crevasse-rich system. While I don't bring nails or fasteners with me to every trail day, it is nice to keep these sharp bits out of my back, and neat and tidy in these pouches. When not on nail holding duty, I use this part of the bag to hold some tools for the chainsaw and my truck. Socket bits, ratchet handles, Torx drivers, screwdrivers, you name it. Anything shaped like a nail goes in there. It loosely attaches itself to the bottom of the bag but has zippers and heavy-duty velcro for security.

My relationship with the Evoc pack is not all rosy, however. While some of the attention to detail is excellent, I find some details rather troublesome. The fastening system is a ring and pin system that is steel and strong. The idea behind a fastening system that won't grenade itself when stepped on is smart. It is not the easiest to use in the field one-handed and the chest strap has a tendency to come out of its fabric loop and disappear. You can remove the chest strap if you don't need it. I don't remember the last time I wished a pack didn't have one. I think this is a case of over-engineering. A minor gripe, but still there, nonetheless.

The Evoc Trail Builder 35L is an extraordinarily expensive pack at 450 CAD / 295 EU / 300 USD. While local trail associations have access to discounts through Canadian Evoc distributor HLC, if you are a solo trail builder looking for a low-cost option you should probably look at the clearance bins at MEC, REI and the like. Any 35L pack can be a trail pack and I carried my chainsaw in an 80L alpine pack for a few years in a fully discrete setup. If you have the means and you would like an extremely well thought out, bullet proof bag to do trail work, travel or just carry heavy stuff in, look no further than the Evoc Trail Builder 35L.

Evoc Trail Builder 35L