The Karrimor KIMM sac was developed about 15 years ago as a specialist rucsac for mountain marathon competitors. Since then the design has altered amazingly little, with the fabric becoming tougher, the pockets larger, and the addition of a few extra straps. Also, the KIMM sac has spread from its niche market, and is now regularly (ab)used to carry loads as diverse as rock climbing tackle or text books. I even consider mine to be the best fell-walking rucsac I have owned. My sister and dad love theirs, and neither has ever been near a mountain marathon or a mountain bike! For multi-day mountain biking the KIMM sac is superb, with its use in Polaris-type events being widespread.
The sac combines clever minimalist design with super-lightweight materials. The originals were never expected to last very long, but at last years KIMM, many of the original red KIMM sacs were still in evidence. Recently the KIMM sac underwent a major design change, becoming the KIMM sac 2, which upset a few of the traditionalists and weight fanatics.
The original sac was 30 litres. It had three external mesh pockets around the base, a zipped mesh pocket on the lid and further two zipped pockets on the padded hip belt. The back was unpadded, and it had a single drawstring compression cord.
The new KIMM sac 2 is still made from the same ripstop nylon fabric, but is now constructed from three panels instead of one. This means that the sac takes on a more square appearance rather than a tube. The internal seams are bound, to provide strength and prevent water ingress. The current fabric is almost waterproof. There are also now three separate compression cords, the side ones being elasticated. This makes it easier to both stash gear on the outside of the sac (e.g. Karrimats & tent poles) and to control the shape of the sac when it is compressed.
The mesh pockets around the base are larger, with the side pockets big enough to hold water bottles. There are retention / compression straps over these pockets, which unfortunately are the only feature on this rucsac that serve very little purpose. A pouch on the side of the rucsac is designed to hold a Camelbak bladder, but can be also use to store tent poles (I recently heard of someone arriving at the KIMM 99 camp site having lost his tent poles somewhere en route!)
The harness system is little changed, with the back still being unpadded and the wide-padded hip belt taking most of the weight. The harness is now anatomically curved, which is far more comfortable.
I have used an original KIMM sac as well as a KIMM sac 2 for multi day biking trips. When I rode the tour of the Cairngorms last year I borrowed a 30 litre KIMM sac 1. Despite it having no Camelbak fittings, I simply stashed mine inside, which immediately provided a beautifully padded back. The route for the drinking tube was slightly contorted, and I fitted some elastic loops on the shoulder straps to hold the tube.
The external pockets provided plenty of space for my map, wallet, energy bars and other sweeties. The ideal situation with a KIMM sac is that everything you need for the day fits on the outside, and only the overnighting kit goes inside.
The KIMM sac 1 was barely comfortable, with my shoulders becoming immune to the discomfort about halfway through the first day. The problem seemed to be lack of adjustment on the shoulder straps. As you lean forwards on the bike (as opposed to standing upright), you need to loosen the shoulder straps to allow the rucsac to sit on your hips, but the straps were already fully unloosened. After 'modifying' the straps slightly the problem was soon solved - and the KIMM sac 2 doesn't suffer from this problem.
This year I used a 35 litre KIMM sac 2 for a 5 day ride. Within the first few miles, it became evident that the weight was too far back on the bike, causing handling problems. By pulling the side compression straps in tight, I managed to pull the load closer to my back, solving the problem. I also fitted the Camelbak next to my back, to provide padding and improve the weight distribution.
As usual, the external pockets were a god-send, meaning that the rucsac could remain closed all day. Just make sure that your wallet and map are in plastic bags to prevent them disintegrating in the rain.
The harness is much improved, with the hip belt taking most of the load when properly adjusted. The shoulder straps are not heavily padded, so are much more comfortable when used together with the chest strap. When fully strapped in, including the chest strap, the fit is secure and very comfortable.
The KIMM sac 2 is both heavier and larger than the original, but is still far lighter than the competition. I also find that rivals rucsacs tend to be teardrop shaped - but I find this places the weight to far to the rear on a bike - upsetting the handling. With the tall and thin profile of the KIMM sac 2 the weight can be kept close to the back, which I find is far more stable for both biking and running, and transfers weight from the shoulders to the hips. (Although no rucsac feels particularly nice when you are mountain biking!)
As a biking, mountain marathon or multi-activity rucsac, I don't think the KIMM sac has any genuine competitors. Deuter and Camelbak produce some superbly executed 'Transalp' rucsacs, but they have more bells, whistles and bangles than a bells, whistles and bangles shop! This pushes both the price and weight up to unacceptable levels (the Camelbak is £130 and 1300g respectively!). The KIMM sac costs £50 in the shops (if you can find one), or £40 fromwww.KIMM.com, so it is an absolute bargain, and weighs only 600g. For the same price there is also an teardrop shaped sac called the KIMM contour, which has a helmet holder and may be preferred by some mountain bikers.
Last Updated 21-12-2000
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