Epic 14.4
Epic 14.4
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Everything we wanted in a mountain bike backpack. Perfect for half-day rides to all-day epics and multi-day bikepacking excursions. Our flagship pack and larger version of the Epic 10.3. Click for Pinkbike and NSMB reviews.
Features
- 14 liters of total storage, 4 liter hydration capacity.
- Low-profile lumbar design keeps the weight on your hips (and off your shoulders) and doesn't hit the back of your helmet while riding steep terrain or jumps.
- Industry-largest side pockets for easy one-handed access to ride essentials (phone, food, multi-tool, etc.) without removing the pack.
- Dual-purpose waist cinch secures the pack to your body and compresses pack contents for bounce-free descents.
- 3/4-zip large main compartment with separate area for hydration bladder makes stuffing oversize loads into the bottom of the pack easier.
- Top-zip secondary compartment for tool storage with divider. Large enough for high capacity MTB pumps and tubes.
- Low, wide, easy-fill hydration reservoir with quick-disconnect and large threaded opening makes for easy cleaning, adding ice, etc.
- Oversized, durable YKK zippers and 210D nylon construction meant to handle all the dirt, sweat, sun and neglect you can throw at it. Made in a top-shelf factory that also makes outdoor gear for first responders.
- 1.5" wide waist strap for less pressure on your stomach.
- Soft, protected, tech pocket for fragile/small items.
- Velcro webbing keepers to minimize flappy excess material.
- Covered by our lifetime True North guarantee.
Specs
- Main body dimensions: 12" x 12" x 6.5"
- Main material: 210D Ripstop Nylon
- Weight including bladder assembly: 1142g / 2.5lb
Fit
Unisex fit. Torso fit range: 15" - 23"
To measure torso, measure vertically along the side of your body (where your arms fall). The vertical distance between the topmost part of your pelvis bone and the location on your shoulder where a backpack strap is worn is your torso fit measurement.
Lumbar Pack Fit Guide
Wear it LOW - just above the widest part of your hips, below your waist. While riding, the bottom of the pack should be just a few inches above your saddle in the back.
To get the fit:
- Let the shoulder strap adjustment all the way out, situate the pack just above your hips and below your waist, and cinch the waist strap.
- Cinch the shoulder/sternum straps just enough to keep the pack from moving around too much on descents.
The goal here is to get all of the weight on your hips and off your shoulders and back. When you're standing, the shoulder straps should be loose enough that you can lift them off your shoulders a couple inches.
Customer Reviews
The pack is great. Super solid construction and plenty of room for everything I will ever need on the trail. Come summer weather, the 4L bladder is going to be great for those rides in the heat.
Did not ride the pack yet. This is just an out of the box first impression. The Epic 14.4 is build to last and designed very functional. A first walk around my shop fully packed up including 3.5 liters of water left me very impressed and opend a promising view ahead.
I've never loved carrying a pack while riding and for years have used a hip pack for most rides over an hour or two. But when carrying more water or gear for longer rides a hip pack just isn't always enough. I've found the Epic 14.4 to have the capacity to carry tons of layers, water, snacks, trail tools, etc, but fits a lot more comfortably than a traditional backpack. It also moves around less than my hip pack. It seems very durable and the pockets and zippers are well designed and tough. I expect I'll be using it for years.
Note: I paid full price (didn’t even get the January code!) Have used only for hiking yet, due to winter closing our MTB trails. Here are my thoughts: it carries incredibly well. I filled the bladder, which I could only get 3.5L into due to the closure design. That and a puffy fit easily. The pack carried that water weight far better that I think a traditional pack or certainly hip pack would have. I think it’ll work splendidly for MTB where you need the water or capacity or both.
The bladder is made of a tough material and seems much more durable than my hydrapak bladder in my evoc hip pack. The screw closure works well although it does make it infeasible to fully fill the bladder. It’s not really a con, as the bladder remains flexible when filled and the capacity is so big that losing the extra 0.5L doesn’t matter.
The pack is of obvious quality. I like the gray and blue, although color options would be great.
My only real suggestion: the rear stash pocket doesn’t seem all that useful. I’d like to see a large stretch-worn pocket that extends across the entirety of the rear of the pack + hip pockets. That would be perfect for stashing a wind shell or a soaked top layer.
This truly is a beautifully constructed pack that is far more comfortable than it should be. For years, I struggled to find ways to carry enough hydration on all day epics. I am a big sweaty man that needs more water than most and all the traditional packs would leave me about a bottle short, even with on frame options included. Ken took a big leap to bring his vision to fruition, and few execute this well on the first pass. I am very pleased and hope for his continued success!
