HikingThruDarkBackpack

ThruDark Pinnacle 42L review: a comfortable, well-built pack that rewards compact kit

Comfortable, well constructed and packed with useful storage, ThruDark’s first hiking pack is an impressive debut. The catch is capacity: 42 litres suits compact kit best.

ThruDark is best known for technical apparel, so a rucksack is still relatively new territory for them, and we wanted to see whether they could rival the long-established brands. The ThruDark Pinnacle 42L is the first ThruDark hiking pack to enter our testing programme, and after three overnight camps on Dartmoor and a day hike in the Brecon Beacons, it has made a strong impression. It is comfortable, reassuringly well built and genuinely practical, with one big question mark: whether 42 litres is enough for the kit you carry.

✓  RecommendedThruDark Pinnacle 42L Capacity42 litresWeight1.7 kgRRP£190 The good✓  Comfortable carry with no rubbing in testing
✓  Padded, ventilated back panel and adjustable harness
✓  Useful hip-belt pockets with YKK zips
✓  Plenty of external storage and attachment options
✓  Reassuringly well-built feel
✓  Doubles as a generous daypack when cinched down
The not-so-good✗  42 litres will limit bulkier kit
✗  No quick-access side zip
✗  Not an ultralight pack at 1.7 kg
Check out the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L →

At a glance

Overview

The Pinnacle 42L is a 42-litre hiking and backpacking rucksack built for day hikes, overnight camping and shorter multi-day trips. It is particularly well suited to hikers with a relatively compact camping setup who pack efficiently. A tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, cooking system, food and spare clothing will all fit, provided the kit is sensibly sized. It also works as a generous daypack: cinch the main load down, and it doesn’t need to be anywhere near full to carry well.

The look is distinctive and military-inspired, from the honeycomb-textured outer fabric to the hook-and-loop emblem panel on the lid. At a manufacturer-listed 1.7 kg, this is a technical hiking pack rather than an ultralight one, but that weight buys a padded back system, an adjustable harness and a generous mix of storage and attachment options. We think it should be judged in that context.

A note on price

At a listed £190, the Pinnacle 42L sits firmly in the premium hiking-pack market. Our first impressions of its material quality, comfort, adjustability and design are all positive, and we think it’s competitive for a well-featured, premium-feeling pack in this capacity range. Capacity is part of the value equation, though. For hikers with compact kit it looks like good money; for anyone carrying bulkier equipment, a larger pack may be the better buy. Prices move, so check the current figure before you buy.

How we tested

We’ve used the Pinnacle 42L across four outings: three separate overnight camps on Dartmoor, to see how well it carries camping kit, and one day hike in the Brecon Beacons, using it as a daypack. Alongside that, we inspected the build quality, materials, stitching, buckles and zips, and looked closely at fit, adjustability and the padded, ventilated back panel and harness.

We also worked through the main compartment, lid storage, external mesh pockets and hip-belt pockets, the hydration reservoir pocket and tube routing, the trekking-pole attachments, lower straps and exterior webbing, the rain cover, the internal safety panel and the removable whistle on the sternum strap. Throughout, we compared the pack’s overall feel with the Osprey Kestrel 48 we’ve used for around five years. This is not a long-term durability review: it reflects several trips and a close inspection of the construction, not months or years of use.

Features and performance

Comfort, fit and carry

The Pinnacle 42L is comfortable to put on and offers considerable adjustment, including height adjustment of the harness and sternum strap, so you can sit the pack relatively high on your back if you prefer. The padded, ventilated back panel has a familiar feel, reminiscent of the comfort we associate with established hiking packs. Across our four outings, there was no rubbing and no discomfort.

Load matters, as it does with any pack. We’d treat roughly 12–13 kg as a sensible upper limit for how we use it. That is our own assessment, not a manufacturer-verified carrying limit, and your own requirements will vary. How you pack and distribute the weight will make as much difference as the pack itself.

“Reassuringly well built, comfortable to carry and a very impressive debut from ThruDark.”

Storage and organisation

Inside, there’s a single large top-loading main compartment with a drawcord closure to cinch the load down. The floating lid carries an external zipped compartment under a storm-covered zip, plus additional internal zipped storage, and it can take some extra height, although its reach naturally limits how much you can carry above the main compartment. Outside, two stretch-mesh side pockets take water bottles and other kit, and a front stretch-mesh pocket adds more external storage.

The two hip-belt pockets are the standout. They have YKK zips and substantial pulls, and they’re ideal for snacks and smaller essentials you want without stopping to take the pack off. Hydration users get an internal reservoir pocket behind the main compartment, with the drinking tube routed through an opening in the lid, and it’s worth checking that your own reservoir and tube are compatible.

The trade-off of a top-loader is access. There’s no quick-access side zip of the kind found on some competing packs, so organisation matters: keep the things you need regularly in the lid, the external pockets or the hip-belt pockets, and pack the rest in the order you’ll need it.

Attachment points and safety extras

There are trekking-pole attachment points, adjustable straps beneath the pack that can carry a suitably compact sleeping mat, and additional exterior webbing for securing accessories. The hook-and-loop panel on the lid takes morale patches and similar items, which suits the pack’s military-inspired character.

The safety details are a nice touch. The whistle on the sternum strap can be unclipped and reattached, and an internal information panel explains the international mountain distress signal, including the six-signal distress pattern and the three-signal response. Depending on the version, the panel also lists emergency telephone numbers for relevant locations.

Construction and durability

The outer is a honeycomb-textured fabric, which the manufacturer lists as 210D high-tenacity recycled Robic® polyamide with 840D ballistic nylon reinforcement. Our first impressions of the materials, stitching, buckles and zips are positive, and the overall build quality gives a reassuring impression. Metal components sit at selected attachment points alongside conventional plastic buckles, which suggests some thought has gone into the areas under tension.

We won’t claim proven long-term durability from a handful of trips. That needs far more time on the pack, and we’ll be honest if that changes.

Weather protection

A detachable rain cover is supplied, stored in a compartment at the base of the pack, and its grey ThruDark emblem is listed by the manufacturer as reflective. The internal fabric is coated for additional moisture protection. The manufacturer lists hydrostatic-head ratings of 1,500 mm for the main fabric and 10,000 mm for the rain cover. We haven’t independently established how the pack copes with prolonged exposure to heavy rain, so we won’t vouch for it there yet.

The catch: capacity

This is where the Pinnacle 42L needs the most thought. Forty-two litres will work for overnight trips and some shorter multi-day trips, but if you carry a bulkier sleeping system, a larger tent, extra clothing or kit for a longer expedition, you may find it limiting. The fixed capacity and the limited extra height in the lid leave little room to flex.

So the honest advice is to look at your own kit before you commit. If it packs down small and you pack efficiently, the Pinnacle is a strong option. If it doesn’t, or you place a high priority on quick access to the main compartment, consider alternatives.

How it compares

The Osprey Kestrel 48 is our main point of comparison, because it’s the pack we know best after around five years of use. At about £200, it offers roughly 48 litres against the Pinnacle’s 42, and that extra capacity is useful with bulkier kit. It also has quick-access options the Pinnacle lacks. The Pinnacle’s initial build quality and overall feel are reminiscent of the Kestrel, which is high praise. The Deuter Futura Pro 40, also around £200, is close to the Pinnacle in capacity at 40 litres and is a useful reference if you’re weighing a premium pack for day walks and shorter overnight trips, with an emphasis on ventilation and carrying comfort. The Lowe Alpine AirZone Trek 45:55, at around £180, offers expandable capacity in contrast to the Pinnacle’s fixed volume, which may appeal if you want room for longer trips or bulkier kit. We haven’t compared the Deuter or the Lowe Alpine hands-on, and prices are from when we wrote this, so check both before buying. For hikers with compact kit, the Pinnacle is the one we’d reach for. If you regularly carry bulkier kit, the Kestrel’s extra litres and quick access make more sense.

Ready for your next adventure?Walk Britain’s national parks with an expert who knows themJoin guided day hikes across the Lake District, Dartmoor, Eryri and more.Browse hiking trips →

Our verdictA comfortable, well-built debut, provided 42 litres is enough for your kit.The Pinnacle 42L is a capable, comfortable and well-featured hiking pack that feels reassuringly well constructed. ThruDark’s background is in technical apparel, so this is a relatively new category for the brand, and as the first ThruDark hiking pack to enter our testing programme, it’s an impressive debut. The padded, ventilated back panel, adjustable harness, useful hip-belt pockets and range of attachment options all add to its versatility, and it’s generous enough to double as a daypack when cinched down.Its limits are capacity and access. Forty-two litres suits compact overnight kit and shorter trips, but bulkier sleeping systems, larger tents or longer expeditions may need a bigger pack, and the top-loading design means careful organisation. At £190 we think it’s competitive for hikers who want a premium-feeling, practical 42-litre pack. It’s best suited to weekend hikers, overnight campers and anyone with relatively compact kit.Check out the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L →

FAQs

How comfortable is the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L to carry?Very, in our testing. We had no rubbing or discomfort across three overnight camps and a day hike, helped by the padded, ventilated back panel and the adjustable harness. We’d treat roughly 12–13 kg as a sensible upper limit, but that’s our own estimate rather than a manufacturer-verified figure.

How much can you fit in the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L?A compact tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, cooking system, food and spare clothing will fit if the kit is sensibly sized. Bulkier sleeping systems, larger tents or kit for longer expeditions may not, so check your own kit first.

How does the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L organise kit?It has one large top-loading main compartment, a lid with external and internal zipped storage, two side pockets, a front stretch-mesh pocket and two hip-belt pockets. There’s no quick-access side zip, so keep what you need regularly in the lid, external pockets or hip-belt pockets.

How does the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L perform in the rain?It comes with a detachable rain cover and a coated internal fabric, and the manufacturer lists hydrostatic-head ratings of 1,500 mm for the main fabric and 10,000 mm for the cover. We haven’t independently established how it copes with prolonged heavy rain.

Is the ThruDark Pinnacle 42L worth the money?We think so for the right buyer. At £190 it’s competitive for a well-featured, premium-feeling 42-litre pack, though its value depends on your kit fitting inside it.