USWE Outlander 3 & Phone Pocket – Review
A good mountain bike pack can sometimes be hard to find. Getting it wrong means you end up with a pack that can ruin your ride experience and a pointless dent in your wallet. So ensuring you are purchasing the right pack, is an important exercise to get right.
So what happens if you can’t try a pack on beforehand? We say, try USWE. They have been making extremely comfortable and rugged packs for mountain bikers, motocross/enduro riders, and runners for quite some time.
USWE has always collaborated closely with top athletes from all over the world putting the USWE packs through rigorous testing. Out of these tests, a body-hugging, bounce-free creation was born and grew into what we see today as the key feature of the USWE packs, the No Dancing Monkey technology.
USWE Outlander 3 – Features
The Outlander 3 is a 3-litre capacity (overall size) pack that has been designed to carry the minimum essentials, but in saying that, it still comes with a 1.5-litre Hydrapak Elite™ hydration bladder. The pack is designed to go light and functional for 1-3 hours of singletrack rides.
It’s equipped with USWE’s trademark NDM™ 4-point harness that makes the pack 100% bounce-free in action but gives stretch support for maximum breathing capacity when you hit the steep climbs.
Above: The USWE Outlander 3 is a lightweight, compact and very comfortable pack, featuring a 1.5-litre bladder and a removable rear storage pocket. Perfect for short rides.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Above/below: Ripstop fabric is well suited for the Australian bush, high-quality zippers and a headphone cable port are just some of the features this pack offers.
Photo: ©Tyres and Soles
No Dancing Monkey Harness
NDM™, No Dancing Monkey is USWE’s award-winning, patented suspension harness technology that offers virtually no bounce on the rough stuff. it has a unique look, with the cross-chest strap and central buckle. More in common with a jet fighter pilot or race car driver. The harness uses an elastic 4-point strap system which allows you to cinch the pack really tight, without affecting your breathing or freedom of movement.
Above: The NDM harness uses a connection buckle that sits on the sternum and is super easy to attach. Unbuckling is as simple as a single button press, and has a quick-release effect due to the elasticated harness.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Above: The bladder tube magically snaps back into place via a magnetic (and removable) attachment on the harness.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
The harness attachment point that sits in the centre of your sternum is incredibly easy to engage and disengage.
Photo: ©Tyres and Soles
Hydration System
The USWE Outlander 3 comes with a 1.5-litre hydration bladder. The USWE bladders are, in our opinion, some of the best on the market. The Slide-Seal™ top can be fully reversible for easier handling.
The super-wide opening on the bladder makes it easy to fill and clean afterward. It’s also dishwasher-safe! The opening is so large you can easily load up with ice on those super-hot days, similar to the bladders in the Source packs, which we also really like.
Cleaning the bladder is a breeze. The super-wide opening allows you to really get in there and clean it all out. To clean, simply slide open, reach in, reverse (like a sock), and rinse. You can even put this bladder in the dishwasher! TOP TIP: We keep our bladders in the freezer for additional protection against bacteria growth.
[easy-image-collage id=13416]The rear organizer pocket is small but roomy enough for a multi-tool, snacks, C02 cartridge, tyre levers, and a tube (the stuff that will get you home). You could squeeze your phone in there also, but we used the USWE Phone Pocket strapped to the harness. More on that below.
The rear organiser pocket is fully removable, allowing you to go even lighter, this will reduce it down to around 2L overall capacity. Simply unclip the two adjustable buckles and off it comes. Now you have only the bladder and whatever room is left in the bladder compartment. If you store “get me home” essentials on your bike frame, then this can be an ideal solution if you already have a water bottle and just need to carry additional water without the extra storage.
[easy-image-collage id=13419]USWE Phone Pocket
The USWE Phone Pocket is a great way to store your phone and have it within easy access. Specially designed for the USWE packs, it connects via a strong velcro strap, securing the phone to the harness strap. A great little accessory for the USWE packs. The phone sits in the main side zipped pocket with another elasticated mesh pocket on the front for a gel or bar.
The main compartment is meant for your phone and is accessed through the zipper on the side of the pocket. The secondary compartment is a mesh pocket on the front of the accessory. This compartment is perfect for stashing things like gels or keys for instant access.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
On The Trails
On the trails, the USWE Outlander 3 feels just like it says on the tin. Lightweight, incredibly stable, and very comfortable. We loaded it up as much as we could to get a feel of the NDM harness. As we expected, it was excellent. We’ve tested another USWE pack in the past and it has the same expected performance. The NDM harness system is indeed very impressive.
The stretch in the straps allows you to cinch it up tight but still allows you to breathe, which is important, eh? But jokes aside, the harness gives you a very confident feel whilst riding in the rough stuff. The harness attachment point that sits in the centre of your sternum is incredibly easy to engage and disengage. Once attached, the overall feeling is like being hugged, and we all love a hug.
Nobody likes a pack that’s wobbling around on your back, especially as you approach the tricky stuff. This is where the USWE packs and the NDM harness shine. Probably a reason why a lot of the EWS riders choose to ride with them.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
The Outlander 3 is a small pack that doesn’t cover up a lot of body area, allowing good airflow and reducing sweaty back syndrome.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Padding and airflow are good, especially for such a small pack. The perforated fabric and vertical channels help to keep the pack breathable, but to be honest, the pack is so lightweight we didn’t experience the usual levels of back sweat we feel on larger packs. The overall footprint of the Outlander 3 is small enough to allow most of your back to still be open to the air.
We rode with the phone pocket attached and were surprised about how stable it was. Again, no bouncing was experienced as the attachment to the harness strap was solid. We thought it was a nice add-on if you want to keep your phone close and not have to stash it in your leg pocket or keep pulling your pack off to get hold of it. A thumbs up from us.
The Outlander 3 is a perfect pack for shorter rides, minimalistic tastes, or an alternative to the hip pack.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Conclusions
The USWE Outlander 3 is a compact and versatile pack, designed for shorter rides with a focus on weight and bare essentials. Using the NDM 4-point harness system that eliminates bounce, a 1.5-litre bladder, and a removable storage pocket on the rear, the Outlander 3 may be small, but it packs a big punch. A perfect pack for shorter rides, minimalistic tastes, or an alternative to the hip pack.
Pack Specifications
- Pack Volume: 3L
- Weight: 380g ex. bladder
- Dimensions: 30L / 15W / 12D (CM)
- Hydration Type: 1.5 litre Elite™ Hydration Bladder with Plug and Play Coupling.
- Hydration Tube Type: Hydraflex Drink Tube.
- Harness System: NDM™ Race Harness.
- Tube Attachment: Tube Clip: Keeps your tube in a secure position.
- Back Panel: Lightweight mesh back panel.
- Shoulder Straps: High-vent foam shoulder straps with ergonomic form-fit.
- Chest Straps: Straps with Stretch Support that allow normal breathing capacity and your freedom to move.
- Phone Pocket: Water-resistant Phone Pocket at the back. Inner size: 8 – 16 cm.
- Organiser Pocket: On/Off external multi-pocket (1.0 liter): Keeps your tools and gear in a secure position.
- LED Light Attachment: Easy and secure attachment for bike LED-light.
- Reflective Points: Visual reflective points: Front & Back.
- No of Pockets: 3
- Helmet Handsfree Compatible: Yes
- Action Camera Harness Compatible: Yes
NDM™ Harness
- 100% Bounce Free
- Patented & Award-Winning Technology
- Super stretch that supports your breathing capacity
- Allows you the freedom to move
- Multi-size function
- Best looking design
More information about our NDM™ Technology
Bladder Specifications
1.5l hydration capacity. Slide-Seal™ top opens wide for easy filling and closes tight for a leakproof seal. High-flow Blaster™ 45-degree bite valve self-seals after each sip and features a twist on/off bar to prevent leaks when not in use.- Plug-N-Play™ connect system lets you easily disconnect the drink tube (an auto-shutoff valve prevents leaking) and remove the bladder from your pack for convenient refilling.
- Fully reversible for easy cleaning and drying, top-shelf dishwasher safe.
- Made of ultra-durable, abrasion-resistant
TPU & RF welded seams for superior durability and elasticity . Can be frozen or filled with hot water (max temp 60° C / 140° F) .Safe and reliable, 100% BPA & PVC free .
Where to Buy / Price
USWE Outlander 3 – $169.95 (prices may range depending on the seller)
USWE Phone Pocket – $43.00
Available to buy at MTB Direct or ask at your local bike shop.
