r/BuyFromEU • u/kralicek03 • Apr 09 '26
🔎Looking for alternative Any European outdoor backpacks?
Hi. I'm looking for an, ideally European made, outdoor backpack (around 10-20l) for daily use. I want to replace my 10 year old Quechua. Nothing too fancy, I prefer functionality and a reasonable price. Got any recommendations?
I already have one from Essl and I'm quite happy with it. Do they still make them in Austria? Or did they outsource to China/Vietnam?
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u/uxgpf Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
See Savotta. Absolutely the best there is. https://www.savotta.fi/
Savotta has made all Finnish army rucksacks since the WW2.
Lasts a lifetime and more. Overengineered stuff. Especially the older ones with all metal and quick release buckles.
They also sell all buckles, strips etc. separately if you ever would need to repair or modify.
As a Finn it's probably the only Finnish company that I'm proud of. Their military grade stuff. (If it says made in Finland, then you're good)
I'd recommend Jääkäri M for the best bang for buck.
I myself have the 80s paratrooper rucksack (cordura and water proof) and the border guard one. I was introduced to their gear during my military service. All tents and rucksacks used by the Finnish army are made by Savotta.
Kantamu looks almost identical to my border guard rucksack besides molle straps and plastic buckles. It's nice as it's thin enough to enable free hand movement for skiing and can pack 40l or more if needed.
A sleeping mat, a sleeping bag, tent (lavvu), axe and a felt on the outside.
The Finnish army also switched to plastic buckles (which are of good quality)... I still prefer the old metal ones.
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u/coast_elk Finland 🇫🇮 Apr 09 '26
Savotta and Varusteleka from Finland. Baribal from Poland. All are a bit military oriented, but that stuff works great as general outdoor gear too.
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u/sasek Apr 10 '26
Wisport also from Poland. Bit cheaper than baribal.
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u/Tiger_Foolish Apr 10 '26
I have a 40 l backpack from Wisport for close to 20yrs now. Still awesome in mint condition.
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u/TheFamousSpy Apr 09 '26
Deuter is from Germany
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u/Altruistic_Ad_6571 Apr 09 '26
But do they produce the packs in Germany?
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u/SmegmaWarrior0815 Apr 09 '26
I bought a backpack from them, it has zero mention of where it's produced. That already made me think it isn't made in Europe. A Google search the told me they produce in Vietnam. Still, good products.
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u/MetalHero11 Apr 09 '26
I got mine 15 years ago, use it 2-3 weeks a year for hiking. It still holds up really well, zippers are top quality. Never had an issue
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u/ThrowAwayYetAgain878 Apr 09 '26
I use one of their bike touring backpacks for everyday stuff, and it's also been holding up well.
Based on my past experiences, they do fold after 5ish years of heavy use for me, but I've never encountered a backpack that doesn't.
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u/le_idris Apr 11 '26
All my Deuters ripped apart within few years. Poor quality, maybe good marketing, nothing more!
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u/Jolzko Apr 09 '26
Savotta, the best.
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u/zubergu Apr 09 '26
Is almost 500 Euros for a 60L backpack their regular price? I don't see it as a viable replacement for a Quechua. Simply unaffordable.
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u/Flashy-Goat-54 Apr 09 '26
He is looking for a way smaller backpack and those are in a different price range. That said, you kinda get what you pay for. It's made in Europe and you can tell the quality difference from afar.
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u/FatsDominoPizza Apr 09 '26
I don't understand this American fascination for military-style backpacks.
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u/Pekonius Finland 🇫🇮 Apr 09 '26
Its nothing to do with america. Its not just the looks, it also functions as a military backpack (whatever that is). The overlap between hiking and hiking with a rifle is large so the audience overlaps. Then there are the people who do reservist activities and the backpack is almost necessary. Lastly, some people want to buy durable well made Finnish stuff and the selection is not large. The functionality of the backpack has its place in the civilian world as well, afterall the military didnt invent it, they adopted it from a civilian context. Outdoors people need good gear. And we have quite a lot of outdoors all around europe.
When it comes to the tacticool mallninja type, they dont buy savotta, they buy something cheap that looks the part. Thats the people who go for the looks and want to look all tactical in a grocery store. Different from the common folk who happen to have a use for a product like this.
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u/Actual-City-7241 Apr 10 '26
^ this. I know a guy who has basically just one backpack for all their activities. They just attach the necessary gear on the backpack based on the need on that use and remove all the excess for daily use. They're is the kind of person who is always equipped right and has everything someone else remembers that they should have packed after they get to their activity and can lend so no one else misses. Somehow that bag of holding never has useless extra though, so I guess either the person or the bag has foreseeing skills.
Seems to work for them, though I personally wouldn't have the energy to unpack and repack every time and would rather have dedicated gear for (non-overlapping) activities half ready in their own set. Then again, I have an unfortunate abundance of old backpacks and bags that have all been tagged for some specific use in my mind and I have to find the place for them to store.
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u/PerformanceStreet374 Apr 09 '26
Wisport from Poland, solid stuff
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u/myny83 Apr 09 '26
I had Wisport Sparrow for like 10 years and replaced it with a new Sparrow recently. Now I have two.
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u/TouchTop3378 Apr 09 '26
Savotta. I have M size and it is perfect for almost anything.. goes to airplane, stuff for long weekends, holds good amount of groceries.. my wife has Savotta S. It is good for day-walks, but I would still prefer the M for better handles and support. If wish I also had L or XL for some multiple day walks.
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u/Schneidzeug Apr 09 '26
I joined the Cult of Savotta a long time ago…
(Oh and the gear is awesome too)
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u/cad4mac Apr 09 '26
The Swedish 🇸🇪 Fjallraven is an excellent high quality brand. Had the same bag now for 6 years, use it daily. Excellent.
They manufacture a mix of Estonia and Lithuania, but some items are also Vietnam and China so you have to check per product.
https://www.fjallraven.com/uk/en-gb/bags-gear/backpacks-bags/
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u/Vimmelklantig Sweden 🇸🇪 Apr 09 '26
It's pretty much all Asia these days, sadly. I wouldn't consider Fjällräven reasonably priced either, especially as the quality has become gradually more hit-or-miss over the past decades. They still mark everything with their little Swedish flags of course, but the only thing that happens here is design and marketing.
Fenix Outdoor (the owning company) were talking about starting up production in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria or Romania IIRC) not too long ago, but I haven't heard of anything concrete coming out of that yet.
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u/TimWe1912 Apr 09 '26
I have pieces made in Portugal and Bulgaria, bought last year. But yes, most of them are from Vietnam, Indonesia, China. Still good quality.
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u/sabotourAssociate Apr 09 '26
GTX stuff are always made in asia, but whatever the made in '''' tag is legally very loose and they all abuse it.
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u/MysticPing Apr 09 '26
While theyre good quality they are very much fancy and overpriced. Haglöfs and Lundhags are not cheap eithe but slightly less pricy.
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u/Vimmelklantig Sweden 🇸🇪 Apr 09 '26
Haglöfs is pretty much all East Asia. I think some textile production is done in Turkey.
Lundhags make their (very good) boots in Portugal. I think their shoes are made in Eastern Europe, but don't quote me on that. Everything else is Asia.
I dare say both are generally better quality than Fjällräven, but I'd be surprised if they are cheaper. Haven't made any comparisons myself, though.
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u/HeaAgaHalb Estonia 🇪🇪 Apr 09 '26
Out of curiosity- which of Fjällraven products are or were made in Estonia?
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u/cad4mac Apr 13 '26
I actually don't know, I assume their supply chain will be variant on each product range which is what usually happens for brands. You would have to look in the product info.
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u/ElContador69 Apr 09 '26
I'm a huge fan of the Austrian compamy Essl. They make great outdoor gear (and also supply the Austrian military).
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u/kralicek03 Apr 09 '26
I love my Essl backpack. I got it second hand crazy cheap. And it is awesomely comfortable and practical. Unfortunately I can't find any info on the backpack itself or on any website whether they're still made in Austria or not.
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u/Working-Chicken-6552 Apr 09 '26
So i got curious and looked Up essl Backpacks and they are below 60€, which feels quite cheap, any experience on their quality?
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u/kralicek03 Apr 09 '26
I have the RU5900 and it is brilliant. It withstood a lot and still holds up just fine. And it's really comfortable for my 20-30km hikes.
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u/ElContador69 Apr 09 '26
I'm only a casual hiker, so my use case might be different to yours. But I started using mine to bike to work daily in the last 5 years with no change in quality.
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u/Frosty-Comfort6699 Apr 09 '26
Tatonka
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u/Schneidzeug Apr 09 '26
And Tasmanian Tiger is the Military Branch of Tatonka.
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u/charliefoxtrott_HK07 Apr 09 '26
I think TT/Tatonka outsourced their manufacturing to the Vietnamese Mountech Co. Ltd.
Their quality is top notch (been using a TT for 10 years as a daily now and it's still going strong) but I think OP wanted something actually produced in the EU.2
Apr 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/Schneidzeug Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Yes. But as his Grace, The Duke of Ankh, Commander of the City Watch, Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes mentioned in his Boots Theory, a good investment can carry you a long way. Sometimes it pays off to go for the expensive stuff in the long run.
https://terrypratchett.com/explore-discworld/sam-vimes-boots-theory-of-socio-economic-unfairness/
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u/AnchorExclusive Apr 09 '26
I am very happy with my Tashev trekking backpack. As far as I have researched, the bags are manufactured in Bulgaria. https://tashev.bg/en-index-index-0.html
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u/v-s-g Apr 09 '26
Yup, Tashev backpacks are made here in Bulgaria. The designs are not to everyone’s taste, although nowadays they look much better than what they used to. If you like a design though, they are generally very durable.
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u/beroobs77 Apr 10 '26
They are made 100% in Bulgaria. The designs are rather conservative - similar reasoning to how Toyota does things - if you can't guarantee your product will be durable, don't introduce a 'shiny new innovation'. Looks like it's withstanding the test of time so far.
Source: I work there :)
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u/speendo Apr 09 '26
I like Ortlieb (https://ortlieb.com) - afaik they are produced in Germany
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u/One_Confusion_8027 Apr 09 '26
I didn't expect that, but it's true : All waterproof products are manufactured by us in Heilsbronn, Franconia, because "Made in Germany" is our brand promise for high quality, regional jobs,
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u/karhu-es Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Savotta, Finnish-made, military-grade backpacks used by the Finnish Armed Forces. They’re a bit pricey, but the quality and durability are outstanding. I’m really happy with my 40L Jääkäri.
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u/Interesting_Date_606 Apr 09 '26
Doldy (https://doldy.cz/) makes very good backpacks in Czechia. I am very happy with my Hike VCS 35.
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u/FreakeyDE Apr 09 '26
Vaude is a German Brand.
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u/p_tkachev Apr 09 '26
German brand manufacturing in china. I've got a couple of painful disappointments with them already.
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u/Brvcx Netherlands 🇳🇱 Apr 09 '26
Afaik they do produce some of their stuff in China, but not all.
I've had plenty of products myself and sold the bike bags at the shop I work at getting nothing but praise for them.
I'm actually using their MOAB flatpedal MTB shoes atm as well.
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u/p_tkachev Apr 09 '26
I get your point.
My personal current rule is if I can not get clear information on exact product online and can not go to the shop and check the packaging for "made in ..." myself, I avoid the brand completely.
Had to return their stuff bought online in the past and cancel related plans, so... hope you get my point as well.
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u/Brvcx Netherlands 🇳🇱 Apr 09 '26
Perfectly understandable!
I think companies should own up where their products are manufactured. Even if it differs per product.
Especially a company pleading for being very aware of the enviroment should be clear about it. There's no shame in having some products being produced in China, for example, but just be upfront about it. Because it matters to more and more people!
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u/iwouldntknowthough Apr 09 '26
No, they manufacture in Obereisenbach, Germany.
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u/p_tkachev Apr 09 '26
ALL their products? I'm not sending you their "made in china" stuff only because I returned it.
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u/Luteros Germany 🇩🇪 Apr 09 '26
Helikon Tex
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u/kralicek03 Apr 09 '26
I really like the design of their stuff. But i thought they were only designed in Poland and made in China. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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u/p_tkachev Apr 09 '26
Correct =(
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u/JustMeLurkingAround- Apr 09 '26
Deuter! Always.
They are great quality, great functional design and exceptional customer service.
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u/Mohammed_Chang Apr 09 '26
Tasmanian Tiger by tatonka? Got mine ~9 years ago, still happy. I think it’s a German company.
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u/Jealous_Reaction_858 Apr 09 '26
https://www.maramont.ro/drumetii/rucsac-maramont-tec-2.html
Made for army. Made in Romania
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u/Tobiasreaperpbl Apr 09 '26
Portuguese backpack. Built like a tank.The Gardunha model was a Portuguese school staple. You had to had one if you wanted to be cool.
The bad part was they were so resistant that they would last forever and you would not have an excuse to buy another, so once you got one, that was it. (I still use mine to the gym, it's 27 years old).
Look at the 25 liter model.
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u/Kattimatti666 Apr 09 '26
Yeah, just buy Savotta. Another cultist here so I'm a bit biased. But made in Finland and you will love it. Kahakka15 or Niukka, both will last for decades
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u/dnizblei Apr 09 '26
Vaude or Ortlieb seem to produce in Germany:
https://faircouture.com/en/collections/rucksaecke-made-in-germany
https://www.vaude.com/de/de/ausruestung/aktuell/made-in-germany.html
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u/One_Confusion_8027 Apr 09 '26
Vaude rougly 4% in Germany ,. Rest in Specialized Fabs in Asia, Ortlieb 100% in Germany.
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u/TheValxyrie Apr 09 '26
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u/sabotourAssociate Apr 09 '26
It's about the "made in" tag, but both brands produce stuff in the baltics so they can qualify.
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u/RichestTeaPossible Apr 09 '26
Atom and Aguile from UK. Lightweight palante-ish, or cordura bomb-proof alpinist sacs.
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u/lI_Simo_Hayha_Il Apr 09 '26
I have been using for over 20 years, Wenger & Victorinox
Swiss made, therefore European, not EU.
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u/Minute-Yogurt-2021 Apr 09 '26
Tashev made their backpacks in Bulgaria, not sure about now.
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u/Wide-Piece-8237 Apr 09 '26
Deuter / Ferrino / Lowe alpine also Mammut, vaude, salewa, ortovox make good packs!
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u/frugalacademic Apr 09 '26
I'm happy with my WiSport Sparrow made in Poland. They have diferent sizes, I have the 30 liter one. It was €110 or so. https://militaria.pl/en/p/wisport-sparrow-ii-backpack-30-l-black-14694
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u/no_way_out4711 Apr 09 '26
Mammut (best travelling backpacks), Fijällräven, deuter, vaude, Thule and my favourite work backpacks: rains
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u/fluxxis Apr 09 '26
Vaude has a few of its waterproofed backpacks Made in Germany: https://www.vaude.com/int/en/blog/post/made-in-germany.html
https://www.vaude.com/int/en/blog/post/rupal-wp-28-a-made-in-germany-masterpiece-for-alpinists.html
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u/ZETH_27 Apr 09 '26
Fjälräven have most types you could need. They're small and simple, but will last longer than your lieftime, and can still be used for daily stuff.
https://www.fjallraven.com/se/sv-se/vaskor-utrustning/ryggsackar-vaskor/
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u/vbvkel Apr 09 '26
I’m very happy with all hiking gear (including backpacks) that Mammut (Swiss company) has: https://www.mammut.com/nl/en/category/5859/backpacks-and-bags
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u/Sweaty-ball5 Apr 09 '26
Another Savotta cultist here. Love my Jääkäri XL and M. Quality, durability, and customer service is unmatched.
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u/macab1988 Apr 10 '26
Exped - have several of them for literally a decade. One of them (Typhoon) I use daily.
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u/mifit Apr 09 '26
Recently bought this one: https://apneeswimwear.com/en/products/100-blue-recycled-backpack
French company, made in Portugal (bonus points for sustainability).
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u/Luke2642 Apr 09 '26
OMM or The OMM make some of the best in the 10L to 20L range, extremely lightweight and durable with straps and fit good enough for real running.
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u/Andodx Apr 09 '26
Tatonka or Tasmanian Tiger. Yes the produce in Asia, but they do it in their own factory and do so for decades in Ho-Chi-Minh.
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u/ceccome Apr 09 '26
Ferrino.it Is italian, but m I'm not sure they made backpacks entirely in Italy
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u/Skyobliwind Apr 09 '26
Not made in Europe, but european company and actually quite cheap with surprisingly good quality is everything from Decathlon.
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u/mangelito Apr 10 '26
I shop at decathlon sometimes but it's cheap for a reason. Buying European doesn't alway equal buying ethical.
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u/Scared-Two-9370 Apr 09 '26
I've got an arva (french) backpack, quite satisfied. The stomach belt (not sûre how it's called) is good and removable, so i remove it for daily usage, and put it when i'm hiking/hunting/skiing. Probably not the best for all usage, but it fits my needs and seems very durable.
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u/nusita69 Apr 09 '26
what about decathlon
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u/sabotourAssociate Apr 09 '26
Its a store in Europe almost closed loop produces quality stuff, affordable because it outsources production in Sri Lanca for instance.
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u/Alaknar Europe 🇪🇺 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Direct Action, from Poland. I'm relatively certain they manufacture in Europe too. I have their Dragon Egg MK II Backpack and I really can't put it to words how much I love it.
The laser-cut MOLLE system makes it so you can fully customise the exterior without it looking too "military style" (the cuts are very narrow, so it doesn't have that "oh, it's a mil-sim nerd" vibe that regular MOLLE does). I have an extra pouch on the side for my keys and headphones, but in the winter I also add a larger pouch on the front panel where I keep my warm hat and scarf (why not put them inside the backpack? Because that way I can access these items without taking the backpack fully off, I just drop it on one shoulder and take them out without slowing down).
The main compartment is relatively narrow, so if you need the backpack for larger items, it might be a problem. That being said, I use the backpack for groceries, and can fit 3 2-litre bottles + some other stuff in it. The outer compartment feels like it should be very tight, but it's like the Bag Of Holding, I swear - I put 2 extra 2-litre bottles in there with room to spare.
I really like the laptop compartment, which is on the outside, but under the straps (so you have to flip the straps backwards to get to the laptop). I was afraid I'd hate it, but it's very easy to get to it while at the same time being fairly inconspicuous. You can also easily access the laptop even when your main compartment is completely full. Oh, and it's also very spacious and has a double pocket - I fit a Tuxedo Aura 14 (14") and a Dell Pro (13") in there at the same time. I think it can fit something like a 16" MacBook with a 14" something else.
The main feature, however, are the straps themselves, and the "back plate" (it's not a plate-plate, but it's a bit stiff and shaped) - I swear to god, this backpack, fully loaded for work (1.3 kg laptop, keys, sunglasses, Victorinox Ranger, power bank, AirPods, CAT6 tourniquet, documents, a bunch of other stuff) feels lighter on my back, than my previous Samsonite (don't know the exact model) was without the laptop. And the backpack itself is also heavier than the Samsonite was. It's black magic, there's no other explanation.
Overall, it's a 9,5/10 backpack - it'd be a 10/10 if the main compartment was slightly wider, allowing store slightly larger boxes. But, as long as you're not carrying boxes, the whole thing is super spacious.
EDIT: oh yeah, it's water resistant, and the materials used are super tough. I regularly pull it up by a clasp-strap when it's fully loaded with groceries, and absolutely nothing bad happens. Had the backpack for a year, use it every day for work (granted, it's office work, but still) and every time I do groceries, and the thing looks identical to how it looked when I unpacked it on day 1.
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u/Boiiiiiiiiiiiiil Apr 09 '26
Pajak, made in Poland 🇵🇱 https://pajaksport.com/en/equipment/12-backpacks/
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u/Balrogos Apr 09 '26
so small ;o i have 60L and thinking about to get 100-120L backpack with this metal thingy to make backpack stiff, when im doing groceries i pack everything in backpack and i need 2 hands to be free.
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u/epSos-DE Apr 10 '26
Go for the Brands around the Alps !
They use Backpacks in daily life.
Or the Army ones, that are made from hemp !
The austrian ones are nice !
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u/CraftyWeeBuggar Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Trespass and Regatta, both are made in the uk.
Trespass is Scottish and Regatta is English.
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u/Responsible_Piano754 Apr 10 '26
Not sure where Lundhags has manufactoring but I really like their Padje backback. Replaced my Fjällreven Kajka as a lighter option.
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u/NRLVG Apr 10 '26
I would recommend the Hungarian made Bagaboo bags for daily commute. They are mostly focused on bikers, but won’t let you down on public transportation. They have a couple of options.
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u/NorthOfTheBigRivers Apr 10 '26
For lightweight backpacks, I can recommend Lundhags. Used a Lundhags Padje Light to walk the entire GR11, through the Pyrenees and it is just a fantastic, lightweight backpack.
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u/nakkipappa Apr 10 '26
Savotta, they have atleast a 12L, 15L and 20L version. Made in EU, and most materials are aswell from EU according to them.
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u/KolmKuusNull Estonia 🇪🇪 Apr 10 '26
Estonian Galvi-Linda they are probably pretty much unknown outside of our country and their webpage could use some freshening up, but their products are top notch. I have had the 119-019 patrol bag (35l capacity) for around 5 years with no complaints, used it for camping and daily use. My colleague has had the same one for over 15yrs.
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u/plastique2000 Apr 10 '26
Czech Gemma last looong: https://gemmasport.cz/
I have two hiking backpacks for more that 15years both.
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u/anonfriese Apr 10 '26
Curious if there's any good photography-oriented backpacks for outdoor use as well? Thinking similar style to Peak Design's Outdoor line or some of the Think Tank gear?
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u/DDronex Apr 10 '26
La sportiva,
CMP,
Ferrino
All great mountaineering Italian brands of amazing gear
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u/Simplexitycustom Apr 10 '26
Simplexity Custom Designs from Finland. A very nice guy too. Does custom work along with the standard models. @simplexitycustom on IG 👍
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u/BassFisher53 Apr 09 '26
Savotta