Originally Posted on my blog at http://kuixihe.com/node/83 (http://kuixihe.com/node/83)
Well, after several months of use, I’ve gotten a chance to really get a hands on look at my Kriega R30. I’ve spent about 4-5 years with the Kriega R25 and it quickly became my favorite backpack. One big draw back with my R25 was the lack of waterproof-yness and lack of pockets. I had several holes in it so I reserve it for the abusive jobs (like lugging around tools and grocery).
The R30 is marketed as 100% waterproof. The waterproof is a function of a removeable dry bag that is included. Without the drybag, the bag is water resistant and will keep your items dry in a light rain, but anything past that it will begin to soak up with water. You can take all of the contents and empty them into the dry bag to keep it dry. I’ve shot a water hose at it and all my items have stayed dry, so I give it a 2 thumbs up for function. I rarely use the drybag except for the times that I carry things that absolutely cannot get wet (computer, books and other paperwork). Otherwise, I keep in a ziplock bag inside one of my external pockets.
(http://kuixihe.com/gallery3/var/resizes/My%20Motorcycle/Moto%20Gear/Kriega%20Wet%20Flash.JPG?m=1314039048)
The external pockets are water RESISTANT not waterproof so eventually water will get in there and soak everything inside. It only took a 15 minute ride in heavy rain + a Ducati Monster (tail chopped) to get this small pool of water building up. My stuff was still dry, but i think another 15 minutes would of soaked everything inside.
These are the items in my bag which were dry for the most part. and the Pool of water building up from that short ride.
(http://kuixihe.com/gallery3/var/resizes/My%20Motorcycle/Moto%20Gear/Dry%20Items.JPG?m=1314038945)
(http://kuixihe.com/gallery3/var/resizes/My%20Motorcycle/Moto%20Gear/Pool%20of%20water.JPG?m=1314039203)
The strap is similar to the R25. It retains the quadlock system, they ditched however, the aluminum ring straps for the upper shoulder portion. I thought the ring system was a really cool and unique design. They kept it for the waist which was where it was needed most i think (especially for people my size, 5’6†140lbs).
The shoulder pads are kept in a pocket and is allowed to move freely to adjust for larger people. The main flaw in this is that the shoulder pads have a tendency to come out if you pick the bag up from the shoulder straps. It’s a nuisance that wouldn’t deter me from buying it since I can just grab it from the hand strap instead.
There is no longer a laptop sleeve inside and no internal pocket like the R25. There is however 2 external pockets.
The bag is a ruck sack instead of a zippered book bag. The rucksack helps keep water out when using the drybag but it’s a pain in the ass to continuously open and close. I wish they had a zippered design so you can quickly get into it and zip it up only when needed.
The bag is designed with a slimmer person in mind as well. My R25 was WAY to big for me. I had to sew the chest harness together to make it smaller. The R30 is still a bit too big for me, but its manageable. With a jacket on, it fits GREAT, but without the extra girth, the bookbag is pretty loose on me. Nothing a little sewing machine can’t fix though.
Other than that, theres not much else to say. Kriega has always had high quality products so the bag is of course a very well built bag. Its not as big as the R35, and way more versatile than the R25. It costs significantly more than the R25, but if you think about the drybags cost, its well worth the money.
Keypoints:
Removeable drybag
2 external pockets
rucksack design
too big for normal use without jacket
Video Review:
Kriega R30 Review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX2Fp9AeWj8#)
i got the r30 too, and i have to agree with everything you note here. i do wish they kept the rings for the top straps, but the current system is also nice because it never moves once you set it... but setting it is pretty annoying. not as easy and as fast as the ring system which i can snug up while riding.
i was going to post a review basically stating all the same points as you did and also comparing it to the ogio no drag because i would say that the no drag is prob the closest non kriega competitor. i'll just post the points i've noted btwn the two here, but please note that both are great bags and you cant go wrong with either... they just fit different purposes.
ogio:
better city/light duty backpack: with the helmet holder and not needing to use the quadlock system when off the bike, it's a lot better to use as a backpack you use to just tool around quickly. it's lighter and i can bring it out, toss my mesh jacket (leather jacket can prob fit, but it'll be a bit of a squeeze) in there and hook my helmet up to it and carry it around as one package. and like i said, it doesnt need to be fully clipped up to be comfy off the bike, but is still great when on the bike. the kreiga is a bit awkward when not fully clipped in.
better for moving around on the bike: due to the semi rigid shape of the ogio, when it's on your back it does not move at all. the kriega system doenst move that much at all, but the ogio literally doesnt move a single inch when strapped up.
better interior organization: interior pockets galore, marked from hydration bag, shoe holders, laptop sleeve, etc etc. if you like things neat, this bag has got you covered. not to mention special pockets/routing for earbuds/ipod
better chest ventilation/worse back ventilation: this is where it's a give and take btwn the kriega and the ogio. the quadlock system blocks almost all air to your chest, but leaves your sides and the sides of your back totally open for good venting. the way the padding is set up also holds the bag off your bag allowing more air to get in. the ogio is almost the exact opposite with the front of my chest being ventilated very well, but due to the way it covers the back, you wind up getting 0 ventilation there and depending on how big you are, it covers a good amount of your back.
zero outside pockets/annoying zipper config: because the zipper is on the inside of the backpack, you're forced to basically take off the backpack everytime you need something from your bag. annoying, but i'm also guessing that it should help a good amount with keeping water out of your bag... havent tested this however. i would say it's a draw btwn the rolltop r30 and the interior zipper no drag in terms of annoyance.
worse ability to pack a lot of gear: again due to the interior zipper and odd shape of the backpack, i found i could pack a lot less gear than expected. you cant compare the size of the r30 vs the no drag (should be compared to the r25 for size i'm guessing), but it's very very easy to fill up the ogio. and also, when it starts to get pack, the inside panel of the backpack starts to bulge out into your back which forces you to reset your straps. becasue the kreiga is the other way around, the backpack bulges out away from your back letting you keep the same settings on your straps all the time.
contruction: the kriega is made of higher qual stuff. reminds me a lot of the old north face backpack (back from when they used to actually make products that lasted as opposed to the junk they make now) i've had for the past 12 years and is still going strong. the ogio isnt a slouch in any way either, but the interior pocket material is a bit thin for my liking, but thats probably because there are so many of them. of course, the other edge of the sword is that the ogio is a lot lighter than than kriega.
so basically that's it. if you had to choose btwn the two (or a kriega in general), i would say both are on par with each other but for different uses. if you're a student or just someone that wants a bag for the city and a day into the twisties and plan to spend a lot more time off the bike, it's hard to go wrong with the ogio. but if you're a serious commuter or do a whole lot of long days on the bike, the kriega fits that role a lot better for being on the bike for a long time.
even thoughi ve never touched the ogio, ive got to agree with the Kriega R30being an long distance commuter pack.
I use it for day to day commuting as well and find it kind of annoying when i have to take stuff in and out of it. The rucksack really prevents me from using it as backpack. The R25 on the other hand is quick. it has a zipper on it and i can take it on and off easily. the shoulder straps never come off and its got 1 big ass pocket that can pretty much hold anything (ive thrown a size Large Shoei RF1000 in there before. its tight but defintely fits).
If you need quick access to your pack and are a short distance commuter and need to go into your pack all the time, id go with the R25 and throw a drybag in there (any drybag will do really, check out aerostitch)