Haize Ultra 20 X-Pac: finally a Haize bag with hydration bladder routing

Haize finally listened to me. There, it is said.

Several times, the brand has released bags designed for outdoor adventure, including the model with Au Vieux Campeur that I found really cool on paper. But every time, I had this little frustration: we were still dealing with a very everyday-oriented bag, with a very present laptop pocket, sometimes a little heavy, sometimes a little bulky, and above all without routing for a hydration bladder.

This time, with the Haize Ultra 20 _X-Pac edt., we finally have a Haize bag that truly embraces the field: 20 L, hydration bladder routing, controlled weight, solid materials, and still the possibility of slipping in a laptop if you really want to.

I have been testing it for a few weeks and, honestly, it ticks a lot of boxes.

Finally, water on your back

This was THE thing I was waiting for.

I love Haize bags. I like their modularity, their solidity, their “a bag that follows you everywhere” side. But for hiking, photo outings, long walks, days outside or small improvised adventures, not having hydration bladder routing was still a shame.

On this Ultra 20, that is fixed. There is finally proper routing for a hydration bladder. And it changes everything. Not having to take out a bottle, being able to drink while walking, keeping your hands free with a camera or poles: that is exactly the kind of detail that makes a bag go from “nice” to “I take it all the time.”

WATER ON THE BACK. Finger heart.

And if you need to keep a laptop with you, the bag still has a suspended internal flap designed for either a hydration bladder or a laptop. It is more discreet than the usual large laptop pockets, less intrusive, and that is very good. You can feel the bag was designed first to move outside, not to carry a full office.

Cordura on the front, X-Pac everywhere else: very premium

The Cordura / X-Pac combo is ultra stylish.

The X-Pac VX21 gives it that technical, light, taut, almost sailcloth feel, while the front face in recycled 1220D Cordura nylon brings a real sense of robustness. In hand, it feels premium. Not fragile, not gimmicky, not “pretty but scary to put on the ground.” It is a bag you want to use.

I am a little sad to have lost the small side pockets I liked on other models. But well, you have to save weight somewhere. And at the announced 987 g, the Ultra 20 remains really pleasant to carry.

The stretch side pockets are still there, and the elastic on the side is genuinely clever for tightening the contents. Personally, I do not necessarily put a bottle there, but my tripod, for example, holds very well inside. It keeps side-mounted gear more secure and makes the bag look cleaner when it is not fully packed.

The M.O.L.L.E system on the front

On the front face, Haize has added a M.O.L.L.E system: two rows of attachments running along the bag, on the right and on the left.

It is very practical for attaching accessories, elastics, straps, a small pouch, light gear, or simply adapting the bag to the outing. The hypalon T-Hook System patch is also still there to attach the Haize accessories already available.

This is an important point: the Ultra 20 remains compatible with all Haize accessories. If you have already invested in the brand ecosystem, you are not starting from scratch.

The back really ventilates better

I had a slightly strange moment during the first outings: I felt like my back was less sweaty.

So I asked: “Did you change something?”

The creator’s answer:

“Yeeeees, that is the big innovation!”

The back uses ventilated O2Grid foam, 100% hydrophobic and naturally antibacterial, paired with 3D mesh. Basically, the foam is made of 90% air. So, inevitably, compared with EVA foam or classic memory foam, it breathes much more.

And the detail I really like: this foam is announced as 100% recycled and recyclable. So you gain comfort without losing the thread of what makes Haize’s identity: making technical, durable bags with coherent material choices.

Haize Ultra 20 X-Pac technical sheet

• Volume: 20 L
• Dimensions: 50 x 29 x 17 cm
• Internal flap: 30 x 27 x 1.5 cm
• Weight: 987 g
• Main material: X-Pac VX21
• Front face: recycled Cordura nylon 1220D / 400 g/m2
• Back: ventilated O2Grid foam, 100% hydrophobic and naturally antibacterial
• Lining: 420D UPcycle Diamond Ripstop, 100% recycled
• Closure: Fidlock V-Buckle
• Reinforcements: S-HYPALON TPU Bluesign
• Buckles: Duraflex XLite Polyamide Bluesign series
• Zip: YKK
• Main opening: clamshell type
• System: M.O.L.L.E on the front face, right and left side of the bag
• Pockets: stretch side pockets on both sides
• Flap: compatible with a hydration bladder or suspended laptop

Haize indicates manufacturing in China, in a human-scale workshop specialized in technical bags for European brands and institutions. The brand also states that the buckles and zippers are Bluesign and Oeko-Tex 100 certified.

The bag is available in several colors, including blue, yellow and purple.

The price and Haize promo codes

The Haize Ultra 20 _X-Pac edt. is announced at 339 euros, but it is 275 euros on preorder at the time I am writing these lines. With the Haize Project promo code ODINEXTRA5, it drops to around 261 euros.

For the rest of the Haize site, you can also use my code ODIN3000, which works on the brand’s other bags and accessories.

So, to summarize:

• ODINEXTRA5: the code to use for the Haize Ultra 20 preorder
• ODIN3000: the Haize Project promo code for the rest of the site

My opinion after a few weeks

I like it. Really.

It is beautiful, practical, not heavy, compatible with a hydration bladder, compatible with Haize accessories, and the ventilated back genuinely changes something in the field. I keep a small regret for the little side pockets I liked, but I understand the choice: if you want a lighter, more direct, more outdoor bag, you have to remove the superfluous.

And here, we end up with a bag that keeps the Haize DNA, but with a real adventure orientation.

Ultra beautiful + practical + water on the back + not heavy.

There. Haize finally listened to me. Or at least I am going to tell myself that.

Preorder my Ultra 20

Remember the code ODINEXTRA5 ;)