Product review: Royal Enfield Himalayan backpack, three month update

RE Himalayan backpack 3 month update

I’ve been using the Himalayan backpack for a few months now, and it’s been surprisingly good – there are a couple of things that I’d like improved, though.

For one, the company markets it as a tank bag for the motorcycle with the same name, but the bike doesn’t have any real anchor points for the bungee cords, so I haven’t been able to find a proper place for it on the Himalayan’s tank. Second, it’s a tank bag, but the bag doesn’t have any of the accessories necessary to be one, like magnets or bungee cords/straps. It’s a backpack, plain and simple – and when you view it from that angle, it suddenly begins to look like a value-for-money product. 

That is because as a backpack, I always have more than enough place to store everything I need. In fact, the main compartment is so cavernous, the security guard at the office once remarked that she’d need a torch to truly check the contents of the bag. However, it can get a little cumbersome to open and close, especially on the go.

Normal sized-Abhishek cannot see into the backpack on the move.

You’ll also need long arms to dip into it while walking along – I have gorilla arms, and even I find it difficult sometimes to reach the bottom of the compartment. Abhishek from our product team has kindly modeled for us, him being a normal-sized person, and there’s no easy way for him to reach into the bag on the go.

Me and my gorilla arms, still not easy to reach inside on the move.

The two small zippered compartments on the front had initially left me quite unimpressed, but then I discovered that the top one has a second zippered compartment in it. The bottom one has a couple of small compartments in it as well.

Well, I do say ‘small’ but I once put a pen drive and my toothbrush in those small compartments, and then couldn’t find them for the length of our trip to Big Rock. Never have I been so devoid of music or dental hygiene in recent memory. The zippers of all compartments are waterproof, so that is something I will be able to comment on in a few months’ time. The main compartment is a roll top, which makes it not just waterproof but also submersible to some extent. I also discovered that the main compartment’s waterproof liner is removable, so that’s how I’m using it at the moment. 

I have been using it as a tailbag a lot, and the way the two front pockets are designed makes it really easy to wrap the bungee cord and anchor it. 

The biggest draw for me is the price: Rs 3700 for the features it offers is a great price. Now to see how well it does, come the monsoon.

Available at the Royal Enfield Store online.