Altura Thunderstorm City 30 backpack

The Altura Thunderstorm City 30 is a hardy, waterproof bag designed to be used in all weather. It's got great capacity, but is a bit of a 'black hole' with one huge compartment and a couple of small essentials areas. Its waterproofness is impressive, and comfort is quite remarkable – it would make a great choice for someone with a lot to carry to work.

• Pros: Very waterproof, comfortable to use, lots of features to ensure visibility
• Cons: It's a bit of a black hole of space

The large 30L storage capacity is maximised by the way in which the bag is essentially just a box on straps – without sub-dividing compartments, you can get absolutely loads in there, probably around three shoeboxes' worth of kit.

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Obviously, the more storage the merrier, to some extent. But, if you leave the larger items of your work clothes such as shoes and trousers at work and only carry some fresh essentials and maybe some lunch and a computer on a day-to-day basis, the bag almost becomes a 'black hole'. It's so cavernous that if something is at the bottom, it's quite hard to locate it without the sub-dividers of a typical backpack.

I got around this on rides to work by filling the bag with smaller carrier bags and tote bags to subdivide things – one bag with clothes, one with food and so on. Altura does mitigate this 'black hole' effect to some extent by adding a small zipped compartment for valuables (though it will only fit wallet, phone, keys and so on), a couple of small open pouches (around the size to fit a few inner tubes in each), and a sleeve that fits a 13in laptop.

The closure method at the top of the main compartment is the classic roll down and clip fastening. The opening isn't really sealed shut at all, there are a couple of Velcro tabs to keep the openings together, but no zip. If you roll the bag down properly, nothing could ever escape out of the top, but it did lurk in the back of my mind down a couple of steep descents that something could somehow find its way out, and I'd like a zip at the top for extra peace of mind.

Where the bag really comes into its own is in the comfort stakes. There are adjustable straps that go around the chest and waist, allowing the bag to be kept nice and close to the body and high up on the back, meaning your more fragile lower back isn't taking the strain of a heavy load. I carried home a load of shopping one day with it, including a few heavy bottles, tins, and packets (beer, peanuts and cigarettes, obviously). Although the bag had a fair weight to it, it wasn't uncomfortable over a 20-minute journey. It's a real bonus that the empty bag is only 600g, meaning you're starting from a nice low basis on the weight front.

The bag has a venting system created via foam pads on the back, which means air can flow up and down your spine and across the backs of your ribs, preventing that horrible clamminess that you can get if wearing casual cotton clothing, as opposed to cycling-specific wicking stuff.

The bag we were sent for review is entirely black and dark grey, which looks pretty slick but isn't so great for low-light commutes. However, it is also available in high-vis yellow as well. That said, the front, sides and underneath of the bag are covered in small reflective dashes which work really well. I like that the underneath of the bag also has these reflective touches – this is perhaps the area of the bag most likely to catch the glare of headlights and so ideal for a bit of visibility. The bag also has loops for attaching a light at the bottom and sides.

All my test rides were on dry days, so to put the bag to the test, I gave it a gentle spray with the shower head for around a minute to see how it held out, and it was impressive. The interior stayed totally dry, and there were no signs of leakage – perhaps a result of the sealed seams, and a good symbol of the general quality feel and construction of the bag.

Although the price might initially seem excessive at £80, when viewed in context of similar alternatives, it's good value. If you want to go super-high end there's Chrome's Barrage bag at £175, or there's a slightly more reasonable alternative (£105) from Braasi Industries. 

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Overall, I really like this bag. It's well constructed and well thought out. The only niggle for me is the lack of a zip on the top of the main compartment to keep possessions super-secure, but that's probably just my slightly paranoid nature. Sure, it's a bit of a black hole of space, but it's not insurmountable. And if I had the choice, I would probably go for the high-vis option.

Verdict

A great option for a commuting bag, as long as you're prepared for that 'black hole' effect