Gear Review: Rab Veil XP 20L Waterproof Trailrunning Pack
With plans to run more long distances and even do a multi-day trek on the trail, we turned our eye to bigger running packs. Different from a running vest, where the main focus is on the ability to carry water and some basic necessities, a running pack offers a lot more space. It gives the opportunity to carry an extra set of clothes, food, or in some cases even a full sleep system and tent if you pack ultralight. After a lot of research and testing, we settled on the brand new Rab Veil XP 20L pack. Read our opinion below and see if this pack might be something for you.
Facts & Figures
Dimensions: comes in S and M sizing. We are around 175cm, weigh 62-63kg, wear a Small and tighten it maximally.
Weight: 476g
Properties:
Waterproof IPX4 rating
Rab 3D Mesh back system for ventilation
Ultralight harness to regulate temperature on warm days
Bungee chest strap and hipbelt
Space for 2 500ml soft flasks (not included!)
Storage options for trekking poles
Price: €150,00 (feb 2025)
A closer look
The Rab Veil XP 20L is a really versatile pack. It is new in the Rab running line-up and offers functionality for a range of different activities. The pack has been released in 2 colours: white/gray and fully black and a 20L and 30L are available. The pack offers a fully waterproof main compartment which holds a lot of gear. It has a roll-top closure which is great if you don’t pack it at its full capacity. It closes at the top, as well with straps on the side to really make sure your gear stays put. If you have a few items in there it stays on your back comfortably. However, we did note that it bounces quite a bit if you leave it fairly empty. If you do bring gear, you don’t have to leave many things behind! This pack easily swallows an extra outfit, layers, emergency kit, poles and more. Because the main compartment is waterproof, you don’t have to deal with drybags and just toss everything in there. Behind the main compartment there is space to carry a water bladder if you use one.
Next to the main compartment, there are several pockets on the outside. There is a main stash-pocket on the back which is great for keeping your waterproofs for example. It is very stretchy so can hold a lot. Next to these are two stash pockets reaching to the side. These can be reached while you’re wearing the bag, which is great! The one on the rights side is split in two: one open stash compartment, and one zippered pocket. On the other side, this is just one large stash compartment. This is also one of our issues: this pocket, while quite big, stands open quite a bit if you don’t fully pack the main compartment. This means anything you throw in there could easily fall out making it quite useless in our opinion. Both sides of the bag also have a long vertical pocket to stash your trekking poles. This works great, but if you underpack the main compartment and roll this down tight, you might not be able to use these pockets anymore.
Finally, the front of the pack has a running vest style. This fits great and has room for two 500ml soft flasks. These flasks are not included but sold by Rab separately. We did find out that Salomon flasks also fit in these pockets, which is great! In front of these pockets are two zippered pockets which are large enough to hold an iPhone. There are two bungee closures to strap down the vest on your front. The pack also holds a waist band which can be closed with a large buckle.
Fit and comfort
When looking for a larger capacity running pack, one of our big goals was to find a stable pack. One that doesn’t bounce when holding quite a bit of gear. For us, this meant we wanted a waist band to hold the pack in place. This works really well on the Rab: the running harness fits tightly around your shoulders and chest and the waist band holds the pack secure against your abdomen. We wore the pack on a long day out in the woods and it felt very comfortable. One thing to note however, is that the waist band is really big. If you have a small build, like we do, you’ll notice when fitting this that the velcro is too short and you cannot use the velcro to make the band short enough. Our solution for this was to fold the strap in the middle, and tighten the band down with an elastic. While not the prettiest solution, it does hold very comfortably and did not bother us enough to return the packs. It would be great if Rab released a smaller version of this pack for people with a small waist, but right now it does not seem to have size options in this regard.
Storage and usability
The Rab Veil XP 20L has, as you could guess, 20 liters of capacity. For us, this really hits the sweet spot for multi-day adventures where you sleep in hotels or huts. It opens up the opportunity to bring a change of clothes for the evenings, warm layers, an e-reader, toiletries, and a lot of camera gear. When running, the front pockets can hold flasks, your phone and some bars or gels. The zippered pocket on the side is great for essentials like a headlamp or your wallet. The stash pockets on the side can hold things like gloves, a hat or a waterproof layer. This means you can carry all your other gear in the main compartment without having to take of the pack and access it a lot.
One thing to note is that the flask pockets are not one size fits all. We already owned soft flasks that came with our Norrona Senja running vests. Assuming these would be interchangeable, we discovered that the shape of these pockets is shorter and wider, meaning our flasks don’t fit fully and flop around when they become emptier. Rab does offer their own flasks on the site, which we assume should be a perfect fit but those will cost you another 40 euros for 2 flasks on top of the price of the pack.
Field testing
We have been using the Rab Veil XP 20L pack for a few months now, in winter and early spring weather. While we originally bought them for a fastpack along the Rheinsteig in April, we did not end up doing this trip due to an injury. Therefore, we have thus far only used it on longer day outings. We still think it is a great pack for when you are trekking from hotel to hotel or to huts. You can bring a lot of gear and carry it comfortably. Our current plan is to use this pack as both a day-hike backpack on holidays, and to use it for fast-packing in the future. Because it is waterproof and fits nicely, it is a very versatile pack. Also, the colors it comes in are great and match with anything.
While not a pack for shorter distances or your daily runs, we think Rab did a really good job with the Veil. There are not a lot of packs on the market currently that have this sweet spot of 20 Liters. We think it is the ideal size for a fast-packing kit if you also want to carry camera gear. If you pack even more ultralight you could probably get away with only 15 liters, but we enjoy having a bit of extra space for things like lunch etc. The waist band keeps it very stable and comfortable when running which is great when it is a bit heavier. The storage options for your poles are also nice, but do get a little hard to reach when the bag is stuffed to capacity.
Pros and cons
Pro
Waterproof main compartment
Lots of outside pockets and storage options
Storing options for trekking poles
Waist-band holds pack stable and in place
Breathable and comfortable fit
Perfect size for fast-packing
Con
Soft flasks not included with bag
Bounces if not fully packed
Waist-band is really large on a size S
Trekking pole storage can not be used if packed down small
One back pocket stands open quite a bit
Conclusion
Writing all this there is a clear recommendation for us. We love the Rab Veil XP 20L pack and think it perfectly fits our needs. While we still need to test in on some multiday treks we think it will hold up great. The large amount of storage options and comfortable fit make it a versatile bag. While it is a shame the waistband is so large, our solution works well enough we are willing to overlook this. At its price we also think you get a lot of bag. It would have been great if flasks were included, but if you already own other running packs, chances are your flasks fit in this bag as well! If you’re looking for a fast-packing bag, definitely check this one out!