Raccoon 45 backpack is made by a Polish company Wisport. They are most known for their backpacks, but produce some outdoor clothing and other gear too. They make it in many colours and camo patterns. Raccoon 45 is made from 1000D cordura and all the buckles are of top quality. It is rugged pack made for long term use.

Volume

The number 45 denotes its volume wich is 45L.  It is a great pack for overnighters or 2-, 3-day trips. But we can be push it in longer adventures too.

It has a floating lid, which is a great feature not seen on many packs. You can extend the volume by 10L or carry sleeping mat under it. You can take the lid off and use it as a haversack. It has one pocket wich is accessible from the outside and one on the inside, on the top there are two equipment straps. There is a single compression strap under the lid to secure helmet or other gear.

Attachment system

There is pals webbing on the sides, front and top lid. You can buy side pouches for this pack. Two of them add another 18 l of volume. The side pouch for Sparrow backpack fits perfectly on the front and adds another 5 l. With all the pouches on, the total volume of this pack is 68l. The pals webbing is standard so it will fit any molle pouch.

Versatile pockets and the possibility to increase the volume of the backpack.
Versatile pockets and the possibility to increase the volume of the backpack.

Pockets

On both sides of the pack there are two compression straps. This are long enough that you can strap sleeping mat to the side. Both sides also have small pockets on the lower end. They are ment for a rifle stock, but can be used for securing axe handles, folding saws or hiking poles from sliding down when strapped to the side. They are not wide or deep enough for water bottles. On the front there are two straps that can hold flat items or folded jacket. There is a big grab handle, made from webbing, on the top and one on each side of the pack.

Inside of the pack we can find a small zipered pocket and sleeve for  hydration blader. Main body closes with a snow collar and  we can divide it on lower third and upper two thirds. Bottom compartment can be accessed by a zipper on the lower front of the pack. There is a hiden compartment with a rain cover on the bottom. Rain cover is included and is nice olive drab colour.

Functionality and attractive appearance of the Wisport Raccoon 45.
Functionality and attractive appearance of the Wisport Raccoon 45.

Wide ergonomic shoulder straps and padded hip belt

The shoulder harness features FAS, fully adjustable suspension system, wich means it can be adjusted to any torso lenght. Shoulder straps do not connect directly to the main body of the pack, but to two aluminium framestays. This really helps with more free movement of the upper body and the framestays distribute the weight of the pack to the hip belt. Shoulder straps are thick and comfortable and connected to main body with loadlifters. They feature a clip for hidration bladder hose and some webbing.

Hip belt is thick and wide and  it does its job really well. It has some webbing that you can attach pouches to and stabilization strap on each side. Tasmanian Tiger Tac 4 horizontal pouches fit really well as hip pouches and can carry phone and other gear that needs quick access.   

A fully equipped Raccoon 45 for multi-day excursions.
A fully equipped Raccoon 45 for multi-day excursions.

Practical and personal experience

Wisport Raccoon 45 is one of the best backpacks i have ever owned. I got it as used, but in reality it was as new. It is in Wz. 93 Pantera pattern or Polish woodland camo. It looks nice and is great for central Europe use. If you use all of its features and pack it correctly  it carries really well over long distances even when heavy. With all the add on pouches you can reach volume suitable for multiday adventures or winter use.

The correct way to add volume to your pack is to go up and that is where floating lid shines. Not a new invention by any means, but hard to find on packs nowdays. I added some bungee cords to mine for ease of atttaching clothing etc. Only one buckle broke on mine, and elastic on the side pockets streched over the years. Buckle was easily replacable with one i found at Dechatlon. The fabric does not show any signs of wear and it is easily cleaned with brush. There are also 65L (Wildcat 65) and 85L (Raccoon 85) versions of this pack which come with side pouches.

PROS:                                                          

  • comes in subdued colours
  • very versatile           
  • very good value                                             
  • well built
  • floating lid

CONS:

  • military look
  • heavy because of the materials used and all the pals webbing
  • small pockets on top lid
  • has a tendency to squeak when heavily loaded