Finn-Savotta Challenge: The Conclusion

We have been travelling more than five years with our new Finn-Savotta backpacks, Savotta LJK12 and Savotta 906, in dozens of countries all over the world. The backpacks are still in one piece and in usable condition. There are some scratches and bumps in the aluminium structure and the fabric has worn out a bit here and there but nothing major. On the other hand, there were some minor usability challenges.

Santeri's sturdy Savotta LJK12 was designed for hiking in the wilderness. Santeri liked especially the adjustable carrying system, which made it easy to carry loads up to 30kg. However, international air travel proved to be challenging. One of the structural pipes of the backpack got stuck in a conveyor belt tearing the plastic cap out of the pipe. As advised by Savotta, we covered the pipe with duct tape. Another challenge was getting the backpack stand on its own without a tree or a wall to lean on. If the bottom compartment was not full, the backpack kept falling down.

Päivi's Savotta 906 backpack was lighter and less sturdy, but there were no major issues. Päivi liked especially the padded straps which prevented any kind of chafing. However, the fabric of the backpack was less durable than in LJK12 and it wore out particularly in the lower compartment producing little holes. Päivi's backpack also had the same problem of falling down just like Santeri's.

The true hero of the challenge was the little green rucksack 202 that was accompanied by LJK. Although one of the carrying straps got loose, it was quick and easy to fix on the road in Cyprus. The straps in our model are narrow and dig into Päivi's shoulders but fortunately this has been fixed in the new model. The little monster of a rucksack carried huge loads of vegetables and groceries up to 30kg almost daily. That kind of use would have been unbearable for any modern, anatomic backpack. Päivi had such a backpack when we left Finland. It broke into pieces in less than two years.

As a conclusion, the backpacks were sturdy enough for our heavy use. We were not able to break them and we are certain that they will outlast us as well with some little fixes every once in a while. Just remember to prepare your backpack properly for flights. Thank you for the challenge, Savotta.

Read also our initial impressions of the Savotta backpacks after the first year on the road.

Disclaimer: Although Savotta kindly provided us the backpacks for the challenge, we do not have financial ties to Savotta nor any other obligations to declare.