Ray Mears Leaf Cutter Rucksack

IN SHOP £220.00

Brand: Ray Mears Bushcraft

Weight: 1860 g 59 reviews

This item is available in the Woodlore shop

The Ray Mears Leaf Cutter Rucksack is the first ever rucksack to have been designed and tested by the British Bushcraft and survival expert Ray Mears. The end result is a dedicated outdoor pack that is spacious and tough, yet surprisingly light in weight. Each pack has been crafted from start to finish right here in the UK, courtesy of Scottish Mountain Gear - a company with whom Ray has had ties since as far back as his Bushcraft Survival days. Indeed, the Leaf Cutter was developed from a custom jungle rucksack, made for Ray by Scottish Mountain Gear many years ago.

When first setting out to design this rucksack, Ray's primary goal was to create "a pack that you can live out of." With its focus on roomy, easy-access compartments, along with strong fabrics and fittings, this is a pack that does away with the unnecessary gimmicks and instead provides a reliable and durable companion for your adventures.

With a main compartment volume of 58 litres, the pack provides ample space for your equipment, clothing and food, making it perfect for week-long forays or even longer trips into the wilderness. Despite this large capacity, the pack weighs in at just 1.8 kg; a surprisingly low figure for such a spacious rucksack made from strong fabrics. It is thanks to this that the rucksack's name was born, after the supremely strong yet agile leaf cutter ant.

The fixed side pockets provide an additional packing volume of 20 litres, helping you to organise your gear while keeping important items close to hand. An external pocket on the front of the pack provides plenty of room for your first aid kit or tarp, while two internal sleeves in the main compartment provide the perfect storage space for a pair of SAM splints.

Details:

Volume of main compartment: 58 litres
Volume of side pockets: 10 litres each
Total volume (including all pockets): 90 litres
Weight: 1.86 kg
Back height (from the shoulder straps down): 50 cm
Fabric: Waterproof 1,000 denier Cordura Nylon
Colour: Olive Drab
A bespoke item, produced in small numbers
Designed by Ray Mears
Exclusive to Woodlore
Made in Great Britain

Features:

Large main compartment with PU Nylon snow valance and drawcord closure
Spacious lid with elastic trim and buckle closures
2 x fixed side pockets with buckle closures
External front pocket with lockable zip closure
External, slim-profile pocket on lid with lockable zip closure, now with front facing zip
Concealed, slim-profile pocket on underside of lid with zip closure
Drain holes fitted in the main compartment and side pockets
Heavy-duty YKK zips used throughout
Contoured and padded shoulder straps with adjustable top-tension buckles
Adjustable, heavy-duty waist and chest strap with extended padding on hip area
Lightweight internal metal frame with protective caps, housed in fabric sleeves
Breathable and padded mesh-lined back panel, for improved comfort and air flow
Sturdy grab handle
2 x full-length internal storage sleeves on back lining, perfect for SAM splints (not included)
Velcro loops for tidying away excess shoulder strap webbing
Embroidered Ray Mears Snowshoe logo, designed to be discreet

Out of Stock

This item is very popular and is currently out of stock. To be notified by e-mail as soon as it comes back in to stock, please sign up for a restocking notification below.

Shipping

Delivery in 1-2 days within the United Kingdom
UK Orders placed before 2PM GMT will be dispatched the same working day
Overseas delivery times will vary depending on the destination

Please note that our offices are closed at weekends, so any orders placed after 2PM GMT on a Friday will not be dispatched until the following Monday.

Orders with a total value over £300.00 will be dispatched free via a next day delivery service within the UK at no extra cost.

Please note that in some instances, orders for heavy items may take an extra day to arrive.

Overseas deliveries

For overseas deliveries, please refer to the following estimated delivery times:

Europe: 3 - 5 working days
Rest of the world: 5 - 7 working days

Returns

A full refund or exchange will be given provided that the items have not been worn or used, and are returned to us within 30 days of purchase, together with all relative labels and packaging. You are responsible for the cost of returning items.

Please ensure that you include a copy of your invoice, along with an explanation of why you have returned your goods. If you wish to return your goods for any reason, please do so to the following address:

Woodlore Limited
PO Box 3
Etchingham
East Sussex
TN19 7ZE
United Kingdom

Product Reviews

Ray Mears Leaf Cutter Rucksack is rated 5/5 based on 59 customer reviews.

All of our product reviews are from customers with verified purchases.

Overall Rating:

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1 of 59

Bought this after seeing the instructors with them on a Woodlore course. I've been finding that some of the main stream rucksacks with fancy support systems making my back and shoulders ache. Had this for a few months now and not had any problems whatsoever, even on a 30 mile march. The quality is excellent and the pockets nice and large so you can store your gear in a sensible order. Definitely worth investment.

Will Frampton

17th March, 2025

Rated: 5/5

2 of 59

I can’t lie, I bought this for the name but after using it on a few overnight trips I am extremely happy with it. The no non-sense way the bag is constructed is perfect and the quality is outstanding. Very very happy with it and look forward to using it more.

Leighton Hughes

21st August, 2024

Rated: 5/5

3 of 59

Without question the most comfortable pack I have ever used. It is essentially the same layout as the British short back Bergen but lighter and much more comfortable. Having an international frame that isn’t completely rigid is brilliant because it provides the right weight distribution while still allowing you to move freely. The yoke style straps are genius, although it took me a while to get used to them, they are fantastic at spreading the weight across your shoulders and also stops the straps from slipping and spreading apart while you’re walking. This pack dose sit lower that other packs but now I’m used to it honestly it’s an advantage and seems to keep my back straight and stop me from hunching over after a few miles and to be honest you almost forgot you have it on. Brilliant piece of kit. 10/10

Happy Customer

23rd June, 2024

Rated: 5/5

4 of 59

I am really impressed. It hits every spot for the reasons it was designed. Very comfortable, loads of room even for a 90 litre quality Bergen, I would highly recommend.

Gibbo

11th September, 2023

Rated: 5/5

5 of 59

Excellent bit of kit. Everything you would ever need in a rucksack.

Andy B

14th May, 2023

Rated: 5/5

6 of 59

I’ve been waiting for this to come back in stock so thank you Woodlore team for letting me know you had it. The rucksack is well stitched on seams plenty of space for kit. The outer pockets are big enough to fit my stove in for easy access for a brew. It’s comfortable to wear and adjusts easily for a good fit. Looking forward to years of use and time on the hills with it.

Joanne Gifford

6th April, 2023

Rated: 5/5

7 of 59

I was in the market for a simple yet well made bag and this certainly on the face of it suited my needs. The bag it’s self rides very well and the straps work well, I love the fact it’s not covered in molle. The single main compartment is great for one dry bag to allow easy use. A great bag excellent stitching, I also like the fact it has drain holes a nice feature.

Glen Rossiter

15th November, 2022

Rated: 5/5

8 of 59

I am rather annoyed at myself for purchasing this product. Not even been used but noticed a scuff mark on one of the pockets. This is surprising given its never been outside. But the bag is not lined and nor are the pockets. All that I had in there as a BCB mark 1 cup which I guess caused the issue when the bag was placed next to cupboard. The material is very thin so not really surprised but I am given the cost of this product. This does not fill me with confidence as to the hard wearing nature. My Wisport and Savotta rucksacks are rock solid and have been in many forests in the UK and Europe had still look brand new with no scuff marks. Trust me they have been in some very dense woods full of bracken. The pack looks good and is the main reason I purchased but thats all its got going for it. I guess, as others have mentioned on YT reviews, you are paying for the name and nothing more. So, I will stick to my Other packs and probably give this one away to a charity shop or homeless charity as I know they always looking for large packs. Sorry this review is rather negative but to be honest it was a wasted purchase. We live and learn as they say. I would not recommend this for heavy duty activities. Thanks.

Mark Johnson

24th September, 2022

Rated: 1/5

Woodlore's Reply - 7th October, 2022
Dear Mark We are very sorry to hear of your disappointment in your recent purchase from us. The Leaf Cutter Rucksack is a hard-wearing product made from waterproof 1,000 denier Cordura Nylon and was thoroughly tested by Ray for its functionality and durability before bringing to the market. This rucksack has also been heavily used by several of our course instructional team out in the field over five or six seasons. Although unlined, it does not compromise on its reliability and strength, using a single layer of fabric helps to keep the rucksack as light as possible; certainly a high priority when on expedition. The Leaf Cutter Rucksack is not a cheap product but is competitively priced considering it is professionally made to the highest standards within the UK. There is no premium charged for the name, or in fact any of the research and development costs incurred by Ray and the Woodlore team bringing this project to fruition. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking the time to contact us. We hope you will perhaps give the rucksack a second chance to prove its worth to you.

9 of 59

This is everything that I want from a rucksack, and I have trialled so many bags in the past 20 years. This one is well thought out, the quality of the material and zips are superb. It's not a complex design, which means that I know exactly where everything is, and I can access things like my tarp without having to open the main compartment and I love that it fits my 14cm billy can in a side pocket without a problem. I was concerned that the back length would be too big for me as I'm only 5'5 but, actually, it's perfect and comfortable to wear on long hikes. I love this rucksack.

Claire W

15th June, 2022

Rated: 5/5

10 of 59

These are really good, so glad we got them, comfortable, excellent quality, common sense design.

Esmay

11th June, 2022

Rated: 5/5

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