Launching today is the smaller sibling of Wizard Works’ Hobgob hip pack, The Oglah. The new pack retains many details of its predecessor but comes in a smaller package for those who don’t need to carry ALL their treasure with them on rides. Spencer got his hands on the new Oglah early and, below, outlines its key features. Read on to check it out!
Oglah Khan’s Wolfboyz
The Oglah name and lore are drawn from the popular Warhammer tabletop miniature wargame. It’s like chess but with Orcs, Dragons, and, in this case, Hobgoblina. Oglah Khan’s Wolfboyz are an infamous band of Hobgoblin mercenaries hailing from the Eastern Steppes. Oglah Khan commands a great horde of wolf-mounted goblins that can be hired as mercenaries. Warhammer was first developed almost 50 years ago in London England, where Wizard Works is located. I love the tie-in of lore from a tabletop game and a nod to a famous game that started in London.
What’s New?
With a reduction in overall mass and a pairing down of a few features, the Oglah is nonetheless stacked with great features. Notably the volume is around half the size of the Hobgob and the front velcro pocket is omitted. The Hobgob’s wide pack wings, Molle bottle attachments, tension straps, key leash, Fidlock main buckle, and spacer mesh/EVA foam padding all trickle down to the Oglah. Additionally, the Oglah sports an Ultra Stretch inner pocket instead of mesh and the ability to carry a Quick Draw Bottle Pocket on either wing rather than just one.
Quick Hits
- 2.2L (half the volume of the Hobgob)
- Molle attachment on both wings compatible with up to two Quick Draw Bottle Pockets
- Optional Quick Draw Bottle Pocket utilises easy one handed use
- Elastic cord with QR buckle underneath and out of the way
- Interior Ultra Stretch Drop Pocket fits a phone
- Tensioning straps to keep the bag snug
- Reflective detailing
- Key Leash and clip
- Fidlock Hook Main Buckle
- Water resistant YKK Aquaguard Zip
- Wide wings, with 40mm wide belt.
- The main buckle is positioned on the wing for greater comfort
- Ultra thick 9mm spacer mesh + 10mm EVA foam for max padding
- Weight: 404 grams / 14.2 ounces
- £145 / €168 / $183
Pack Details
There are a few standout features that set this apart from many other packs that I have worn in the past. First are the plushly padded wings and main hip panel. With 9mm of spacer mesh and 10mm of EVA foam, the waistband is very, very padded. I love the feeling of the spacer mesh, which provides padding and ventilation while riding. The 10mm foam feels a bit overkill for what could realistically fit in this smaller pack. This feels like a feature I could see justified on the Hobgob with its space to carry larger items like a camera, less so on the Oglah.
The main pocket contains an interior Ultra Stretch pocket designed to hold a cellphone. I’m a big fan of this feature as it keeps my phone screen/camera safe from being scratched by keys or my pump rattling around while riding. It’s a small but worthwhile detail that I appreciated. Speaking of keys, there is also a key leash which also saves my worry-prone brain from panicking about dumping my keys on the trail when grabbing a snack.
The Fidlock buckle rests right on the padded wing keeping a possible pinch point away from your tummy. The buckle is magnetic and easily clicks right into place after some fiddling with both sides of the waist belt. Though, once set up you should be able to set it and forget it. The waist belt is designed to accommodate up to a 55″ waist and since my waist clocks-in around 33″ there is plenty of webbing left over. The small elastic bands come with the bag to help manage the excess. The bands are admittedly an imperfect solution in an otherwise very well thought out bag. I had hoped to snag some 1.5″ Triglides to help manage the excess once I cut the webbing down, but I was unable to locally source them in time. Cutting down the webbing will leave you with a raw edge that will need to be gently melted to stave off fraying. If you wanted to get more involved, I suppose you could also sew a fold in the webbing to prevent it from pulling through the buckles. Depending on your sizing you may need to do some DIY finishing to mitigate a large amount of excess webbing.
The Quick Draw Bottle Pockets are a great addition to the Oglah. Utilizing some tacti-cool Blackhawk Molle clips the pockets securely attach to the bag. I have tried a few different solutions to this Molle mounting procedure, but they are all a bit fiddly and frustrating at times. When attached, the pockets are secure and hold a bottle with a simple flip of the shock cord around your bottle. My one gripe is that the two side pockets are identical, meaning the shock cord has only one orientation resulting in one side being a bit farther and harder to reach the cord pull. Wizard Works has a great video detailing installation here.
Carrying Capacity
Even though the Oglah is the smaller version of the Hobgob I was able to fit many necessities for a ride inside the pack and a lightweight jacket cinched on the bottom. When I didn’t totally fill it up, I pulled the side tension straps to keep everything close to my fanny.
For folks who like to carry small cameras, the Oglah provides enough space for a Fuji X100 to comfortably fit. Most full-size DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras will probably not fit.
Final Thoughts
I’m not a huge fan of zippers, especially “waterproof” ones. They gum up, deteriorate, and eventually fail in my experience. The curved design of the zipper on the Oglah typically requires both hands to open, utilizing the tabs on either side for grip, to get the zipper around the bend. All the padding feels a bit overkill for the weight and amount of stuff that can be carried in the pack. On the other side of that same coin, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are amazing, the pack is immaculately sewn and feels premium considering the price tag. It feels a bit overbuilt to be an everyday pack, but amazing as a dedicated riding pack.
I look forward to spending more time with the Oglah and getting the webbing sized and managed. I’m very impressed with the materials, features, and attention to detail of this bag coming out of Wizard Works.
Pros
- Amazing padding makes for a very comfortable ride
- Quick access jacket stash on the bottom
- Ultra Stretch inner pocket
- Two Quick Draw Bottle Pockets
- No pinch Fidlock buckle on hip pack wing
Cons
- Waterproof Zipper
- Bottle pockets can be a hassle to take on and off
- Sizing webbing will require some DIY to avoid lots of excess
- Expensive
The Oglah is available today in five colors or a custom configuration. Check out all the details over at Wizard Works. If you buy an Oglah Hip Pack (before 2/26) and use the code HYDRATEME at checkout a Quick Draw Bottle Pocket will be added to your cart for FREE!
