Boundary Supply Rennen Pro Review

The sleek-looking Boundary Supply Rennen Pro daypack is highly water-resistant and modular. However, it comes with a $450 price tag, so we’ll test all its features to see whether they live up to the hype. Let’s dive in!

External Components

The primary material used on the Pro version of the Rennen is VX21 X-Pac. In addition to being highly durable and water resistant, this fabric is crafted from 100% ocean-reclaimed nylon laminate. So it’ll hold up and is sustainable, too, which is a solid shout. Our primary tester cycled to and from work with this backpack for two weeks, and in that time, it got pretty dirty; however, it was very easy to clean with a wet towel and needed little pressure to get rid of crusted mud and grime from the roadway.

In addition to the X-Pac fabric’s protection, the exterior YKK zippers are also water-resistant. They aren’t the quickest to open; however, the protection they offer is worth commending, and they don’t slow you down that much. The pulls are simple but effective and aren’t loud, which we dig.

The hardware is from Woojin, one of our favorite brands for adjusters and buckles. The pack also uses a magic gated buckle on the trolley sleeve, but we’ll discuss that later. All the hardware feels durable, and there were no issues with use while testing the pack.

There are various attachment loops on the front of the pack, both on the sides and the bottom of the front face. We used these to attach a carabiner, lock, and Bluetooth speaker, which were all effective. You can also use these attachment points to attach the Stasis Pro to the front, adding 15L to your carry.

There are two water bottle pockets—one on each side of the pack. They’re stretchy and have a reinforced bottom, which ensures durability. While small and medium bottles fit without issue, some larger bottles may also, depending on the diameter. If it’s wider than a standard 32-ounce Nalgene, you may struggle to get it to fit inside. The mesh is snappy and hasn’t loosened over time, and we were able to stow a small travel tripod here, too.

The top handle isn’t well padded and lacks aeration, but it’s comfortable to use for a short time, which is all we used it for. It’s handy on public transit or when you need to get up and go quickly.

Fit Notes

The back panel is very firm, and when you look at it closely, it almost looks like waves on the ocean. The crests rest against your back, and the troughs enable airflow to keep things cool, which works well. The padding isn’t cushy, which some users may not like, though it is comfortable.

The back panel is very flat and doesn’t conform to your body. Due to its flatness, cycling with this pack can sometimes feel awkward. Still, it’s comfortable enough and stays cooler than other packs we’ve tested. Plus, the dense padding offers solid protection for the gear inside the bag.

The shoulder straps are thin with good padding and mesh for aeration. They’re comfortable, though some users may not like how skinny they are. For more active users, this will likely be comfortable. There are attachment loops on both sides so that you can connect gear.

This pack has no sternum strap; however, it likely doesn’t need one for most uses. If you’re using this pack for strenuous activities, like cycling, it may feel like it could use a sternum strap, though it isn’t uncomfortable to use it without one. There’s no hip belt, either, but we don’t really miss that, as the pack is small.

Inside The Pack

The interior liner is a 230D recycled nylon ripstop, which feels durable enough and has held up well in testing.

We’ve got two pockets on either side of the back panel with a twist for travel. The left pocket has a strap inside, which you can attach to the opposite side of the back panel using a magic gated buckle to create the luggage pass-through. The unique design makes it so you don’t always have to have the trolley sleeve out if you don’t want to. The strap stays stowed away in the pocket, which limits its usable space, but you can still stash small items inside. The other pocket is standard, without any special tricks, and is a solid spot to stow a passport for safekeeping.

The front pocket has a ton going on and can be challenging to access if you’re unfamiliar. There’s a ton of organization here. The front section goes all the way down to the bottom of the pack’s front face, which offers a lot of space for storage; however, it’s hard to access the bottom area, so small gear is easy to lose here. There’s an AirTag pocket here, too, and a zippered pocket nearly as large as the central area, making it even more challenging to access the bottom because the opening is smaller. If you are savvy with organizing, this isn’t an issue. We’ve called this the “pocket of despair” because of how daunting it can be for the unorganized mind. We promise it isn’t as scary as the name implies!

There are a few smaller pockets in the top portion of this compartment, too, which work well for a phone, tablet, sunglasses, or other everyday gear. This area feels like a small organizational pocket mixed with a main compartment, which isn’t an awful use of space; however, as mentioned, it can be easy to lose track of where the gear is. Additionally, a female side of a FIDLOCK fitting is in this pocket, making it easy to secure gear that uses a male attachment, which is becoming more popular. If you don’t have any gear that uses them, you can purchase the adapters fairly cheaply online and adapt them to use with your gear if you’re handy.

The laptop compartment has defined organization, which is handy for stowing bits and bobs for your tech devices. Depending on how much gear you bring on your next trip, you may be able to avoid bringing a tech pouch at all and use this organization instead.

The laptop storage area is well-protected and has a topper system to prevent your computer from sliding around. The hook-and-loop fastener allows you to adjust the height, ensuring it fits perfectly to the size of your laptop. Up to a 17-inch computer can fit here, and our 15-inch fits nicely without wobbling around.

Below that, a small zippered pocket without much depth works well for small dongles, memory cards, and other little gear. Two mesh pockets below have angled tops, making it easier to grab whatever you’ve got stowed inside. This is a solid place for a battery bank or cased portable hard drive.

On the opposite side, there are two larger zippered mesh pockets. The upper one has a curved zipper, making access easy. The track has structure, making sure that the flap doesn’t flop open unexpectedly when you open the zipper. There’s a triangle ring inside that you can attach your keys to, though it doesn’t have a clip, so you’ll have to sort that part out yourself. The pocket below is a more standard-shaped zippered one to stow small to medium-sized gear inside.

The first two compartments we reviewed were complicated; however, the main one is far from it. There’s one slide pocket for a tablet, book, or other flat items, and that’s it. The compartment is pretty sizable for the pack size and the number of other large pockets throughout the pack, and you can fit a solid amount of packing cubes inside it. Two male FIDLOCK fittings are inside this compartment, making it easy to secure Boundary Supply’s modular gear, like their Tech Case or Port Kitt. One of the FIDLOCK fittings came off in testing; however, it screws back on, which is better than losing it forever.

Overall, the Boundary Supply Rennen Pro daypack does most of the organization for you, though it won’t do it all. With the space left over, you can go without packing cubes and other organizers if you want, although they are helpful. The materials and hardware are top-tier, though we didn’t get more joy using them than when using a bag that costs half as much. Still, there’s something to be said about the simplicity and modularity of the design of this pack, which just works. Whether it’s worth the money is up to you!