The Review | Packashack Car Awning
Mountain biking is one of those sports where you know that at some point you are going to have to get changed in a wet, cold car park. This is especially so If you’re a weekend racer, where hanging about with your buddies in a forestry commission car park is part of the fun. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a big van you will spend a fair chunk of the day in the great outdoors, this is great if you can relax with a beer in the sunshine but not always super fun if it’s raining. Scottish company Packashack have come up with an answer and have produced a quick and easy shelter that transforms even the smallest car into a full-on-race shelter.
The Packashack is a compact shelter that uses the tailgate of your car for structure, making the area behind your boot a comfortable sanctuary from the weather. The Shack has a sewn in ground sheet so you can keep all your belongings clean and dry and it folds up to a very compact size. The rear panel can be zipped open so you can be social, or you can zip it closed for privacy when getting changed. You can even choose if you want a Shack with a panel that opens from the top or the bottom, with a top opening you can leave the bottom zipped up to provide a wind break.
The ‘made in the UK’ Standard Shack we tested retails for £194.99 and most models cost around that price. Fitting is a simple process, throw the sleeve over the tailgate, hook the rubberised hooks into the rear wheels, attach the suckers and peg it out – it’s a job that takes minutes. Shacks are available to fit most hatchbacks, estates and MPV’s and are available in a wide range of colours. Obviously the pack is not secure so you don’t want to leave your kit in it while you’re away riding, but it’s great for overnight camping and race weekends.
Our Impressions
We have been using the Packashack for 4 months now and have found it really useful for weekend racing and trips away. It has lived in the boot of the car, and has been whipped out at every opportunity, always drawing a crowd. With practice we can deploy and fit the shack within 2-3 minutes, providing a wind and rainproof shelter that we can stand in for getting changed and chilling after a tough day of racing, making us the envy of the car park. The shack is very spacious and the sewn in groundsheet keeps things clean inside, the materials have proven durable with no rips or tears so far. We have even used it as an awning when camping overnight to keep our stuff in. If you find that you spend a lot of time chilling with your vehicle then the Packashack will transform your experience.
For more information on Packashack, check out their website
Words and photos: Trev Worsey