Designed to rip 90% of a backpacker's load off their back and hips and drop it onto wheels, the X-Trek from French gear company Tactical 13 is a versatile hiking and wilderness expedition tool. It stays light and lithe by using hiking poles as part of its frame, quickly transforming into a backpack for when flat, smooth hikes turn into steep, rocky scrambles. Enjoy a more comfortable trek while bringing along provisions you'd otherwise leave behind – like stream-cooled après beverages.
While they remain light years away from taking over for backpacks as a preferred means of gear carry for hiking expeditions in the wild, hiking trailers have made a case for themselves over the years. In fact, we've seen rollable/floatable amphibious gear carts, single-track fat rollers and wearable trailer-pack hybrids.
Like the HipStar we looked at in 2022, the X-Trek falls into that last category of hybrid trailer-pack systems. The trailer can carry the pack, or the pack can carry the trailer, providing the versatility to navigate variable terrain ranging from wide, meandering paths to rough talus ascents.
The X-Trek is designed to be attached around the hips to one's belt for hands-free use or towed by hand behind the hiker. Tactical 13 says that only 10% of the total weight falls on the hiker's hips, with the other 90% being shouldered by the X-Trek and its 285-mm wheels. So the hiker remains more comfortable throughout the hike and feels fresher and less winded at day's end. The X-Trek is designed to carry up to roughly 44 lb (20 kg) of weight.
The X-Trek trailer uses an adjustable-height aluminum and carbon fiber tube frame and strap system to quickly secure a backpack between 30 and 110 L in size. To streamline the design, Tactical 13 relies on telescopic hiking poles (sold separately) instead of a taller chassis/separate tow bar to serve as the upper frame and trailer-to-hiker connection. Along with saving weight and cutting possible redundancy, this design also gives the hiker two available handles for better feel and control.
Once the terrain narrows or steepens to the point that a two-wheel trailer is holding one back rather than making things easier, the X-Trek flips to backpack mode within seconds. The wheel track closes in via retractable axles, and the poles removed with tool-free twist clamps. The hiker simply spins the trailer to the back side, where the backpack straps remain free and ready for wear. The whole process takes a minute or so, and the hiker is then ready to keep navigating forward with a backpack and pair of trekking poles.
We suppose the X-Trek trailer will be most useful for treks that lean toward wide and flat trails because, while it can be carried on the back, it's really optimized for towing. Wearing it as a backpack seems fine for short stretches, but using it that way for extended lengths of time really just leaves you carrying around a bunch of extra weight.
Tactical 13 does keep weight to a minimum, though. Thanks to its simple, hiking pole-integrated collapsible design, the X-Trek weighs a fraction of other hiking trailers at 4.6 lb (2.1 kg). For comparison, the similar towable/wearable HipStar trailer weighs more than double that in its lightest 11-lb (5-kg) proposed spec and more than triple in its 16-lb (7.3-kg) HD production spec.
The X-Trek also packs quite compactly, its upper frame and wheels removing and strapping together for easy transport. The hiking poles, of course, collapse and transport separately.
Tactical 13 is now on its third iteration of the X-Trek, which prices in at €420 (approx. US$445) for the smallest version, fit for 30- to 50-liter packs. Medium (up to 80 L) and large (up to 110 L) frame sizing adds €20 and €40, respectively. Available add-ons include a €180 bike conversion kit to turn the X-Trek into a light, compact bicycle trailer and a €40 MOLLE panel that provides added organization, good for strapping on accessories for easy access. The €40 titanium wheel upgrade saves 50 g (1.8 oz) of weight.
Tactical 13 also offers the older V2 X-Trek for €380 (US$403). It's slightly lighter at just under 4.4 lb (2 kg) but is only designed for packs up to 70 L and features fewer accessories.
The video below is filmed using the X-Trek V2, but it does a good job of showing the trailer in full mountain action.
Source: Tactical 13
