Rated 2 out of 5 by emsch not for me
Others may like this pack; I didn't. I returned it after one use. The profusion of straps and buckles was confusing. The feature of having the pack off one's back sounds good, but this means that volume inside the pack has to be sacrificed.
May 8, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Nancela67 Uncomfortable When Wearing Light Layers
I am a 5ft 6in ex-gymnast and swimmer. While I am female, I find men's packs fit me better. I tried this pack on in the store and the medium fit me perfectly.
It is a well made pack and has all of the features I desire in a large daypack. I bought it mostly for winter hiking and backcountry skiing. There is one problem that is nearly a deal breaker for me. The upper compression straps are attached such that the buckles are in the back of the back. Not just at the back but in a parallel plane to the back panel. They're hard and they protrude. When I went XC skiing, I was wearing a light shell (summerweight rain jacket) over a 100-weight fleece and midweight baselayer. The pack felt fine, was light weight and very easy to carry. However, I get hot when I ski. When I removed my shell, I found that the buckles on the back of the pack rubbed painfully against my scapulae. No matter how I attempted to adjust the pack, this continued and was very uncomfortable. Although the shell I was wearing was light, I think the hood hanging down the back had cushioned me from the buckles.
I have since taken the pack on a short winter hiking trip. When hiking, I didn't notice the buckle issue, perhaps because I was wearing a slightly heavier layer or perhaps because I was not skiing, so my posture was different and there was much less upper body movement.
I have decided to keep the pack since I intended it for winter use and most of the time my layers will prevent discomfort, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because of the buckle issue. I noticed one other review from someone who said that the stays rubbed his shoulders, but perhaps it was actually the buckles?
February 26, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by TJ54 Great Pack for the Price.
I really like this pack a lot. Offers a lot of great features normally found only on more expensive packs. Organization and access are very easy and the storage area is more than adequate for day or overnight hiking. Adjusting for fit is simple and the pack is very comfortable to carry. I looked at a lot of packs before purchasing and am glad I chose this one.
January 2, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Frank3 Long distance with a great pack
I used this pack to haul my gear on a 450 mile hike across Northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. It worked like a charm. At 35 liters it forced me to go light on what I carried. It was comfortable and held up well through 45 days of packing and unpacking.
December 30, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by hardrocker you can't beat l.l.bean for quality
everything i have ever bought has been of excellent quality, and the service timely and courteous. this includes the backpack recently purchased.
December 28, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by Hardhat Cool back
For the first time my back was not soaking wet after a day of hiking. This pack is very comfortable and provides convenient access to the main storage area through a zippered opening. I'm glad I made this purchase.
October 10, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Wolf42 External frame day pack
Excellent pack for the mom or dad carrying extra stuff for the family on a day hike or the solo hiker ready for all eventualities (me). The external frame provides air circulation between my back and the pack although the difference is not as impressive as I had hoped for. Material and finish is solid and adjustments are multiple and easily figured out, even with the pack on my back.
September 26, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by JoeinSac Day hiking around Lake Tahoe
The pack worked great and performed just as I hoped. Last week, we went on four hikes near Lake Tahoe and climbed 500-1000 feet on each, with durations around 4-5 hours each.
When I started, I wasn't sure exactly how to load everything in the pack, but as the week progressed, I think I figured it out. Directions on the best way to pack would have been helpful.
The belt is very comfortable and easily adjustable. The pack was quiet on my back and always felt solid. The air space kept my back dry, but I did sweat a bit around the belt.
All in all, I'd highly recommend it. It seems very solid, well-built and has more pockets and pouches than I have stuff.
September 11, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by MSMcC Works well for me
My husband and I each bought these packs to use for a Rim to Rim hike at the Grand Canyon. We ordered all three sizes, the woman's and both men's sizes. We ended up keeping the men's large for my husband and the men's medium for me. The woman's was just a bit small for me so we returned that one.
The packs worked great for that hike, particularly because they can hold a 3 liter bladder and two water bottles. That amount of water made the packs heavy for smallish packs, but we needed that much. Even with that weight along with the supplies that we needed to be in the Canyon for three days, the pack was very comfortable. The hip strap is well padded and sturdy enough to hold all of the weight off of my shoulders. There was also room enough in the pack to hold the minimal equipment and food that we needed. We were not camping but still needed some supplies for three days.
Some people have written about the pack bouncing around because of the design that keeps it away from your back. I had that for one short stretch where I packed too much weight up high in the top zipper pouch. After a quick redistribution so the weight was low and it was all good. We both really liked that the pack was held out away from our backs. It was so much cooler than any other pack we?ve hiked with.
The Grand Canyon hike was in June; in July we used the packs to hike Mt. Marcy (highest peak in New York State). The size of the pack was clearly overkill, but we decided to use them anyway because they?re comfortable and we knew we could carry plenty of water. We were hiking about 18 miles and would not be able to refill water. I carried the 3 liter bladder, a 2 liter bladder and a water bottle. You do need to be a little creative in hanging the bladder(s) because different companies have different configurations. We used a carabineer attached to the packs hangers to hold the bladders.
My only suggestion for improving the design would be to have a couple of zippered compartments separate from the main compartment. It obviously worked just fine as it is but I would have like a couple of stash pockets or at least make the zippered compartment on the back a little bigger. I wouldn?t want much more room (I would only fill it with more stuff than I need) just different access.
All in all, a great pack ? bigger and way more comfortable than a day pack but smaller than a heavy duty trekking pack.
July 19, 2012
Rated 1 out of 5 by Awick Really, really poor design
I got this backpack for my 40th; I already have a big backpack that's ideal for backpack camping, etc.
But I was looking for a good daypack, with plenty of outside pockets and storage, all easily accessible.
This pack seemed to fit the bill, until I actually loaded it up for the hike.
I've taken it out twice, now - once in Baxter State Park, once up Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton, Maine. I had it fairly loaded, with water - 3 or 4 nalgenes full, and lunch, raincoat, some emergency gear, etc.
The problem is the aluminum stays press right onto your upper shoulders. The pack doesn't sit far enough off your back. And the adjustment straps on the upper part of the shoulder straps (the ones where, on most packs, you would use to move the pack further and closer to your back) don't do ANYTHING.
Some genius designer decided to sew the straps to the pack in such a way that they're useless.
After the first hike, I figured I was doing something wrong and brought it into Bean to check it out. Nope -- everything was set up right, and the pack seemed to fit well.
But on the second hike, fully loaded (leaning a bit as I climbed) the problem was there, and painful.
It's a real disappointment, and I'll be returning this pack at first opportunity.
July 15, 2012
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