backpack reviews

Gear Review: Gregory Savant 58/Sage 55 Backpacks

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Gregory Savant 58

Backpack
Gregory Savant 58 (men’s) and Sage 55 (women’s)
$199, 58L/3,539 c.i., 3 lbs. 9 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: S-L
gregorypacks.com

Ultralight packs have their place, but they’re not for people who want assured comfort when carrying a little extra weight—whether it’s in creature comforts like a fatter air mattress and a roomier tent, or just food for a longer trek. For that backpacker, there is hardly a better midweight, midsize pack than the men’s Savant or women’s Sage, perfect for traditional backpacking trips of two to five days.

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Gear Review: Deuter ACT Zero 50+15 Backpack

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Deuter ACT Zero 50+15
Deuter ACT Zero 50+15

Backpack
Deuter ACT Zero 50+15/ACT Zero 45+15 SL
$185, 50 L/3,050 c.i., 3 lbs. 4 oz.
One size, adjustable to fit torsos 15 to 21 inches
deuter.com

With advances in gear making everything lighter and less bulky, the 3,000-cubic-inch (50-liter) backpack occupies a broad niche, serving trips from weekenders to five days or more for ounce-counters, and hitting the sweet spot for thru-hikers. I think the best packs in this category are light without compromising load support and comfort, in part because they’re not over-engineered with gewgaws you don’t need. That’s exactly why I like the new ACT Zero 50+15.

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Gear Review: Black Diamond Infinity 50 Backpack

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Black Diamond Infinity 50

Backpack
Black Diamond Infinity 50
$210, 50L/3,050 c.i., 3 lbs. 14 oz. (men’s medium)
blackdiamondequipment.com

A lot of packs feel good when you first put them on; only a few are still your friend at the end of a long day. I carried this streamlined top-loader with upwards of 30 pounds on 16- to 18-mile days on the rugged Rees-Dart Track in New Zealand’s Southern Alps—and it stayed comfortable right up until I took it off every day. The key feature is BD’s ergoACTIV hipbelt that attaches to the pack via a simple ball joint: The hipbelt pivots with your hips, but the pack itself doesn’t, eliminating the side-to-side shifting with each step that can fatigue your back and rub your hips raw over the course of a full day.

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