backpack reviews

The North Face Fovero 70 backpack

Review: The North Face Fovero 70 Backpack

by

Backpack
The North Face Fovero 70
$290, 70L/4,272 c.i., 5 lbs. 7 oz. (men’s S/M)
Sizes: men’s S/M (fits torsos 15-20 ins.) & L/XL (torsos 17-22 ins.), women’s XS/S (torsos 13-18 ins.) & M/L (torsos 15-20 ins.)
moosejaw.com

Backpacking for three days in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains with my 15-year-old son and two of his buddies who were taking their first backpacking trip, I hauled up to about 40 pounds, including much of our team gear and food. For that kind of backpacking, I want a pack that’s built for heavy loads and has a high degree of organization. The Fovero 70 rose to the challenge in comfort and has exceptional access for backpackers who like to compartmentalize.

Read on

Gear Review: Jansport Tahoma 75 Backpack

by
My son, Nate, hiking to our high camp below California's Mount Whitney.
My son, Nate, hiking to our high camp below California’s Mount Whitney.

Backpack
Jansport Tahoma 75
$310, 70L/4,270 c.i., 4 lbs. 11 oz.
One size, adjustable
jansport.com

After carrying this pack on a four-day climb of the Mountaineers Route on California’s Mount Whitney in April, my 15-year-old son made the most persuasive demonstration of his opinion of it several weeks later: The next time he was carrying a backpack, this kid with an unusually large quiver of packs for his age (and many backcountry trips under his belt) chose the Tahoma 75 again. The reasons, I think, are simple: As a pack for both multi-day mountaineering and backpacking, it’s comfortable, tough, and nicely featured.

Read on

Gear Review: Mountain Hardwear South Col 70 OutDry Climbing Pack

by
Mountain Hardwear South Col 70 OutDry
Mountain Hardwear South Col 70 OutDry

Climbing Pack
Mountain Hardwear South Col 70 OutDry
$300, 70L/4,270 c.i., 3 lbs. 13 oz. (S/M)
Sizes: S/M & M/L (75L/4,575 c.i.)
backcountry.com

On a four-day, April ascent of the Mountaineers Route on California’s 14,505-foot Mount Whitney with my 15-year-old son, I carried this pack with over 40 pounds inside for the two-day hike to our 12,000-foot high camp, and then stripped it down to carry much less weight on our nine-hour summit day. I call it the Transformer of climbing packs. Its minimalist weight, modularity, and feature set make it, in many ways, ideal for multi-day, technical climbs. There are also compromises with a pack this light, which some climbers will find acceptable, others maybe not.

Read on

Gear Review: REI Traverse 70 Backpack

by
REI Traverse 70
REI Traverse 70

Backpack
REI Traverse 70
$239, 4 lbs. 13 oz. (men’s medium, including rain cover)
Sizes: men’s S (66L/4,028 c.i., fits torsos 17-19 ins.), M (70L/4,272 c.i., fits torsos 18-20 ins.), L (74L/4,516 c.i., fits torsos 19-21 ins.)
rei.com

Much as I really prefer carrying a light backpack, I have many times hoisted a pack weighing 50 pounds or more, because sometimes that’s the price of a worthy adventure. With no water available along the route of my family’s late-March, overnight backpacking trip into the canyon of Utah’s Dirty Devil River—except the heavily silted river, which would strangle any filter—we had to carry all we’d need for two days. And guess who’s the family porter? As I loaded 15 liters of agua into the Traverse 70, I did some quick math: the liquid weight alone reached just about 32 pounds. With gear, food, and clothes, my pack tipped the scales at nearly 50 pounds. That’s a pretty good test for a pack that weighs under five pounds empty.

Read on

Backpacking The Narrows, Zion National Park.

Buying Gear? Read This First

by

By Michael Lanza

Are you in the market for a new pack or boots for hiking or backpacking, or a new tent or sleeping bag? How do you find something that’s just right for you? What should you be looking for? How much should you spend? These are questions I’ve heard from many friends and readers over the years as they’ve waded through the myriad choices that are out there. Here are my five top tips for buying gear that’s right for you, gleaned from lessons I’ve learned from two decades of testing and reviewing gear and helping people find gear they love.

Read on