“Should I take the plastics or just deal with hiking boots on snow?” I asked myself while staring into the depths of my gear closet. It’s the eternal question when it comes to early season hiking up here in the Pacific Northwest. With record snow at all the resorts, this would not be a snow…
Sierra Designs has been making quality technical gear since 1965. In the past, their product line-up has been focused on tents, apparel, and sleeping bags, but the big news from SD at Summer Market last week was the launch of a complete line of technical backpacks. Read more for a preview of the new Traverse series of packs from Sierra Designs.
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market is just around the corner and many brands will be debuting new products for the Spring/Summer 2011 season. Osprey Packs is expanding their product lineup to include an ultra-light series of packs for the ultra-running, peak-bagging, and adventure racing crowds. The new Hornet series will be available in three sizes: 24-liter,…
Deuter, the German manufacturer of backpacks (for adults and kids alike) as well as kid carriers has been around for over a century, but has only been in the US market for a much shorter period of time. Over these many years, they have developed an extensive line of packs for a wide range of outdoor pursuits. We took the Aircontact (ACT) Lite 60+10 SL for an extended test–the many miles of training hikes leading up to our Rainier climb, as well as the climb itself. Read more for our full review.
The list of small backpacks with big pack features is pretty small these days. Osprey’s Manta 20 makes a go at it.
Recently, over the course of a four-day backpacking trip, I had a chance to test out Osprey’s updated Ariel 65 pack, to be released with their Spring 2010 line. The women’s-specific pack is designed for multi-day treks, and would be suitable anywhere from a weekend to about five days. While most of the general design of the pack has remained the same, there are a few changes.
Borealis AT Mountainsmith are no strangers to outdoor camera gear. The company has made a line of camera bags for as long as I can remember. Read more for our review of the Borealis AT.
Osprey has been an independent backpack manufacturer for 35 years. In that time, the company has managed to refine their products to the fine forms you see today. Earlier this year, the company came out with its new ultralight Exos series packs. The Exos comes in 34, 46, and 58 liter sizes. At 2 pounds…
In the final installment of How to Choose and Fit a Backpack, we will pass on a few tips that will help keep your new pack in good shape, even after many uses—after all, you’ve invested a lot of time and money into finding the perfect pack!
Last week we talked about the different styles of backpacks and features available from which to choose from. In the second part of this series, we will talk about sizing and fitting a backpack, as a good fit will do wonders for your comfort.