The REI Trailmade 60L is a high-quality, reasonably priced, and light-weight multi-day backpack that’s nice for newbie backpacking or backpackers on a finances. Priced at simply $129 (on sale), it’s a finest purchase with an adjustable size torso, so that you get an ideal match, a well-padded pre-curved hip belt, easy-to-reach aspect water bottle pockets, and loads of exterior compression straps. It’s additionally obtainable in prolonged sizes in case you have somewhat further weight across the center. Should you’re on the lookout for a really snug, high-quality, low-cost backpack, the Trailmade 60 is tough to beat!
Specs at a Look
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- Capability: 60 Liters
- Weight: 3lbs 6oz
- Sort: Inside Body
- Gender: Males’s (Girls’s mannequin obtainable)
- Adjustable Torso Size: Sure
- Suits Torso Size: 17-21 inches
- Suits Waist/Hips: Common: 32-42 inches, Prolonged: 42-58 inches
- Hydration prepared: Sure
- Pack Entry: High / backside
- High lid: Sure
- Sleeping Pad compartment: Sure
- Hip Belt Pockets: Sure
- Floating Lid: No
- Load Lifters: Sure
- Raincover Included: No
- Bear Canister Compatibility: A BV500 (and all smaller sizes) matches horizontally inside.
Backpack Storage and Group
The REI Trailmade is a 60-liter backpack, which is the amount I like to recommend for many multi-day backpacking journeys as much as 5 days. It’s giant sufficient to retailer a large-sized Bearvault BV500 bear canister horizontally contained in the backpack, which is a big win!
The pack has two entry factors: a drawstring closure below a prime lid pocket and a sleeping bag compartment with an exterior zipper on the base. A big exterior flap shields the sleeping bag compartment zipper from rain, however you’ll need to use an REI rain cowl measurement for a 60-liter pack to maintain the contents dry if it rains.
The pack is hydration-compatible and has a big inside hydration pocket. It’s sized to carry a 3L reservoir and has a middle hose port with two elastic hose keepers on every shoulder strap, so you may select the aspect you favor.
It has six exterior pockets: a big zippered pocket with a key fob within the prime lid, an open gusseted entrance stuff pocket to carry free layers and overflow, two open aspect pockets, and two giant hip belt pockets. The aspect pockets are aligned immediately behind the hip belt and never sewn farther again on the edges of the pack bag making it very simple to drag out and exchange bottles whereas sporting the pack.
REI has been utilizing this aspect pocket design on a number of backpacks over the previous 10 years and it’s nonetheless distinctive amongst backpack producers. Should you choose utilizing water bottles over a hydration reservoir, you’ll actually like these aspect pockets as a result of they’re a lot simpler to make use of. They’re sized for one-liter Nalgene bottles however are giant sufficient to accommodate tent poles or a fishing rod if you wish to carry tall skinny objects and safe them to the aspect of the pack utilizing its aspect compression straps.
The hip belt pockets are additionally simple to make use of, partly as a result of they’re so giant. For instance, I can match a Smartphone and a number of snack bars in a single with none downside. Each are hard-faced with cloth for improved sturdiness and water resistance.
Adjustable Torso Size and Suspension
The Trailmade has an adjustable torso size, so you may dial in a near-custom match. To regulate the torso size, you elevate or decrease the shoulder straps, rising or lowering the gap to the hip belt to correspond to your measured torso size. On the Trailmade 60, that is achieved by threading a velcro tab via webbing on the again of the pack in order that it corresponds to your torso size. It’s tremendous easy to make use of and gained’t slip below load.
The torso lengths are labeled so you understand precisely the place to regulate the yoke—one thing many backpack producers fail to incorporate. The one draw back is that the lengths obtainable vary from 17″ to 21″ and don’t embody half-inch increments for a extra exact match. The ladies’s mannequin is offered in shorter torso lengths since ladies are usually shorter than males.
The Trailmade 60 has a metal perimeter body that slots into the lumbar space behind the hip belt, permitting for excellent load switch. The hip belt is properly padded and pre-curved, locking to your physique and gained’t slip. It additionally has a push-forward tensioning system, making it simple to tighten when worn.
The hip belt is offered in two sizes: common and “prolonged” for individuals with bigger girths. REI, as soon as once more, leads the “pack” (no pun supposed) in the case of making the outside accessible to individuals of all configurations and dimensions.
Backpack Compression and Attachment Factors
The Trailmade has two tiers of aspect compression straps, so it’s simple to lash cumbersome gear to the aspect of the backpack, together with a foam pad, tent physique, poles, or snowshoes. There are webbing straps that cowl the sleeping bag pocket and are perfect for carrying a pad or tent if it gained’t match contained in the pack. Many firms don’t embody the latter although it vastly expands the utility of the backpack on longer journeys or ones involving “household” the place it’s important to carry another person’s gear.
Extra really useful adjustable torso size backpacks
Advice
Backpacking doesn’t should be costly, and the REI Trailmade 60 is a testomony to that reality. Contemplating its low value level, we’re floored by how top quality, snug, and practical this backpack is, and charge it a finest purchase. The options we just like the adjustable torso size and aspect water bottle pockets probably the most. If you’d like a backpack that has them however remains to be decrease weight, we additionally suggest trying on the REI Flash 55 which we charge extremely and can be far cheaper than comparable backpacks.
Disclosure: The writer owns this product.
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