SectionHiker.com (Philip Werner is the founder and chief reviewer) is well-known for its in-depth backpack critiques. This previous week, I’ve been organizing my picture library, which has over 50,000 pictures, together with footage from all of the backpacks I’ve personally reviewed. There are lots – like over 200 – so I figured I’d record all of them chronologically (as finest I may) from the primary to the current day. Observe: Up to now two years, I’ve eliminated lots of the outdated critiques from the web site because the merchandise are now not out there or they’ve been changed by more moderen fashions.
What may presumably possess one individual to evaluate so many backpacks? Properly, it means I’ve needed to do loads of mountain climbing and backpacking, like greater than 10,000 miles value, to check them beneath real-world circumstances. Since I like mountain climbing lots, that’s been a straightforward cross to bear. The deeper motive is that I like to grasp the product growth course of that goes into designing and manufacturing new backpacks, from ideation by way of manufacturing to retail. In my former life, I used to be a really expert and profitable product supervisor answerable for creating new merchandise and getting them to market – so I’ve loads of perception into the tradeoffs and compromises that happen throughout product growth.
All these backpack critiques have additionally put me ready to assist individuals select a brand new backpack that meats their wants. Through the years, I’ve been contacted by numerous individuals for recommendation to assist them choose a brand new backpack. That is an exercise I relish since I at all times studying one thing new within the course of. If you wish to learn the present record of backpack critiques on the SectionHiker.com web site, click on on the backpack critiques put up class.
Philip Werner’s Backpack Evaluations
- Six Moon Starlite Backpack
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus
- Zpacks Arc Blast 32
- Golite Trek
- Golite Jam
- Golite Pinnacle
- Deuter Spectro AC 38
- Osprey Kestrel 28
- ULA Catalyst
- Mountainsmith Haze LTR 50
- Deuter Information 45+
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter
- Mountain {Hardware} Direttissima
- Kelty Spectra Cloud
- Osprey Variant 52
- Osprey Kestrel 58
- Katabatic Gear Helios
- Final Course Fastpack 20
- Montane Grand Tour 55
- Mountainsmith Mayhem 35
- Paradox Packs Unaweep 3900
- Elemental Horizons Kalais XT
- KS Ultralight Gear KS-50
- Mountainsmith Apex 80
- Granite Gear Nimbus Hint 70L
- Bergans of Norway Helium 55
- The Jensen Backpack
- Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60
- REI Flash 45
- REI Flash 62
- Boreas Gear Buttermilk 55
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla
- Gossamer Gear Murmur
- Osprey Mutant 52
- Granite Gear Crown2 38
- Osprey Exos 58
- Deuter Speedlite 30
- Exped Traverse 40
- Gregory Optic 58
- Gregory Paragon 48
- Osprey Levity 60
- Osprey Levity 45
- Exped Lightning 60
- Exped Thunder 70
- Gossamer Gear Murmur
- My Path Firm UL 50
- Katabatic Gear Onni V40 65L
- Gregory Baltoro 65
- Six Moon Designs Minimalist
- Mountainsmith Scream
- REI Traverse 70
- Granite Gear Crown VC 60
- Osprey Atmos AG 50
- Zpacks Arc Blast 60
- Mountain {Hardware} Kanza 55
- Granite Gear Leopard 58
- Osprey Volt 75
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa
- Gossamer Gear Kumo
- Granite Gear Virga2
- ULA Circuit
- Klymit Movement 60
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 (40L)
- Search Outdoors Divide
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa
- Six Moon Designs Fusion 50
- Kelty Redwing 50
- Thule Versant 50
- Superior Wilderness Designs Lengthy Haul 50
- Boreas Gear Misplaced Coast 60
- Granite Gear Lutsen 55
- Montane Hyper Tour 38
- Gossamer Gear Silverback
- ULA Ohm 2.0
- ULA CDT
- Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor
- ULA Catalyst
- Marmot Gravitron 58
- Camelbak Fourteener 24
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daylite 19
- Zpacks Nero 38
- Chilly Chilly World Chaos
- Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus
- The North Face Cobra 60
- Kelty Trekker 65
- The North Face Phantom 50
- Deuter Futura Vario 50+10
- Vargo Exoti 50
- Vargo Exoti Ar2
- Osprey Kestrel 48
- Search Outdoors Unaweep 4800
- Osprey Mutant 52
- Search Outdoors Gila
- Thriller Ranch Terraframe 50
- Gregory Zulu 55
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
- REI Flash 60
- Deuter Aircontact Lite 65+10 Backpack Evaluation
- Gossamer Gear Silverback 55
- Granite Gear Blaze 60
- Granite Gear Vapor Path
- Granite Gear X MassDrop Crown2 60
- Granite Gear Crown2 60
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa
- Gossamer Gear Lone Star 30
- Gossamer Gear Ranger 35
- Deuter Path Professional 36
- Northern Lite Sunset 46
- One Tigris Black Orca UL 55 + 5
- Osprey Stratos 36
- Search Outdoors Flight One
- Zpacks Arc Haul 60
- Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60
- Gregory Alpinisto 50
- Gregory Paragon 58
- Amazon Fundamentals 65
- Granite Gear Dagger
- REI Trailbreak 60
- Gossamer Gear G4-20
- Search Outdoors Flight Two
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 3400 (55L
- Six Moon Design Swift X
- Kelty Redwing 50
- Osprey Talon 33
- Osprey Aether 65
- Fjallraven Bertagen 38
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
- Deuter Information Lite 24
- Out of doors Vitals Shadowlight 60
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60
- Granite Grear Perimeter 50
- Gregory Katmai 65
- Gregory Arrio 24
- Deuter Futura Air Trek 45+10
- Deuter Information Lite 24
- Montane Yupik 50
- Zpacks Arc Air 50 Robic
- Waymark Gear Lite 50
- Chilly Chilly World Valdez
- Thriller Ranch Scree 32
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
- Waymark Gear Lite 50 (2nd model)
- Gregory Baltoro 65
- Gregory Focal 58
- Osprey Exos 58
- Deuter AC Lite 24
- Granite Gear Crown3 60
- Bonfus Framus 48
- Osprey Atmos AG 65
- ULA Photon
- ULA Ohm
- ULA Extremely Circuit
- ULA Catalyst
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear North Rim
- Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Lengthy Haul 50
- Atomic Packs The Mo 50
- Osprey Stratos 36
- Osprey Kestrel 38
- Osprey Mutant 38
- Osprey Mutant 52
- REI Flash 55
- Osprey Exos Professional 55
- Thriller Ranch Blitz 30
- Granite Gear Virga 3 26
- Granite Gear Virga 3 55
- Thriller Ranch 2-Day Assault
- Durston Kakwa 55
- Zpacks Bagger UL 40
- Rooster Tramper 45
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40
- Thriller Ranch Coulee 40
- ULA Circuit
- Nashville Packs Cutaway
- Mountainsmith Zerk 40
- Deuter AirContact Extremely 50+5
- Gregory Zulu 55
- Six Moon Designs Wyeast
- Camelbak 14er
- REI Trailmade 60
- REI Path 40
- Osprey Talon 44
- Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60
- Zpacks Arc Haul Extremely 60
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
- Out of doors Vitals CS40
- Mammut Norwand 38
- Nashville Packs Cutaway (v2)
- REI Flash Air 50
- Osprey Talon Velocity 30
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Elevate 22
- Hyperlite Contour 35
- Black Diamond Beta Lite 45
- Out of doors Vitals Skyline 30
- Rooster Tramper 50
- NEMO Resolve 35
- Gregory Zulu 24 LT
- Osprey Rook 50
- Gossamer Gear Quick Kumo
- Deuter Pace Lite 30
- Gossamer Gear Loris 25
- Deuter Pace Lite 21
- REI Flash 22
- REI Traverse 32
- Mountainsmith Zerk 25
- Granite Gear Crown3 40
- Zpacks Tremendous Nero 50
If you happen to undergo the record, you’ll see that a number of packs have been reviewed a number of occasions. That’s as a result of the businesses that make them replace them regularly and ship me new variations for evaluate. That’s a two-way road since I additionally present precious suggestions to firms about how I feel they might enhance their merchandise, each for my wants and the wants of my readers.
My All Time Favourite Backpacks
So, which have been my favourite backpacks in spite of everything these years?
- Six Moon Designs Starlite 60 (now not made)
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60
- Chilly Chilly World Chaos 66
- Osprey Variant 52 (now not made)
- Gossamer Gear Kumo 36
- Granite Gear Crown2 38 (now not made)
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L
- ULA Ohm
- Mountansmith Zerk 40
- Zpacks Arc Haul 60 Extremely
Of those, the one ones I nonetheless use for private (non-review) journeys are Zpacks Arc Haul 60 Extremely and the Granite Gear Crown2 38. However I’m at all times looking out for a brand new favourite.
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