Posted: 5/30/2008 12:16:12 AM EDT
| Has anyone here used the backpacks that amazon has listed on there website. I was looking at the internal frame packs that look non-military. Some had good reviews and held a lot of gear. There are a couple different models that peaked my curiosity but I don't want to prejudice any opinions. Some of there other gear was very affordable as well. I would use this bag mostly for weekend camping trips but would like to be able to use it as a Bug Out Bag as well. I go to the REI store close to my house but there bags cost about 3 times more than the ones that caught my eye at amazon. |
|
I got that exact same Kelty pack, even in that color.....really like it for all-around general use and travel. It does not feel as bomb-proof as my Eagle Industries A-III pack, but still sturdy non-the-less. On the plus side: empty, it weighs less than my A-III pack....it seems to hold more than my A-III....the "second" pocket on the outside has small pen/accessory pouches and a key ring/snap-hook...this pocket also has a padded soft-cloth sunglass pocket....I really like the two water bottle pockets on the sides....besides the interior h20 reservoir pocket, there is another similar sized flat pocket covering the interior back (ie sized to hold paper/folders/magazines)....the main body opens much more fully than my A-III...it has pretty comfy shoulder straps.....it has two bendable, removeable internal aluminum stays....and it is a fairly non-military color..... On the negative side: it is not as bomb-proof in construction and material as my A-III...I can't stand how thick/stiff the padded waist-belt is (I don't need a padded waist-belt, just a sturdy one!) - I have resorted to wrapping it back around the lower body of the pack and buckling the connector (didn't want to completely remove it in case I ever needed it)....the attachment points on the bottom of the pack are not PALS/MOLLE compatible (in fact, I don't think anything could actually be lashed to the bottom of this!).....that bungee cord lashing-point on the outer part is barely enough to toss a sweatshirt - forget a rainjacket...I worry that the grab handle on the top of the pack might come apart only because it is not as over-built as an Eagle Industries pack (probably never will, but the A-III is my only frame of reference). Right now, I am using it more often than my A-III...could be only because it is newer. Once the honeymoon is over, I don't know which one I will go to more often???? |