Wednesday, December 14, 2011

My Review of REI Traverse 30 Pack

Originally submitted at REI

The REI Traverse 30 daypack has plenty of pockets for convenient organization and a contoured fit for traipsing along trails in comfort. Largely made from 100% recycled PET polyester fabric, each pack keeps 24 16-oz. plastic bottles out of landfills! Post-consumer recycled PET polyester is tough en...


Durable & Faithful

By fastdonut from Wasatch Mountains, Utah on 12/14/2011

 

5out of 5

Pros: Comfortable, durable, Easy To Load, Technical

Best Uses: Hiking, Day trip, Technical excursion

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Comfort Driven

Was this a gift?: Yes

The REI Traverse stands up to abuse. On its maiden voyage, I bushwacked through dense brush to an aircrash site on steep remote terrain. I tore fabric and skin but the pack survived scraping and poking without damage. The pack has also survived several ice slides and self arrests. The zippers are big and do not snag. The straps secure ice axe and trekking poles well. With extra webbing, I also secured snowshoes. The reservoir sleeve fits a 70 oz. reservoir. Mesh side pockets comfortably fit wide-mouth Nalgene bottles. I've used this pack prolificly for 8 months in every kind of weather (snow, ice, rain, wind, sun). The rain cover even worked well when I was blasted with a fire hose on 4th of July. It is solid. Have realistic expectations-- this is a day pack; it does't have space for overnight gear. It's also not configured for heavy loads (has waist straps not hip straps). The heaviest load I've carried was 25 lbs on a 20-mile day trip. At that point the pack began to sag, but was okay. I would not push it more without graduating to a larger pack. Space can get tight in winter when you carry and shed layers into the main compartment. Waist straps feel a little high-- this may be uncomfortable for a tall person (I'm 5'8"). This is a solid day pack with adequate straps for attaching technical gear.

(legalese)

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