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Review on Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Companion - 60L Waterproof Hiking Backpack With Rain Cover And Travel Daypack For Climbing, Camping, And Touring by Paul Barnes

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Excellent value, terrible zippers

I took this pack on what was to be a 3-day, 70-mile hike on the Laurel Highlands Trail in western PA. The first day had beautiful weather over 24 miles. The pack, although extremely lightweight at just over 2lbs, securely held everything I needed it to - 25lbs including water total. I did not have the shoulder straps adjusted well enough and the weight of the pack sat too high. Therefore, the tops of my shoulders got very sore. If you don't properly adjust this thing, you will hurt. Even then, it was comfortable to wear throughout the day in general.During the night, the remnants of a tropical storm began dumping rain. The temperature dropped and the conditions were absolutely miserable. I was able to test out the waterproof-ness of this pack and it did very well. The rain cover worked for the most part and the inside of the pack was not wet to the touch (although I had EVERYTHING sealed in ziplocs and dry bags). Several inches of rain pounded the area through the morning and I was only able to make it another 7 miles before the conditions became too dangerous to continue.My biggest gripe about this pack is the quality of the zippers. If you overfill a compartment and try to close it, the zipper will more than likely let loose. The front pocket zipper was the first to go, so I had to rearrange the inside of the main compartment to fit what was in the front pocket. But hey, for a little over $30, this thing is an absolute steal. I can't really comment on the long-term durability of this pack yet as I only intend to use it a handful of times per year at best, but for the money I don't believe a novice, "every now and then" hiker can go wrong. I will be doing the same hike again next year as it is an annual event and will likely use this pack again.EDIT: As an update on 4/30/19, I've begun training for this year's hike. I have some different equipment and this pack is still holding all of it with little issue. I was able to get the front zipper to realign to the point that it is usable again. I will most certainly only put smaller things in that pocket and not overfill it. I'm only wearing this pack when I'm doing training, but it's still pretty comfortable with properly adjusted straps. I have a water bladder this year rather than using bottles, so we'll see how that goes. I'm training much more this year and intend on making the full 70 miles. I will report back on this review after the mid September hike.UPDATE 9/20/2019: I made all 70 miles this year and this pack worked like a charm. I had it adjusted properly and packed it strategically. It held all my gear and became like a part of my body. It did hold moisture due to profuse sweating, but I think that would be the case with most any pack. I’m still giving it four stars for a few reasons. The pockets on the lower straps are all but useless because they’re simply too small to fit anything. Whereas the zippers all stayed intact this year, they are still pretty flimsy. Lastly, the chest strap kept loosening. I had to pull on it to tighten it every half mile or so which became annoying.Bottom line, this is a pack that outperforms it’s price, but temper your expectations. If you’re going to be using a hiking pack more than a few times a year, you’ll probably want to invest in a higher quality brand. But, this one suited my needs perfectly.

Pros
  • Backpacking Packs
Cons
  • The backpack lacks a sternum strap for better weight distribution

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