|
October 10, 2008
|
 |
Are old-school backpacks worth buying, or has technology advanced too much?
|
Variant 52 Backpack (courtesy, Osprey)
|
I have the chance to purchase an old, never-used Dana Design Bomb pack to replace
my Dana Sluiskin 30, which has proven to be a bit small. I do a lot of peak
bagging and some light overnights in Colorado and occasionally take friends who
don't have packs. What do you think?
— Mark
Topeka, Kansas
Do you have a question of your own?
|
|
|
 Ah, the Dana Design Bomb. Possibly the most classic daypack of all time. I
still have one somewhere. Purple and red. Very 80s.
If you can, but it just to have it. What a cool thing to have in 20 years!
Otherwise, much as I love the Bomb, pack technology has progressed. Take Osprey’s Variant 52 ($199).
It’s lighter than the Bomb, for starters. And it has a feature that is heir to
the Shovit pocket—a handy place to stuff jackets and ropes that’s expandable
and outside of the main pocket. It also has a much trimmer suspension than da
Bomb that still makes 30-pound loads easily manageable. Or more in a pinch. So
the Variant would a great choice.
For more of a daypack-size pack (the Variant holds 3,200 cubic inches and is a
small overnight pack for today’s gear), try the Gregory Z35-R ($159), It’s
a 2,100 cubic inch pack that does very nicely carrying big day loads. And it has
a front “bucket” pocket that is the same thing as a Shovit. I have the version
that doesn’t have the bucket pocket (the Z35) and like it a lot. Very light, good
suspension, and good load-carrying ability.
I have more advice: Get your friends to buy their own damn packs!
The 2008 Summer
Outside Buyer’s Guide is now online. From riding to trail-running to
camping, get reviews of nearly 400 gear must-haves.
 |
|
|
|
GEAR GUY FEATURES
Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy.
Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let’s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it’s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.
The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.
|
|
|
|
|
Many of the items reviewed by the Gear Guy can be found at REI.com. Click here to find the internet's biggest selection of outdoor gear and apparel.
|
