Review Date
June 14, 2004

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Terin ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $130.00 at REI

Summary:
I’ve really enjoyed this pack and feel like it’s grown up with me—I got it when I was 12 and I’m now 17 and I barely upgraded to a better pack this year.

POSITIVES: This is an excellent beginners pack for people with smaller torsos (I’m 5’3’’ and have a 17’’ torso) and kids. It’s fairly cheap, and it’s nice for shorter trips. It has very good side pockets, a nice front pocket, and it’s made of very durable materials. I’d strongly recommend it for kids who are just starting out, as it’s quite easy to adjust as you grow, and is a good beginners pack as long as you don’t overload it.

NEGATIVES: That being said, I wouldn’t recommend this pack for anyone who’s planning on doing longer, more difficult backpacking trips. I took it out for 10 days in British Colombia, stuffed to the gills with about 55 lbs of gear. It sagged under the weight, and didn’t really have the capacity to hold more bulky items, (such as tarps), so I had to resort to lashing them to the outside. It has no separate sleeping bag compartment/zipper access, which is very inconvenient, if nothing else. I wouldn’t really recommend carrying more than 45 lbs in it; I carried about 60 on a mountaineering trip and the pack sagged quite a bit and the hipbelt and shoulderstraps became very uncomfortable (I had bruises on my hips, but that’s a lot of weight for just about any pack). The mesh pockets bellow the large side pockets are too small to put a Nalgene into, but you can put them in the spacious side pockets.

Again, it’s been a nice pack for shorter trips, and has somehow survived through the longer trips, but I wouldn’t recommend pushing it beyond a week (unless you go ultra, ultra light). It’s an exceptional beginners pack, though, and it’s not very expensive, so it’s a good pack to use if you’re trying to figure out if you want to backpack more.

Customer Service:
Didn't use it, but REI's usually pretty good about these things anyways, so I wasn't worried.

Similar Products Used:
Osprey Luna 90 (I just got it and I LOVE it--it's an EXCELLENT woman's pack and it's designed for longer trips)

A tiny external frame that I used when I was about 10 (I don't remember the brand).

Review Date
February 3, 2003

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: virgil_likes_rum(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Seattle, WA, USA

Price Paid:  $89.00 at REI

Summary:
I bought this pack on sale so I would have to say I paid a fair price. Other than that, the pack is made for smaller sized people (Im 5-9) and for smaller size loads. The side pockets are conveinent but get in the way of your arm swing. There is no sleeping bag specific compartment with outside zipper so you have to unload your entire bag in order to get to your sleeping bag. I found I could carry about 30lbs before the bag just became downright uncomfortable. I do have to give Kelty credit for using durable materials though. I gave the bag to my wife to use (us husbands know who carrys the weight when backpacking!) and bought myself a Dana Design Terraplane LTW. Huge difference (in price too!!).

Customer Service:
Never used, but I bought it at REI so Im confident if anything should happen.

Similar Products Used:
Dana Design Redirect (good all around bag and cheap at Killerdeals.com)
Dana Design Terraplane (awesome bag, excellent fit, plenty of room for anything)
ALICE pack (I got it issued to me....lowest b

Review Date
April 13, 2001

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Kent(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Webb City, MO.

Price Paid:  $130.00 at REI

Summary:
Kelty has done it again although I'm 6' I have a short torso and this pack fits like a glove. I took it on it's maiden voyage to the BWCA for 8 days and it held everything I needed and a few things I didn't.On the last day of the trip the bottom buckle broke.Kelty sent me a new one right away.

Customer Service:
Kelty's service has been superior. They have replaced the bottom buckle on my pack twice no questions asked.

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
March 6, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Albert(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from San Jose, CA, USA

Price Paid:  $130.00

Summary:
This is a great multi-day backpack for its price.
I brought it to a 3-day snow camping trip and was able
to stuff all my gear into the pack. Sure, it's a little
small compared to other typical multi-day packs,
but if you pack things right, everything will fit.
I have no problems with the straps or buckles, and
the loops in front allow me to tie my shovel, snowshoes
on the outside. It doesn't have an extra zip opening
to access the bottom half of the pack, so getting things
out from the bottom is a pain, but still, this is a great
pack for the serious (but low-budget) traveller.

Review Date
February 21, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: john verduin(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from granger, in usa

Summary:
Thanks, Kelty for the motivation in creating a child's size pack for extended trips. Kids don't want to be unequal, and your design, fit, and craftmanship helped my 11 year old son along mentally and physically. The frame suspension is very adjustable and with some forthought, got it right. The straps, zippers, frame,and cloth all add up to an "adult style" world class pack for a smaller, growing frame. Thanks for the good times!

Similar Products Used:
Kelty Hurricane