Jansport Yosemite

Review Date
September 6, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Iain McLennon(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $110.00 at Anderson Outfitters

Summary:
I've had this pack for about 10 years, using it for week-long-plus hikes with loads approaching 70lbs with no serious issues. It is a noisy pack, but most external frame packs are - better to alert bears, I guess. This pack has room to spare and, properly loaded, can take you wherever you'd want to go. My primary complaint with JanSport (which I've been using since 1974) is that they make a great line of serious packs, then discontinue them. There is no sense of continuity or confidence that they'll be there for you when/if you need them.

Customer Service:
JanSport's customer service is legendary, but I haven't had to call upon it. My phone quests for information have all been successful.

Similar Products Used:
JanSport Cascade I (1974), JanSport expedition pack (the big one from 1985 that had the detachable fanny pack).

Review Date
September 24, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Herbfield ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $150.00 at REI

Summary:
I've had two Yosemite's in the last 12 years, one for me and the other for my son. At one point we were putting on 30 nights a year of backpacking on them with no problems. Pack weights up to 70 pounds with also no problems. One pack after 10 years finally had the plastic shoulder attachment snap off, but Jansport replaced, no questions asked. I highly recommend this pack if an external is what you are looking for!

Review Date
December 12, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: James(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Campmor.com

Summary:
Excellent backpack. I bought it for a 10 day, 70 mile trek in New Mexico back in 2001. The pack held up superbly and since then I've gone several backpacking trips with it and haven't complained a bit. Best backpack I have ever owned.

Review Date
April 1, 2003

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Reviewed by: Aaron Lewer(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Boise, ID, USA

Price Paid:  $150.00 at campmor.com

Summary:
On paper, this pack was a perfect fit for the kind of backpacking I do--carrying minimal camping gear and an additional 25 pounds of fishing gear. The capacity is great. At first I was suspicious of the plastic pieces that held the frame to the hipbelt--and for good reason.

15 miles in to the backcountry, one of these pieces broke. This left me without a functional hipbelt. After that trip, I called Jansport. They were happy to replace the part. But it happened again. Three times. This isn't an isolated incident. My brother has the same pack, and the same has happened to him.

This pack can't be trusted with loads exceeding 40 pounds. When I have it fully loaded, the frame groans and flexes noticably under the weight. As I said before, the hipbelt sucks.

Do not buy this pack unless you need it to carry something very bulky and light, because it has good capacity but breaks under any load.

Customer Service:
They are happy to send replacement parts for their crappy product.

Similar Products Used:
I have used another Jansport external frame pack. Same problem.

Review Date
November 15, 2001

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Reviewed by: aemiller4(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Charleston, SC

Price Paid:  $175.00 at Campmor

Summary:
I purchased this model to do a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. It is pretty huge which is what I wanted. That is only a problem when trying to squeeze into places but not a big deal to me. I thought it was a very comfortable pack. That being said, the hip belt(which is very comfortable) is a piece of @##$. The hip belt that came on mine had the rigid plastic arms. I have since seen some with a different belt which may be a result of the problems they were having with these, I'm not sure. Anyway the rigid plastic arms that attach to the hip belt are not strong enough. And the piece that they lock into that is sewn onto the belt is not sewn on well enough. I was covering roughly 100 to 120 miles a week. The rigid arms kept snapping off. Also the stiching to the piece that locks onto the arm kept tearing. I literally had to replace either an arm or the whole belt about once a week. I am not exagerating. They obviously did not test the sturdiness of this belt system very well at all. Jansport was good about sending the replacement pieces, but it is a real pain to have to hike to town with a broken hip belt, then you had to get them to ship the replacement pieces to the next town you were going to be visiting which might be 75 miles away. So I spent much of the early part of the trip hiking with a tied together hip belt that wasn't very comfortable. Finally somewhere in New York I made them send me a different model of pack. I ended up finishing with the Rockies model.

Customer Service:
Very good at sending replacement parts to a very poor product.

Similar Products Used:
None