High Sierra Bobcat 65

Good pack for the budget minded hiker. Not the best on the market, but a good deal for the price.

I bought this pack about 6 months ago and now have put many miles on it. It is far from being the best pack out there, but overall it is a very good pack for the price I paid. Adjustability, organization, and comfort are this pack's best qualities.

In addition to the normal adjustments you would expect on a pack, this pack allows you to also increase or decrease the width of the shoulder straps. This helped me out tremendously with comfort.

 There is also an adjustment to raise or lower the waist belt up to 3 inches. Again, this helped me out with comfort.

The pack has a total of 6 external storage pockets, two small ones on the left side, one long one on the right side, two medium ones on the face of the pack, and an oddly placed one in the lid cover. So there is ample room for organization which is a plus for me.

It also has a mesh water bottle pocket on the right side which is inaccessible with the pack on. This is not a problem for me since I attach water bottles holders to the waist belt.

The main compartment is split level. Access to the top is under the lid, and access to the bottom is from the front of the pack.  

The pack is comfortable and rides well. The waist belt seems to wrap around the waist well with no noticeable pressure points or any uncomfortable areas. It also distributes the weight around the waist very well.

As far as the storage capacity, comfort, adjustability, and organization, I am well pleased.  However this pack does have its flaws.

First, and probably the worst, is the hydration sleeve placement. It sits horizontally directly behind the head.

 I personally do not like having this much weight so high up the on the pack. I feel it makes me to top heavy. What I did was placed the hydration bladder in the bottom of the top compartment with my sleeping bag on top of it and other light gear on top of the sleeping bag. This fixed the issue of being top heavy and I still had enough bladder tube to run the tube out of the port on the pack like normal.

The other major flaw is the sternum strap. It is held on to the pack with plastic clips that connect to the shoulder strap seam.

Although I have not had a problem with the clips coming off, I do see this as a "it will happen" and not an "it might happen". The other problem with the sternum strap is that it keeps sliding up and down on the shoulder strap seam and therefor changing the adjustment. I see no solution to this problem other than to sew the strap in place and eliminate the clips.

A couple other minor issues are the rain cover and the noise. With the pack full, the built in rain cover will not cover the entire pack. I never use rain covers and am considering cutting it out to save weight but this may be a problem for some people. The pack is also a little on the noisy side as it moans and creaks a little bit.

Overall I am pleased with the pack especially considering I only paid $85 for it. It is high on comfort and organization and has excellent adjustability. Its comfort is comparable to many high priced packs. I would recommend this pack  for the budget minded hiker who needs comfort at a good price.

Great size and lightweight for an older female.

This pack was a great find for me, I am an older female that needed to put an emergency 3-day pack together, I have severe cervical spine problems and this wonderful pack made it easy for me to be able to "carry my own load." The pockets are very large and easy to access the most used or wanted items..water, snacks, rain gear, etc.

I am now confidant that I will be ready for at least 3 days in case of evacuation or road trip problems. One never knows what the next day will bring and now I feel a little more secure with my Bobcat 65 loaded and ready to go.

Great pack at great price. Highly recommended!

This pack is well built, roomy, and has plenty of pockets to keep things organized. Belt and shoulder straps are comfortable and distribute weight extremely well. Highly recommended!