High Sierra Col 35

This is a very nice pack that served us well on an overnighter. My 14-yr-old son carried this and he loved it.

We used this pack on an overnight trip that covered about 7 miles. I was looking to put my son in a smaller pack and cut down on weight. This pack fit the job nicely. My son is slender and stands about 5'6".  The pack fit him very well and was very comfortable. 

The capacity is 35 liters and weighed about 20 lbs. when we hit the trail. It was fairly full but we could have squeezed a few more items into it. The items were an ENO SingleNest, ENO Fast Fly, 40 degree Coleman down bag, 2 liter bladder, few extra clothes, food, rain gear, and extra rain fly.  It is a simple top load pack, 1 main compartment, 2 mesh pockets on each side, a pocket on the top lid, and a pouch on the bottom that has the rain cover stuffed in it.

The pack performed well and my son loved it. The fit and ride seemed good, it compresses nicely, seems to be of good quality. The top lid doesn't secure well because of the length of the straps. However, this was overcome by using the top compression strap over the outside of the top lid and did not cause any problems.

This was the first use of the pack and we love it so far.  Also, I bought mine at Dunhams, but it can be purchased on the web for $59.99.

More to come.

Reasonably priced, reasonably spacious, reasonably usable.

This is a reasonably priced entry pack.

It fits well enough, carries enough, and is simple enough to be useful to almost anyone that gets it. The fact that it's a mere two pockets makes it impossible to get confused where stuff is, but you need to have some method of organizing smaller items or they will be lost without unpacking the entire thing. The main pocket is pretty cavernous for a 35 liter pack and can swallow a surprising amount of stuff. The top pocket is a good place to stow essentials and small frequently accessed items, or snacks, etc.

It fits and rides... okay. I've put some rather heavy stuff in this pack and it wears fine. Granted i'm built to the upper end of its fit range, so mileage may vary. The frame is very simple, single strut with a plastic sheet to reinforce. This is not a super-heavy hauler by any means. The hip belt is there but not overly elaborate and not removable. It gets the job done, but is on the minimalist side of the design spectrum.

Things like compression straps and external pockets are minimal but well used. The mesh pockets on the sides are very serviceable. The compression straps for under loading are also serviceable. There is a series of loops dead center on the pack that could be used to clip things in.

This pack, for me, has held up over some four years or so of regular  use, in all sorts of environments from ocean beaches to urban streets, and even a few hikes in between. It's proven to be well worth the money for when I need a simpler, lighter, smaller pack than my primary.