Outdoor Products Dragon Fly

This is the pack that I started my son and 2 nephews out with. It is a nice durable pack that is a great entry level pack. Not too big, and not too small. Just right for a 2-3 day excursion. Plenty of pockets and room for all the gear and the frame is great for adjusting to different body sizes and shapes. Plenty of adjusting points.

The material is durable as is the frame.

Two points that need improving with this pack:

1. The drawstring closure mechanism. It is a poor design and will catch and fray the drawstring at the mouth of the pack. I replaced my sons with a standard springloaded cord lock and have had no problems since.

2. The hip belt and shoulder pads should have been the thick padding just like the Firefly and Saturn models. As these are entry level packs, some kids may be turned off to backpacking as these pads are not as padded as they should be, and could cause some irritation on long treks. My son hated his hip belt, but neither of my nephews had any complaints.

I also bought this pack for my Boy Scout 12-year-old son, and he has used it for two years of campouts. It is easy to pack (and learn to pack), very durable, holds everything he needs for 2-3 day campouts, and was a bargain. I would recommend this for any new Boy Scouts as their first pack, or for any youth wanting a bargain, durable, usable backpack.

I bought this pack for my 11 y/o son for Scout campouts. The nearly 3000 cu in capacity is perfect for a two night, weekend outing. Very light adjustable. It has enough tie-on space for everything needed for a great weekend outing. Thus far we have had no problem with the durability of the plastic external frame.