REI Traverse Pack

The REI Traverse pack is an excellent low cost daypack with many features one would usually find in a pack 2 to 3 times its price. With its many features it can be used year round, making it the most bang for your buck around.

Construction is excellent quality, zippers all work flawlessly, and materials seem to be top notch.

I own a lot of day packs but this is the one I always grab because of its comfort and features. It's been on lots of adventures and it will experience many more.

Two years ago I picked this pack up at the local Goodwill expecting it to be like many of my other day packs, uncomfortable and cheap. When I got it home I inspected it a bit closer noticing the waterproof zippers, axe loop and roomy hydration sleeve. So that weekend I took it out on a seven mile day hike up to Lake Serene near Index, Washington.

Packed with about 15LBs of food, water and other stuff and still room to spare I took off. Upon arriving at the trail head it started to rain. So I put my coat on and hiked anyways. I was instantly impressed at how comfortable the pack was. The foam wasn't too soft nor was it too stiff. Once at the lake I opened up the pack expecting everything to be soaked inside, but to my amazement it was bone dry inside.

Over the two years that I have had the pack it has seen its fair share of use and shows almost no signs of wear. The pack's large good capacity and comfortable design and excellent quality would make me recommend this to anyone.

I also found some Russian money from the previous owners in the pack.

Summit Pack                                        Beckler Peak, Bearing, Washington

Note the small Trailspace sticker on the left trekking pole, hard to see because of a very sunny day

Bought this beauty when it went on sale at REI a few months ago. Purpose-bought for a recent Grand Canyon hike. This baby accompanied me all the way down the South Kaibab trail to the Colorado river and back up the Bright Angel... all in one day. Not to mention all the training hikes I did preceeding the trip! I maxed the pack out at about 22 pounds for my training hikes and carried about 17 pounds through the Canyon. It easily carried 6 litres of water in the main compartment plus several pairs of socks, long- and short-sleeved poly base layers, a fleece vest and an outer shell.

The easy-access upper pocket allowed me to keep my power bars and gels handy along with compass, flashlight and some baic first-aid gear. The two expandable side pockets are actually accesible while wearing the pack - very handy. There is an internal bladder reservoir pocket that can accomodate up to 3 litre bladders and affords the ability to rout the hose over either shoulder. The daisy chain loop along the back allowed me to strap on wet gear to air dry; no stuffing wet shirts back in the pack.

The fit was perfect; the shoulder straps and waist belt are nicely padded and caused no discomfort. The pack seems well-constructed, with heavy-duty zippers and indestructible, well-lined nylon. I recommend this pack for virtually any day hike. It will not disappoint.

Absolutely love the pack. The main reason I bought this pack after searching for weeks for a pack was because of the many compartments that it has to offer. The best part has to be the access that you have to your pack even when it is on your back, water, two zipper pockets, and two mesh pockets on the belt, which means you stop less and cover a lot more ground. Other compartments hold anything and everything for work, dayhikes, or travel. Great buy and I highly recommend getting one if you are looking for a lot of organization!

I had been waiting for this awesomely laid out pack to go on sale. A great little daypack when all you need is your basics, hydration, room for a sweatshirt, and food.

An aluminum stay towards the bottom keeps the pack off of your back, allowing for greater circulation. Also, you can tuck away the waist belt if you don't need it, which makes this pack a 5 star product in my view.

I've had the pack for nearly 9 months and used it for short and long day hikes. The zipper to the main compartment started to become problematic, with the "teeth" on it wearing out so much so that I couldn't fully close the zipper. When I returned it to REI customer service to exchange for a different brand they gave me a run-around, despite REI's claim of 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Organization, Organization, Organization. Did I mention this pack is oragnized. I never found myself searching and rooting around the pack for something, I always knew exactly where everything was. Took the pack on a Ranier ascent, as well as a Kings Canyon trip, and a Colorado week-long trip, and it never once let me down.

I bought this pack a few months ago mostly for school books, but it is also my mountain biking pack. It sits well on my back, and the pockets are perfect for both holding gear and calculators.

Overall zero problems, it was definitely one of my best gear buys in a long time.