Kelty Shrike 30 $100

www.kelty.com

The Good: Spacious main compartment cinches down tight when not needed, generous padding on shoulders and hips distribute weight evenly, plenty of pockets and stash points.

The Bad: Top pocket flops over strangely when main compartment is opened, all that extra padding means more weight.

The Ugly: All the extra gear that comes along now that there’s enough space to fit it all.

Most of our lives are supported by plenty of gear, extra layers, snacks, and the various gadgets that make the world revolve around us. It’s hard to shake the mantra “always be prepared” so we bring along the world and are ready for whatever comes along.  That is why a solid and versatile backpack is such an important part of our modern day wardrobe, and the Kelty Shrike 30 liter backpack is a great bag for everyday life and the occasional hike. The Shrike has plenty of pockets and organization slots to keep little things together and everything else stashed within easy reach.  With a top and back pocket, small items like windbreakers or gloves can be grabbed fast, and the generous main pocket can be access from the top or side with the bucket style main zipper. The main compartment has a hydration/laptop sleeve that easily holds a 15″ laptop or a 2L hydration bladder, with plenty of room to stuff paperwork or the essentials for an all day hike. Side pockets hold waterbottles, sunglasses or cameras within reach without removing the pack, and the comfortable strap system makes it easy to carry the loaded bag wherever life may lead.

We took this bag out on a few day hikes in Northern California near Mt. Lassen and along the coast near Monterey. It was also used as a daily commuter pack for a few weeks loaded down with paperwork and a full laptop.  One annoying feature - the top pocket when full tends to flop forward awkwardly while digging in the main compartment. Opening the main compartment a bit from the side aleviated this problem a bit, but generally it was necessary to keep the top pocket reserved for just a few small items. The stashable waist strap was used during the day hikes and hugged the hips nicely with no pressure points throughout the few hour jaunt. The weather was cool enough that sweat wasn’t an issue, especially with the back ventilation pads kepping the bag from generating too much heat during strenuous activities. The side compression straps really cinched down the loaded pack into a fairly thin profile that made it feel much more secure against the back during hikes. Lash points on the shoulder straps and the daisy chain along the middle of the pack were difficult to find much of a use for, but the back handle in the middle of the pack was a convenient grab point when moving the fully loaded back around when not strapped on. The pack itself is not light, weighing in at a bit over 2 lbs unloaded. But the extra padding along the shoulders and waist are worth the added weight if a fully loaded pack is anticipated.

Overall, this is a nice crossover pack that will serve well both the commuter and weekend adventurers that don’t want to spend the money for two separate backpacks. While there are lighter 30L packs on the market, most tend to sacrifice comfort for weight and the extra ounces of padding on the hips and shoulders really are worth the bulk.