A reader contacted us with what is likely a common dilemma; she was downsizing, moving to a condo, and was going to have very little space to store all of her outdoor gear. Like many of us, she had a collection of packs that she’d accumulated over the years…bulky and difficult to store in any logical way. She wanted advice on how best to upgrade and downsize at the same time. Hmmm. Just the kind of challenge that we like!
For starters, her timing is good. It’s no secret that, historically, most backpacks have been designed for men. Men’s packs can work well for some for taller women; the hipbelts might not be optimum and the shoulder strap attachment points might be a bit wider than ideal, but they’re still better than the best packs from a decade or more ago.
But, for the more “vertically challenged” females out there, men’s packs can be a real punishment. Not only are there the above mentioned issues, but the typical female’s body is longer in leg and shorter in torso than the typical male proportions. A pack designed for a shorter man will still be too long from hipbelt to shoulder for a woman of the same height. Luckily, more and more manufacturers are paying attention to that issue, and designing women’s backpacks for the way most woman are built.
In addition, they’ve somehow gotten the idea that women like pretty things. Instead of the black, gray, olive drab, and dull blue of typical men’s packs, women’s backpacks offer color choices that are less…well, boring. For journalists who need to shoot photos that you’ll find interesting, that’s a real bonus. Even if the photo isn’t of the pack itself, a bright color adds “snap” to a scenic photo.
With all these considerations in mind, we set out to find a couple of women’s backpacks that would fit a range of women’s bodies, provide enough flexibility to be used for anything from fast-and-light peakbagging to lightweight overnights to multi-day expeditions, AND that would. add some COLOR to our photos!
After a bit of research, the Mountainsmith Juniper 50 seemed like a natural jumping-off point. Like many packs that Mountainsmith makes, it has a small daypack that straps to the back (rather than the more common practice of using the lid as a lumbar pack). With an expansion collar that increases the internal volume to a respectable 60 Liters, straps that allow for adding tons of junk to the outside, and the extra space in the attached daypack its, we thought it might serve well as a multi-day pack. In “Sangria Red”, it looks good, and we clearly don’t have to worry about stains from red wine in the woods!
Great so far, but there’s a big gap between the small daypack and the large overnight pack. What if you want to go off on a day hike in the Whites, or cross-country ski camp to camp in the wilds of Maine and carry the appropriate wind/rain/searing sun clothing to be ready for the miserable weather that can spit at you? Or, if you want to do a quick overnight with friends that includes some rock scrambling but don’t want a big pack shifting around on your back? Clearly, we needed another pack that splits the difference between the big Juniper and its little daypack.
After more searching, we settled on the Osprey Sirrus 36. We’re unabashed fans of Osprey for packs that handle ridiculous amounts of abuse. Time after time, the Argon 110 proves to be our packhorse of choice when we need to carry loads that humans shouldn’t be able to handle. Given that we’re trying to make these packs fill gaps they really aren’t designed for, that’s a great characteristic. And, the sizing is just about right; small enough to be a heavy-duty daypack, but large enough that we should be able to get an overnight out of it. Finally, it comes in “Amethyst”; we said we wanted colorful, and we got it!
With both packs in house, time to get them out in the field. A day-after-Christmas hike to purge some of the excess calories was a great first test for the Osprey Sirrus; it easily stowed extra clothes to stay warm when we stopped, a Jetboil and some (low calorie) cocoa, and random lunch food. And, thanks to well-designed pockets, everything was easily found when we wanted it.
Admittedly, a lot of packs could handle that task; but still, a good start. There was even plenty of room for food and drink for Barley, the large Golden Retriever that accompanied us. By the time this photo was taken, he’d already eaten his lunch and was scrounging for more, in true Golden fashion. His opinion is that a larger pack should have been used and filled with more food for him.
The Mountainsmith, on the other hand, faced its roughest test right up front. Winter backpacking season was upon us, and one tester was heading out on a multi-night snowshoe to a remote cabin in the Whites. Even though that meant no tent to carry, the amount of clothing and food needed for winter means weight and bulk (winter sleeping bag, for example. When we say “remote cabin,” that means “no heat at night”). Plus, some of the trip was on wind-scoured rock, so the pack had to carry her snowshoes, as well.
The tester gave it rave reviews on her return; comments included “the suspension held the load in check during the long climb to the cabin, with no soreness in my shoulders the next day”, and “the daypack held a bullet thermos and enough food to give us a nice snack when we scrambled up a ledge for the view; it even doubled as a comfortable seat to keep my fanny warm!” One good test for a suspension is how well it will tighten down and hold the pack over heavier winter clothes; if the belt isn’t shaped correctly, it will have a tendency to slide down over your hips and become uncomfortable. Both the Osprey and the Mountainsmith passed that test easily; while neither has a hipbelt that looks particularly beefy, they worked well, with no complaints from any of our testers.
Over the next few months, the feedback continued positive for both packs. Both have fully modern strap systems that allowed them to easily shrink down for smaller loads, but were also long enough to strap large items outside (although our testers did wish for longer straps on the bottom of the Juniper for sleeping pads). Both have plenty of compartments for good organization, and the zippers, buckles, and straps all worked the way they should. Interestingly, both packs have dedicated trekking pole attachments; since many of our trips end up with some scrambling time, our testers appreciated having a place to easily stow the poles when two free hands are needed
The ultimate test for the Sirrus came when an editor decided to use it for a solo overnight, just for the fun of it. With no companion to share the load, she had to carry everything; food, cooking gear, tent, you name it. With the help of the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 (the smallest and lightest solo tent we’ve tried), she was able to stuff everything into the Sirrus, though the load, admittedly, looked somewhat ungainly. And, true to form, the Osprey simply hunkered down on her hips and carried the load without complaint. Once she was in camp, of course, it easily switched duties to carry her camera and a light jacket as she headed out to get a sunset view.
One of the great features of the Sirrus is an integrated raincover (for the Juniper, we recommend getting an Outdoor Research Lightweight Pack Cover, size medium). Unexpected showers meant a quick change; take the pack off, pull the cover out from the bottom of the pack and over the top, and no worries. Particularly for the day trips in the Whites, where Mt. Washington creates weather on a whim, that was a much appreciated detail. Having an emergency sleeping bag in your pack for…well, emergencies? Wonderful. Knowing that it’s still dry after a random 34 degree downpour? Priceless!
After nearly a year of testing, the system has stood up to all uses and users, with no major complaints (the biggest complaint was that the daypack on the Juniper isn’t set up well for a hydration bladder). The Sirrus even stores easily inside the Juniper; the whole setup takes up little more storage room than a large 3-man tent.
Now, these obviously aren’t the only packs out there that can meet the needs of a 2-pack system. And, we probably got a little lucky having it work out as well as it did on the first try. If you’re looking for a “pair of packs”, here’s a few hints to remember as you look at the options:
1. Many large packs have removable daypacks; often, they’re lumbar types that use the top lid of the pack. If you choose one of these, make sure it works easily; we’ve run into some that take an engineering degree to remove and replace!
2. Straps. Straps. And more straps. If you’re going to expand the range of a pack, having straps that allow you to compress a small load or add gear on the outside is critical.
3. Fit. Make sure that the suspension on both packs fits you well, with heavy clothes and light. Many people pay little attention to the suspension on a daypack, as they typically won’t carry that much gear. But, in this case, that pack may handle some serious loads, so having it handle loads beyond what it’s really designed for is key.
4. Don’t focus on pack weight. Again, you’re going to push these packs beyond their design limits; saving a few ounces only to have a suspension system that won’t handle the weight comfortably, or a compartment or zipper that rips out on the trail is a bad compromise.
We’re pleased that we were able to meet our reader’s challenge…our only concern now is that we’ve got one less excuse for a garage full of cool equipment!