Backpack

Wednesday, 29th May 2013; 9:38 pm

I now have a new backpack, for the hiking segments of my trips. After researching a bit online, then checking the inventory at my nearby sporting-goods shop (buy local!), I picked out The North Face’s Recon pack. I think it’s last year’s model, because the color doesn’t match what’s on North Face’s web site, and there are other minor differences. It was on sale for $20 off, so I paid $80 for it.

There were other colors available, but for some reason as I looked at them, this one grew on me.  Even though it’s fake-distressed pseudo-plaid, it feels like a nature pattern.  I’ve never really liked bright colors for wearing in the woods (yet another reason not to go during deer-hunting season), but I didn’t want to get black.  This works.

It isn’t perfect.  It’s considered a “daypack”, and isn’t really intended for really serious backpacking. Because it’s not very tall, the waist strap is really more of a belly strap; it doesn’t do anything to support the pack’s weight.  There’s also a dearth of places to attach things on the outside, so I had to stitch a strap across the bottom, which I’ll use to attach my tent underneath.  That should leave enough space inside the pack for my sleeping bag, some food, cooking gear, and a change of clothes: just enough for a couple nights on the trail.  I can clip a water bottle to the outside, hang my camera around my neck… and do some ultralight hiking for a couple days.

I think I’ve figured out how to pack this bag on the scooter.  It doesn’t fit very well in the space between the seat and the steering column, at least not leaving enough legroom for long days of riding.  So what I think I’ll do is to strap the camping gear to the rear rack, as usual, then strap the pack to that as if the tent was a set of shoulders, facing toward the rear and downward.  That won’t leave much room behind me for my over-the-shoulder bag, but I may be able to use the backpack to stow the things I would otherwise put in that.  Anyway, I’ve got a little over a week to figure that out for sure before my 5-day “trial run”; I’ll do a packing and riding test around town this weekend.

3 Responses to “Backpack”

  1. Taj says:

    I like the pattern too! Could be hard to find shoes to match.

  2. Todd says:

    I already have a totally cute pair of hiking pumps in that same yellow.

  3. Taj says:

    Fashion balance is again restored.