January 28, 2017
The interest in hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities has grown exponentially over the last twenty years. The growth in materials technology has also contributed to a wider variety of gear that is both durable, safe, practical, and economical. The growth in the survival related programing on television has also helped the outfitter industries. One such company that has enjoyed the benefits of the growing interest in the outdoors has been Kelty® out of Boulder, Colorado. One of their signature backpacks is the Redwing 50. The “50” stands for 50 liters in volume.
I purchased this backpack from Amazon® back in January of this year. The reason for the purchase was that I was wanting to get away from the more tactical looking packs with all of the MOLLE webbing sewn on them along with the military looking color assortments. The pack that I was looking for had to have volume, could carry a water bladder, and carry enough essential gear for a good day hike or an overnight stay in the woods. My research revealed that the kind of backpack required for such a short stay in the outdoors had to have between a 45-55 liter capacity. This is the basic volume for a tactical three-day assault pack. The backpack that I was looking for had to also fit within my budget. Most of the quality backpacks that can be found meeting these criteria were as low as $150 USD and as high as $500 USD, depending on the vendor or retailer. To my surprise, the Kelty Redwing 50 came up on Amazon® under $100 USD. This was not a deal too-good-to-be-true. Rather, I learned later that Kelty® had made some minor design changes to the pack and this particular version was being phased out.
Characteristics
The pack arrived in the typical Amazon® logo delivery box. I was immediately impressed with how light and yet sturdy the pack was after it was removed from its packaging. Its empty weight is about 3 ½ lbs. The material that the pack is made of is 420/450 D nylon. This is a tough abrasive resistant material. It also has some water resistant properties but not completely water proof. It holds a 3 liter water bladder. Because it is considered an internal frame pack, it has one reinforcing aluminum stay that runs the center of the pack behind the torso and hip pads. Kelty designed the main compartment to be accessed either as a top-loader or to open the entire compartment like a suitcase. I found the top-load technique to be the most practical on the trail. The other way to access the main compartment is best suited for base camping or hotel scenarios. The additional pockets for storage are handy for holding your Nalgene® bottle with a GSI® stainless steel cup. I prefer the CamelBak® Chute 1 liter water bottle nested in the GSI® stainless steel cup stored in one of the spacious side pockets. The other side pocket holds my fixed blade knife and sheath. The storage pocket on top of the pack is large enough for smaller items such as a fleece cap, map, or snacks. The admin storage pocket on the front of the main compartment can hold a good selection of items for quick access.
Performance
The first opportunity to use this pack came this spring. Freedom 424 hosted a Run for Their Lives 5k run in my town. One of the professors in my Master’s Degree program encouraged his students in his class to participate. My wife, children, and I participated. I decided that this race for a charitable cause was a good opportunity to try out my new Kelty Redwing 50 (M/L) backpack. I packed it as though I was going on a day hike or overnight in the woods. The pack weight about 35-40 lbs. After putting the pack on my back and cinching up the straps, it was quickly evident that this pack was a perfect fit for my back. There was no pressure on my lower back and the weight was distributed evenly along my shoulders and back. It was comfortable to have on. I had the honor of pushing our baby in his stroller. The weight on my back was not overwhelming. I was thinking, “Why couldn’t I have had a pack like this when I was road marching in the Army?”
During the race, in which my family and I walked at a brisk pace, the pack never shifted, pulled, sagged, or rubbed hot spots on my back or shoulders. I was walking at about a 20 min/mile pace pushing the baby stroller over an undulating paved road. The pack held up beautifully. There was a light misty rain off-and-on during the race. The moisture wicking properties of the fabric could be visibly seen. However, by the end of the race, about one hour later, the moisture as beginning to leak through. The contents did not get wet. However, had I been wearing the pack during a torrential down pour of rain, the contents would have eventually gotten wet if not waterproofed prior to an activity. The raised padding on the torso and lower back allowed my back to breath while the pack on being worn. Even though I had worked up a good sweat, the pads did not become overly moist. This is a testament to the engineers who designed the pack for Kelty®. Once the pack was off of my back and out of the weather, it dried out pretty quickly.
Overall, the performance of the Kelty Redwing 50 (M/L) was excellent. It is definitely a great pack for day hiking. It performs in accordance with its design parameters. Abusing the pack by over packing, dropping off of the back on rocky surfaces, or improperly packing objects with sharp edges or corners will cause the pack to fail over time. This is a superior backpack that will last if taken care of properly. I highly recommend this pack for others to consider when looking for a quality backpack for day hikes and overnighters in the woods.
Click on the links in this article for purchase information of the gear mentioned.
I hope this has been useful for you.
Take care and See you on the Trail!
Major Hykr 