I used this pack on a five day trip. All the gear fit easily within the pack or was lashed to it. It was nice to have the internal divider and the outside pockets to keep things organized. The load at the beginning of the trip was a little over 50 lbs. and the hipbelt and shoulder straps worked fine while hiking 6-8 hours, no sore spots the next day. Only thing this pack could use is a hydration pocket.

Pretty good pack. Used it on a 5 day trip on the AT and it performed admirably. Not a lot of space for strapping gear to it, but easily held all my food and gear on the inside. The water bottle sleeve is also a plus. A good back that will take a beating.
The frame is easily scruffed revealing patches of aluminum, but this is only a cosmetic problem.

Similar Products Used:

Kelty Redcloud

The Mckinley was my first backpack. It was perfect for my purposes and size. I had it while I was between 12 and 15. I am now 16 and looking at new packs. Anyhoo, the Mckinley is a decent pack for younger backpackers. I generally used it on weekend trips. Over the past Summer I managed to juice a 10 day trek, albeit with food pick-ups and the rest of my crew to share gear with, but the pack did reasonably well. The suspension is great for the price and I never had any durability problems. As for ease of use I found the pack to be hard to access after all the straps were tightened. This pack would be great for a 11-13 year old but, if they are serious about backpacking the packs problems become woefully apparent.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

Kelty (too small)