I just purchased this pack not long ago. I have already made several hikes with it and love it. I have no problem carrying sleeping bag,tent clothes,water or anything else I want. Very comfortable. Fits me well. As far as ventilation goes I haven't worn many packs that don't make you sweat. I would recommend this to anyone and especially to those just starting. Search the web and you can find a very good purchase price.

Customer Service

No seems to be built very well.

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I bought this pack because I was searching for a cheap backpack as hand luggage in airplanes and for dayly grocery shopping. (I'm cycling to the store.) Campmor had this pack on sale for a while.
I like about this pack, that you can compress it a lot and it also has extra expansion room if needed. The hipbelt fits me well. But the frame is very bendy. You have to carefully fill this bag, otherwise your spine might develop problems. It gets also pretty warm.
I would recommend this pack for medium loads (about 25lb). It should be ok for trips up to two nights, if you don't have to carry a lot of water. On the other hand this pack is way lighter than my Gregory, which has about 600 cubic inches less.

Customer Service

I had problems with a tent and the customer service was not good. I gave up on that, because I decided, that my time is too valuable to vaste.

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Kelty Super Tioga - very good back support and Gregory Gravity. Both packs are designed to carry heavy loads, unlike the Gale. If you see a Gregory on sale, go for that pack!

Overall I liked the pack. It has enough room for a good 3-4 day hike, espically with all the loops to hook gear to. I have used mine on the App. Trail during the summer, and what they say about little back ventlation is true, but if you arch your back everyonce in a while, it is not bad. I paid $69 for mine, and plan to keep using it for a while. This would have been a great starter pack too!!

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The Kelty Gale is a great pack at a great price. I have used it several times and liked it. the only thing I had to change was the webbing because it came with way to much. If anything goes wrong they have a lifetime warrantie.

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The is pack was given to me as a gift for christmas. It wasn't on my top choice list, mainly because all I had mentioned was The North Face. This pack though has become an integral part of my hiking/climbing gear. It can hold alot of stuff for its size, it's basicly a sack w/straps. I have used it while climbing in the Adirondacks, it really hugs your back and feels very stable. The snowshoe trap on the front of the pack and the daisy chains are really nice to have too. The only disadvantages are its harness area, mainly where the shoulder straps meet the pack, for people with a narrow torso it may rub on your neck too much. The other problem was the hipbelt. It was just too high, it rides up when taking large steps like when rock hopping in a river bed.

MY best friend and hiking partner recommended this pack, and after putting it on w/weight in the store, yeah, it felt good. I liked the way the pack was laid out and it is well made. This is where it stops however. After three or four trips, I noticed serious flaws in the pack. First off, the buckles and straps WILL NOT stay tight. They always end up loose and dangling. The more you use it, the more the weight sits on your shoulders. The hip belt is almost there for show, not functionallity. And my last major beef with this pack is that it hugs your back with absolutely not breathing room. You get no cross-ventalation, and consequently, end up with a very sweaty shirt and a soaked pack that when you set up camp, is very inviting for little critters with a taste for the salt. ALWAYS hang your entire pack, believe me.

Customer Service

There are no flaws in the manufacture of the pack, it's very durable in fact. I have never had any reason to contact Kelty with a complaint.

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My first and most likely last Kelty pack. They make some awsome tents and sleeping bags though.

Used this pack for the second half of my AT thru hike. I loved it. Watch your load weight, and take off. Great for someone like myself who is not an ultralight, but sure has fun trying. Great Price! = $90

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I got this pack on sale for $45 (original price $90). The pack has one main compartment--use stuff sacks to divide up your stuff. It has very comfortable padding, good support straps, and really conforms to your back. Made of really durable materials, too. My favorite feature is the expandability of the pack. It has dozens of daisy-loops and tie-downs where you can attach virtually any piece of bulky equipment--tents, sleeping bags, etc. My only negative comment is that the pack has a tendency to conform to your back too much; sometimes it doesn't allow for enough ventilation between your back and the pack--a minor annoyance in hotter weather. I use it about once a month on one or two night backpacking trips, and I'm very happy with it. Overall good buy.