REI Trail 40 Pack- Gear Review
Never in a million years did I ever think it would be so hard to find the perfect backpacking pack. When Derek and I first started talking about backpacking Europe for our honeymoon, we agreed that we would by good backpacks for each other as our birthday presents. I thought, okay, I'm going to walk into the store, pick the one I like the most, the colorful one with all the pockets, and buy it.WRONG.
Little did I know that trying on backpacks would be more difficult than any bra fitting or jean shopping extravaganza.
First of all, there isn't a large selection of women's backpacks. Derek had me try on a couple of coed backpacks. They were uncomfortable on my chest, squishing everything into uncomfortable positions. The women's backpacks weren't too comfortable either. There was something wrong with each and every single one. Some sat too low on my back, some too high that my head hit the top of the bag every time I leaned back. I must have looked like an idiot.... moving around the stores like I was doing some interpretive dance. Derek was being patient with me.
I thought I was going to settle on a Kelty, but there was a large bar down the whole back of the pack poking into my spine. I felt like giving up. Nothing was comfortable, and the ones that were comfortable didn't have the space or versatility that I wanted in a pack.
Finally, I stumbled upon the REI Trail 40 pack at the REI store in Framingham, MA. At the time (fall 2014), it was brand new, fresh to the shelf. I tried it on, with the assistance of a store employee who strapped me in and put weights in my bag. Instantly, I knew this was the bag, cushion on the back and waist, nothing poking into my back, and I didn't feel top heavy. I was sold! I bought it in the Cavern Shade color, size medium. I'm not sure what I paid for it at the time, but according to the website now, it is $109.
As a teacher in an Alternative High School, I do a lot of hikes with my students. So, I got some practice out of the bag before I went to Europe. I took the bag up Mt. Cardigan in New Hampshire and it was so comfortable on my back that I often forgot it was there. Thank god I had my rain guard, which came with the bag, because it poured on that hike. None of my stuff got wet.
Europe would be the real test though. And the REI Trail 40 passed with flying colors.
The bag ended up being perfect for our trek across Europe. I loved that the bag zipped fully open with a U panal, like a gym bag, so that I could easily get to things at the bottom of my bag just as easily as the items at the top. The inside mesh pocket was just big enough for my toiletries, and the bungee compression system in the main pocket made it easy to squeeze in everything I needed for the trip.
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| Me in Madrid, Spain, the one day on our trip where we had to carry our bags the whole day. |
40 Liters was plenty enough for everything I needed for the trip, and was small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of the airplanes. It also fit neatly under the seats of the trains and buses that we took.We packed enough clothes to last a couple days until we could hand wash them in the hotel rooms. We packed shoes and toiletries and everything we needed, and we didn't have to compromise and take anything out.
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| The contents of my bag to backpack Europe. |
The bag is still at the quality that I bought it. Nothing is broken, nothing is worn. It is good quality, and I expect for it to last for years to come.
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