REI Lookout Pack

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

The Need: I bought this pack to have ample room to cart school books, a laptop, a lunch and a change of clothes to school. I bike two miles and can easily reach 30 lbs. with all the aforementioned gear. It will also see use on the trail during hiking and camping.The Good: 42 liters (the size Large bag's capacity) seems to be a good amount of room. It is definitely larger than the almost ten-year-old Jansport which it is replacing. As noted there are plenty of pockets serving various functions. I love the two hip-belt pockets--perfect for keys, wallet or cell phone. I was told[...] that the two side pockets (behind the mesh pockets on the side of the bag) are separated from the main compartment with waterproof material and good for storing wet clothes or what have you and thus keeping other gear dry. Others have said the zippers get caught, but they seem to slide quite well to me. There are plenty of adjustments which work to provide a great fit. The internal frame has a great contour and works well to appropriate the weight of the load to your hips. The material seems like it will hold up to years of abuse. It seems to be thicker and stronger than my beloved and now retired Jansport which endured 8-10 years of constant use. While there are places to hook on gear with a carabiner I added an elastic mesh web from my old pack to secure a sweatshirt or jacket or soemthing. It was a nice addition.The Bad: The only thing that slightly disappoints is that the 42 liter capacity only comes with the large-size bag. So, I got the large for the capacity and it's a bit large on the fit-size. I'm 5'9" with a medium frame and I can tell the frame is a bit large--but it does work. I just have to cinch the shoulder straps almost all the way tight, which leaves some surprisingly long straps dangling. Also, it doesn't seem like it's the first pack I would choose for biking. The aluminum stay is curved to match the curve in your back when standing/walking, not hunched over on a bike. The slightly dense foam on the back made for air ventilation and comfort meets my spine and is a bit uncomfortable. It's not enough to complain about though. I'm just being thorough.The Verdict: I'm extremely happy with this pack. It is contoured for comfort and made to last. I don't forsee having to write another review on a pack for many years, if you catch my drift.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

First the negatives -- After a week and a half of moderate day hiking in Bryce, Zion and Escalante, the back shows considerable wear and is being returned. The mesh outer pockets for water bottles are of such flimsy material that they were easily torn. The nylon surrounding the inner back frame wore at a corner, and the exterior was terribly scuffed up.

In contrast, my son was wearing my Camelback Transalp that I have had for years and it shows no signs of wear in all the time I have owned it.

On the plus side - I found the capacity more than adequate for my SLR with second lens, 4 water bottles, extra clothing, cell phone, wallet, sunblock, and some food with room to spare. I liked how comfortable the pack was - easily adjusts and the hip strap was great. And we were hiking in 95-100 degree heat.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

This was the only thing I carried for 3 weeks traveling Europe, held all my clothes maps and Misc items and met all requirements for airline carryons. I did attach a stuff sack to the bottom for additional room, though there is plenty of room in the pack and many handy additional pockets.

I would like the compression straps to be located a little lower as they don't really compress the whole bag.

I also used this for an overnight winter hike. It was enough room for everything I needed but i did have to tie my sleeping bag and tent on the outside.

As far as comfort, I would say it is average, the hip strap works wonders but the shoulders could use some additional padding.


Overall I would say for the price (under 60) this is a very good bag with excellent craftsmanship. I expect it to last me a very long time. If I had payed full price it would be receiving 4 stars.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

I have had this daypack over a year, and have used it extensively. I have gone on a ton of overnighters/weekend trips with this bag, and love it. It is big enough to fit a ton of stuff (I tend to pack light and always have room to spare). I even use this as my carryon bag when traveling on airplanes.

I have been rough on this pack, and it has held up way better than I would have thought. It has quite a few pockets that really help for organization. This works very well with a water bladder also.

It doesn't have as much padding as some other daypacks I have seen, but it doesn't bother me at all.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

This pack was cheap and attractive and, I must admit, it's comfortable to wear. But over all, the design could use a lot of work.

For example, the zipper to the "main" compartment is hidden so deep under the cuff that when the bag is really full, it becomes very hard to reach. And the zipper could really extend further down on both ends. As it is, the stuff at bottom of the bag is really hard to get to.

Also, the little pocket on top is so tight that you can't fit anything into it. In fact, all of the compartments are a bit narrow, so if you need something at the bottom of the pack, you have to take EVERYTHING out first.

Lastly, the beefy frame is curved in such a way as to be comfortable against the back, but unfortunately, it also takes up a large portion of the space inside the bag, making the pack annoyingly narrow and impossible to stand upright.

Bottom line is, the bag is big and heavy but only holds slightly more than a daypack.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

I don't have anything really negative to say about this pack. I think that it is a great pack, but I went in looking for a pack that would be great for both commuting to work and for day/camping trips on the weekend. I think this is a great pack for day/camping trips, but not for biking. When I tried out my new pack on my bike I quickly learned that no matter how I adjusted the straps the top of the internal frame protruded into the base of my skull. It just rests there when you are on a bike, and hits you everytime you hit a bump. I would just reccommend not getting this pack if you want it for commuting.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

I travel a lot for business (110% of the time!) but I don't have to be businesslike since my job involves working outdoors and the REI Lookout is just a good fit for this type of travelling. I hop from one hotel to another and it doesn't get easier than having everything in the Lookout (aside from my other laptop luggage). I was using a sports/duffel bag, then switched to the Lookout, from then on, this pack is always with me, whether I go on a road trip to Canada, going camping for the weekend or fly to other cities. I don't leave home without this. I will be using this on my European or Asian trips in the future together with my cocoon, the REI travel down, etc. Mind you, in case of fire in the house, this is one of the things I'll be grabbing aside from my passport and other relevant stuff. Enough said. :)

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

I thought of going with one of the better known brands, I'm glad I didn't because this pack didn't disappoint on my 30 mile three day trek. The 40 litre capacity was more then enough room, the only thing that couldn't keep up were my feet! With the proper adjustments the pack hugs and moves with your body well and supported the 30 lbs of gear/essentials with no problem. The two main compartments allow for easy access to contents. Smaller pockets strategically placed inside and around the pack help organize smaller items. Straps are at a minimum, but strategic (personally I prefer it that way). I recommend it for the extended weekend warriors who like to trek with only the bare essentials. I'll be using it on my trip to Nevada in November. Although, I will say four days is the max you could go out with a pack this size, anything more you should go with pack with a larger capacity. Overall, the pack is functional, good build quality and materials and I hope get a lot of years out of it. One downside I have is the material on the bottom of the pack, which I hoped could have been thicker.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

I bought this mega-daypack for a two-day fastpacking trip in the Ventana wilderness. It accomodated all the gear needed (could handle even more), and organized well. The Lookout proved to be pretty comfortable -- even when on the back 16+ hours a day. I did have to make a lot of on-going adjustments to balance the load, but it was the first use and a heavy load. A grueling trip, steep terrain, lots of gear breakages, but the pack handled the abuse. It even made for a nice pillow at naptime.

The Lookout has also provded useful as a daypack for climbing trips thanks to its large capacity.

Comments about REI Lookout Pack:

2007 was definitely a great year for REI's backpack line, and the Lookout is no exception. This Lookout daypack has all the features I've come to expect in a great pack, and at one heck of a good price. It's better than any of the Osprey, Marmot, Gregory, Mountainsmith, etc. packs in the same class, and believe me, I've tried them all and own many.

The '07 REI Lookout has great organizing capabilities, excellent hydration support for both a full-size internal bladder (with the 2-hole hanger support, which is nice), and external bottle pockets that easily accept two full-size liter Nalgene bottles.

The frame will actually carry a hefty load very comfortably, but the pack itself does not weigh much. The shoulder straps are excellent.

Now that they're on sale, I'm gonna buy a couple more as spares!!

REI -- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS PACK FOR 2008! It's PERFECT the way it is. Much better than the previous Lookout models with the Delrin rod suspension.