REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I bought this pack for a 7 month trip through South America. I wanted a big pack that was front-loading, and this pack has been great to travel with for those reasaons. However, the padding (arouond the waist especially) is much too thick and bulky. The padding against my back is also thick and does not leave room to beathe between pads/back like my smaller pack of a different brand. It's great for travel-purposes, but when I hike, I'll want something less bulky, and breathable. Also, I wish the shoe compartment opened to the outside, and not only the inside. I end up having to unpack to get shoes out!

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I am petite 5'4 and I have returned a lot of backpacks to REI, because they did not fit my frame properly, too big, too bulky, and if small then with little or no adjustment to fit my shape.

With this pack, I have backpacked to Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Belize and Guatemalan. And also have hiked from North rim to South rim in the Grand Canyon. I think this pack has been my best friend in all these trips. I think I have found the perfect one finally. At this price, this pack is a steal.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I have used this pack for several backpacking trips ranging from one night to 2-3 nights. It fits everything I need and fits well (once you adjust everything to your size).

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I was on the fence about this pack but went for it because of the extra size. Just got it in the mail, and I am so excited to gear up with this baby! First, the color is fantastic--it's not plain blue as the picture suggests, but a beautiful teal/blue. The zippers are completely watertight and there are so many little compartments to keep your stuff organized, I can't imagine ever losing anything in this bag.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I bought this pack to carry my camping and climbing gear. I love the adjustable suspension (once my husband showed me how to do it.) I'm 5'9" and have a very short torso, but the rip n stick shoulder straps can be adjusted to fit me perfectly. And when we took my 3 kids climbing with all of their gear too, there was enough room for 4 harnesses, my helmet, shoes, lunch, and toys. It is very easy to get into all parts of the pack. The pockets on the waist straps are very convenient for my camera and sunscreen.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

My friend and I each bought this pack to travel around Argentina for 2 weeks and it was perfect. Compartments on the outside made things easy to access, and there were enough to be useful, but not so many to be overkill. The large main compartment can be accessed from top through drawstring or bottom through zipper, which is nice when you don't want to pull everything out to get at something in the bottom. There is also a convenient inner zippered pocket on the top attachment where we stuffed valuables.

Since then I've used it on several backpacking trips and found even more reasons to love it. It's extremely comfortable and highly adjustable so you can distribute the weight however you prefer. It seems durable - I haven't put it through anything too extreme, but zippers, clips, and everything are still holding up. I also haven't been in any heavy downpours, but it's water resistant in light rain and I've never had anything inside get wet.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I used this pack on 5 week trip around Europe, as well as some additional traveling in the states. It is fabulous. Easy to load, comfortable, and includes lots of different compartments for organizing and storing various items. My housemate has an older model and we both are attached to our packs. At this lower price, you can't go wrong.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

We backpacked in Zimbabwe for more than a week, and this pack remained comfortable in every way. Even when packed full, the fit of this pack on the body makes it feel very light and completely stable while you are walking with it. This pack traveled on eight planes during that trip, and nothing ever snagged or was damanged by airline equipment. I cannot recommend this enough, especially for thinner women (I am a little tall and have a long torso).

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I'm 5'7" and 115 pounds and have been having problems finding packs that rest easy on my bony frame. At last! The Venus rides comfortably on my hipbones without pain or bruises/sore spots. The straps adjusted wonderfully so it didn't shift on my body as I moved around. I did trail work lopping brush while wearing it and sometimes hardly noticed it was there. It's easy to pack, the bottom compartment is perfectly sized for a tent. Very easy to stuff and keep items organized. The only major gripe I have with it is the lost opportunity of having a detachable daypack. Otherwise it would be perfect and the only pack I would ever need.

Comments about REI Venus 75 Pack - Women's - 2009 Special Buy:

I am 5'2" and borrowed a different pack from a friend for a hut trip. I ended up carrying all of the weight on my shoulders. This pack fit me perfectly! The weight is on my hips. Very comfortable. I only gave it a 4 star rating because there is no detachable day pack.