REI Co-op  Traverse 60 Pack - Men's

First thing don’t buy online, go in store and have it sized because despite what people think backpacks come in sizes and that matters a lot when you carry 50lbs on your spine. I was able to do a multi day hike that spanned about 25 miles with this pack and I never felt better than when I used this pack it’ll carry enough supplies for 5 days if you need it too. For the price and quality it one of the best things on the market right now.

I don't have a lot of experience with multiple packs, but this one is great. I love all the places you can hook things onto. Camp shoes, camp mug, etc etc. I went in and got it fitted and sized to me which made a big difference. Would recommend that if you can unless you already know all about packs. I initially was wearing it incorrectly, but got it fixed up.

This is an excellent pack that was ruined for me by one flaw ~ The chest strap pops off after a while and then will continue to pop off in shorter intervals until it has lost all ability to function. Without this clamp holding the shoulder straps together (image), the shoulder straps pull more outward and allow the pack to move around, creaing friction on the front of the shoulders. You also lose a guide for your hydration tube... Friction was a problem for me in Coyote Gulch/Dry Fork as so much of it was not hiking "upright" and the shoulder straps moved around while leaning, crawling, etc. Synching the straps enough to where they did not move was uncomfortable and made puting the pack on difficult because the arm holes were now too small. Every 'dismount/remount' of the pack required losening straps to have enough room to get it back on. Before this became an issue, I found the pack very well made and very well thought out and very comfortable. Rating this is difficult ~ The nyon, the whistle, the pocket for the rain cover, the day pack, etc. ~ this pack definitely is intended to be the best in its class. But I can't wear it again the way that it is. I am going to mark it average because perhaps casual hikers won't have this clamping issue but no, I cannot recommend it to a friend. I have complete faith REI will do me right in fixing this. ~ Happy Trails!

Everything about this bag is actually really great quality and useful except for the sternum straps. I barely walked a quarter mile of the first hike out With this and both sides of the sternum strap popped off. I exchanged this initial bag for another identical bag, but the strap came off the second before I even had the chance to try it on. I want to like this bag because it fits better than my Osprey Exos. I plan on returning this item (again) for a refund this time since it seems like everyone else is having the same problem. I’d suggest this bag otherwise if you don’t really need the sternum strap.

I love this backpacking bag! I have used it 3 times so far, all on multinight backpacking trips in the White Mountains of NH. I have had to carry gear for a cold 15 degree F night so lots of clothes and lots of sleep gear. It fits everything I need and more. The hip pockets are very spacious. The rain cover is perfect especially with the dedicated pocket for it. I would recommend this bag for anyone doing 2+ nights backpacking.

The padding makes this pack comfortable and easy to carry. However, the trade off is decreased ventilation through the back, though the air flow channels between the back padding are large and allows air to move freely. This backpack feels durable and strong which may come at the cost of slightly increased weight. Hipbelt pockets are great- they are deep enough and wide enough to fit a large cell phone. It is also nice that you can move the outer side compression straps to different anchor points. The one gripe I have about this pack is that there is no side/front access to the main compartment. At the price point, one may expect this feature.

This was my first backpacking pack. I got it in the store and the staff were very helpful in fitting the pack to my body. I took it 250 miles on the AT and it was incredible, super comfortable and held a bunch (probably too much) stuff. Next pack I get is going to be smaller, simply so I force myself to pack less, but even when the REI Co-op Traverse 60 Pack was packed tight and heavy it was comfortable because of the design and the padding. I'd prefer this pack over something lighter with less padding any day; the little bit of extra weight was definitely worth it for me. If you're looking for a high quality, comfortable pack at a good price, definitely check this one out!

Went to local REI store and was fitted for this pack. Great color, cool design, excellent features. Brought the pack home to load it up with my gear (25lbs worth of clothes, tent, sleeping bag, food) and as soon as buckled the sternum strap..... 'booyooyoing' went the chest strap!! Spent the next 10 minutes giving myself carpal tunnel syndrome trying to finagle the clip back onto the railing until it slid back on. Figured it might be a one-off occurence so I tried putting the pack back on and... you guessed it.. sternum strap failure. Unfortunately, without a RELIABLE, durable, functioning chest strap this pack can't perform as it was intended. 5 stars for customer service. 1 star for pack.

This pack is a tank. My friend threw it off portions of the Grand Tetons while descending and it has no rips or tears. Would recommend for any beginner backpacker. You can remove the brain and the additional buckles to lighten the load. The lower angled mesh water bottle pocket design are probably the best I have seen on a backpack; they allow you to much more easily grab your bottle and drink when on the move. The daisy chain and additional buckles allow you to move the straps around and reconfigure your loadout. Wish they made this in a 40L with the same configuration and 22" height so it could be a proper carryon.

Do you plan a weekend in the wood or a week-long backpacking trip? For the last three weeks, I have used the REI Traverse 60 pack (men’s size L) to haul anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds during weekend hikes and multi-day backpacking outings. Overall, the pack is well-built and offers a lot of options to adjust for a good custom fit. Instructions to adjust the pack fresh out of the box are included and pretty intuitive. Weight-wise, the extra straps and sturdy frame don’t exactly make this the lightest pack but unless you want to go ultralight, you get a lot of hauling capacity for reasonable pack weight. The pack offers additional flexibility - the brain is removable and has a built-in hip strap to take along some of the essentials during a day trip from basecamp without having to carry the entire pack. Nicely tugged away, the pack also has a separate storage pocket on the lower side for the rain cover (included). It also features an internal compartment for your drinking bladder and a dedicate opening on the upper side of the pack to run the drinking hose over your shoulder. Important to me when carrying heavy loads, the pack features a very supportive and versatile hip belt. Extra storage pouches on each side allow for secure storage of the “essentials” - keys, snacks, cell phones and other smaller items that you want to have within reach at all times. In summary, I really like the pack. It is functional and offers plenty of comfort and storage volume for a multi-day trip into the woods. Definitely looking forward to many more trips with this one.