YETI  Skala 40 L Pack - Men's

This is a great pack. I love the hip belt. It’s the added and really supports the weight of the pack. The two pockets on it easily stores phone and snacks. This pack has a top zipper but also can be laid flat and opens like a duffel which is great when looking for things quick on the trail. The buckles are durable and easy to open and close. The front buckle even has a whistle!

Take this review with a grain of salt, as this is my first framed hiking pack. That said, I am extremely happy – it’s relatively light, comfortable, easy to load, the back breathes well, and it distributes weight extremely comfortably.  I tested this pack across hikes, walks, and even bike commuting, all fully loaded with roughly 20–30 pounds of gear, and it got the job done in every environment. I even gave it a brief test with 52 pounds, and the load remained comfortably and evenly distributed across my hips and back.  Sizing-wise, at 5’ 11”, 210 pounds, I ended up using the back harness at its shortest setting and probably could stand a centimeter or two shorter. Much of my height is in my legs though, so more average torso lengths should be fine. Probably worth trying in-store if possible; I likely would’ve ended up with a medium vs large if so.  Goods: *Weight distribution- after two hours hiking with 30 pounds loaded, nearly forgot I was wearing it. I even strapped my spouse into it with 52 pounds loaded – she moved around with ease, despite barely being able to lift it off the floor when not wearing it. *Handy hip pockets – in the photos, that’s my full-size wallet and an iPhone Pro, with plenty of room to spare. Fully accessible while hiking without getting in the way.  *Side pockets both handle a full size Nalgene bottle. *Main zippers open the back wide for easy access. *The water resistance held up to a full rain, with water beading up and none penetrating. *The water bladder pocket holds a 3 liter bladder without issue, and quick release bungie attachments at the end of the sternum straps keep your tube in place (unsure if that’s the intended purpose, but they work!). Bads: *Waist straps are very comfortable, but there does not appear to be any built-in system to manage excess. I have a foot of spare strap hanging on both sides, same as models in the Yeti promotional material.  *Storage top is very handy for tossing loose items in, but it flopped around without the backpack fully loaded, sounding like a canvas sail snapping in the wind just from me walking. Once a sweatshirt was stuffed in there, it was fine.  Neutral: *The Y-zippers make loading a breeze, but also can be tough to close when the pack is fully loaded. My kiddo stuffed a spare jacket inside on a hike without me removing the pack, and was barely able to get closed again without assistance.  Overall, an outstanding pack that I look forward to using for years to come!

Good backpack with support to fit well but it has overly complicated and frustrating zipper/ closures. The pack was well constructed, and easy to adjust. Closing the pack though takes extra effort and the zipper in the middle adds extra weight and complexity without any benefit to me. Just seems like the closure was a feature that somebody thought would be cool but its unneeded and not an improvement, just silly. The pocket at top uses a mesh fabric and I imagine that will nit be very durable over time, but will see. The capacity was great, the adjustments were great, the material was great, but the cost is astronomical for a mediocre pack.

Trekking down the steep ravine path in search of spawning fish, I was glad to have a solid frame and good support of the Yeti Skala 40 L backpack. As a fish biologist, I need to spend time in the woods and streams looking for fish. This creek was small but it had good groundwater flow and supported coho salmon. In the creek, I took off the pack and set it on the ground. The pockets had plenty of space for small items and the main compartment was accessible with the extra zipper and let me easily access a sweater on the bottom of my pack. Fit was easy and this pack carries plenty of weight easily and comfortable. Padding on shoulder straps was thick and comfortable. I recommend this product for hours on and off the trail.

Nice pack. I particularly really like the tri zip opening. The three way zipper makes for very easy access from traditional top only access to being able to unzip all the way to the bottom for complete access the entire height of the pack. The pack’s material seems durable and at least very water resistant if not water proof. The stretchy outer pockets are great now when new, but not sure if they’ll stretch out over time. One con is that there are only four outer attachment points for clipping extra gear. One thing I miss is the traditional top flap where a rope can be draped and secured. Adjustable frame makes for a very comfortable fit.

I bought this for my trip to Hawaii and it was great