The Packa

Who has experience with this item and what have you heard good or bad. What are your expert opinions?

And what is the Packa? Is that a packable raft, the name sound familiar?

The Packa is a light weight combination pack cover / rain jacket with pit zips, made by a cottage gear maker. I do not have one yet but it is on my list.

http://thepacka.com/

The advantage is that you leave it on your pack, and if it starts raining you simply slip the sleeves out and put the jacket on.

Lots of lightweight hikers like them.

That sounds pretty cool. Good Idea! Wow, just watched the video, that is one neat idea!

Yes Gary, there is supposed to be much better ventilation than a regular rain jacket, thanks to the jacket being spread out around the pack. It also keeps your pack straps from getting wet.

I don't know how it would hold up to bush whacking, but on open trails it should do okay.

And from keeping water down your back. I usually just use a large trash bag inside my pack as a liner to keep everything dry, but most packs are'nt waterproof so my Mtn Hardwear still gets soaked. I have a Sierra Designs Gore-tex rain jacket.

I have a Dana Designs pack cover I got some years ago when I got my Terraplane, from which the Pack clearly borrowed a few ideas. Basically, it is a pack cover sized for the Terraplane or Astralplane with a hood, which prevents the rain down the back problem. Plus it does extend a bit around the sides - doesn't have the sleeves and front zip, though.

One question - from the handling and sound, I would guess that the material of the Packa is a fully waterproof, non-breathable coated nylon.

I did notice that the guy had to fumble a bit with the zipper and caught the zipper part-way up. That is something easily designed around or completely out. So it needs a bit of refinement.

I believe the material is 33D ripstop nylon Ultra-sil. Silicone treated on one side and Polyurethane on the other.

The manufacturer of the Packa is Cedar Tree, you can also get a hold of him over at Hammock Forums dot NET.

Gary,

Ever read Bill Bryson's book about the AT? There's a blurb in there that you reminded me of with your comment about your Mountain Hardware getting wet and using a trash bag.. I too use trash bags to keep the inners of my bag dry, while I take a free shower!

I purchased a packa, haven`t tried it yet but I did purchase the olive green version. So far it is well made and after exchanging the seemingly superflously heavy cords and cordlocks with thinner, smaller and lighter ones it now weighs 10 oz. which seems good as I can use it as parka, rain parka and pack cover and I think I can also configure it to work as a vestibule with my 6x10 sil tarp and M.L.D. solo net tent.

Good for you, let us know what you think after you've had a chance to use it some.

We've added a page for the Packa in our Gear Guide.

I was just asking about a trench coat style rain jacket to replace my poncho with for cold weather hiking (on another forum) and this was recommended to me. My wife and I both liked the video and intend to get one.

Brad, can you tell me how long the jacket is? I am looking for something close to knee length. This doesnt look like it is, but I am not very tall either.

That is a brilliant idea.

I intend to use mine with chaps so thats the first thing i checked when mine arrived, it is below the crotch on me, enough coverage for chaps. Also note that it doesn`t loose any length with backpack coverage like a poncho.

Brad David Orndorff said:

I intend to use mine with chaps so thats the first thing i checked when mine arrived, it is below the crotch on me, enough coverage for chaps. Also note that it doesn`t loose any length with backpack coverage like a poncho.

Thanks Brad, that's helpful.

I almost have to go with a backpack poncho, as I have things hanging off my pack and those covers usually don't work. My pack has a built in cover already and half the time I don't use it. The poncho will drape over everything nicely.

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