Kelty Impact 30

Good day pack, extra light, comfortable and adjustable. Good for a single day of hiking.

The Agile Suspension system on this pack is the highlight of its capabilities. The system is supposed to shift weight off your shoulders and onto your hips. I can honestly say that it works.

I hiked a 9-mile day hike with the family and I carried most of the water and all of the food while barely feeling it. The mesh back panel and HDPE lumbar pads helped to keep the pack away from my back and allowed the air to flow in between. The waist belt was a little higher than I would like and was not really adjustable but it did work well once I tightened it up.

The outer shell is a durable polyester fabric which stood up to abuse of scrambling over rocks and through the brush. The included rain cover is a nice feature although I have not had to use it yet.

Although this pack is listed as "Hydration-compatible" for housing your water bladder I had a tough time putting my Platypus 3.0 Hoser bag into the provided slot. The 'arch' built into the back made it almost impossible to put the filled bladder into the slot.  

There are several zippered pockets on the waist belt and on the outside of the backpack but I would have liked to see a divider or two inside the pack to help organize things better. It lists a bottom sleeping-bag compartment but I have not used that yet, and it looks a bit small for anything but a lightweight bag. The two water bottle pockets on either side of the pack use a stretchy 'spandex' like material, which I like a lot better than the standard mesh that most packs use.  

Overall this is a good lightweight pack that works well for your average day hike.

Great pack for long day hikes.

I use this pack for all day hikes. I also use it for all my winter hiking/snowshoeing trips. The panel loading is great for stuffing bulky items like winter layers and such. The suspension really transfers the load to your hips and keeps your back cool.

The waist belt pockets are large enough for a small camera (or cell phone) and energy bars. The map pocket is nice too. The sleeping bag compartment is way too small for my summer bag but I use it for my emergency kit, so I wouldn't use this pack for an overnight.

Another great feature is the the trekking pole holders and tie down loops on the back (great place for my Microspikes).

I would recommenced this pack for anyone looking for an all day or winter hiking pack.