User Review: Kelty Red Cloud 5000

Kelty Red Cloud 5000
Above: The current Red Cloud 5000, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed May 13, 2006 by Stephanie In Cincinnati

Rating:
Design: front loading...but with several ways to load it
Size: 5000
Number of Pockets: 5? plus inside main organizer
Max. Load Carried: 20lbs ( i carry the bulk of my water in canteens)
Height of Owner: 5' 7"
Price Paid: $139 plus shipping

This is a great backpack. I am a 31-year-old woman and I have been backpacking for about 15 years. I used to carry the old men's external frame that my dad got me at a garage sale in my teens, then I got a women's external frame and thought... wow!... There really is a difference between men's and women's backpacks. This one doesn't bounce against my tail bone like the men's did.

So I started trying on different women's internal frame backpacks and fell in love with the Kelty Shadow's (3500?) feel. BUT it doesn't offer a sleeping bag compartment like I wanted and a friend talked me into getting more cubic inches (5000 instead of 3500) since I have a 3-year-old who backpacks with us, and I now need more room to store his food too.

This is the first backpack I have owned that I don't have to overstuff. In fact I have room left over. Everything has a place and it fits nicely. The frame can also be bent to your personal spinal curves, and it is of course adjustable like all of the new internal frames mostly are. It is so comfortable, the other day I wore it while doing chores to get used to it, and practically forgot it was on my back. It does not put pressure on my shoulders like the old ones did, but distributes everything nicely. My mom who is only 5' 2" (5 inches shorter than I) tried mine on and was surprised at how comfy it was. It is about 5lbs 13 oz.

I am very happy with it, and it is well worth purschasing especially since Kelty keeps it at an affordable price.

If I could change anything I might shoot to make it around 2 or 3 lbs with some kind of fancy space age frame like some have...but then they would probably charge more...so that is more of a personal thing for me... I am always oz. shaving now that I have kid food/gear to carry.

Very nice backpack overall.

-Stephanie in Cincinnati