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Mountain Hardwear Kanza 55

rated 4.0 of 5 stars
photo: Mountain Hardwear Kanza 55 weekend pack (50-69l)

Good pack for 2-3 day backpacking. Lightweight and durable. Internal frame, hydration bag, and day pack over.

Pros

  • Light
  • Simple design

Cons

  • No way to access things at the bottom so pack smart.
  • Trekking pole and tool loops are about useless.

I've had this bag for about 6 months now and have taken it on 3 separate camping trips. I'm a large guy and pack larger gear like a 3-man tent, wide sleeping bag, and have larger cloths. I can easily get a 3 day hike and camp in this bag.  

It is a tube bag meaning you have one way to put items in the bag. If it's in the bottom you have to pull all the stuff out to get at it so pack smart. That said, it is a tough bag. It has a good design to lock down your load and includes the removable day pouch that I use for must get at items like first aid kit and toiletries.

I wish the waist belt was larger on this bag, but then again I am a large man pushing 300 lbs with a gut. The internal frame is nice and makes long hikes easy.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $110

Great, lightweight pack that replaces a 20-year-old much larger Kelty pack. Just found that most of my trips are 3-5 days rather than the 8-10 day trips I used to do.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Lots of pockets, and room to expand
  • Great size for a variety of trips

Cons

  • Newer lightweight packs don't seem to hold up as well long term

I am 6' tall and 180 lbs. I have used this pack only a few times on multiday backpacking trips. So far it has held up well. 

Pack fits well with all the normal adjustments. Sternum strap has a bungee which is nice, but I wonder how long before the elastic wears out. Capacity seems accurate with plenty of pockets and an expansion collar.

One of the things I had to figure out is that the hood needs to be unclipped and flipped front to back when using the expanded collar, which is a great solution, but not intuitive at first glance. Would have liked a way to use the hood as a day pack.

Source: bought via a "pro deal"
Price Paid: $100

This has to be one of the most comfortable and versatile packs I've owned.

Pros

  • comfortable
  • large capacity
  • lots of lashing points

Cons

  • odd ice axe/trekking pole cary

Sized well enough for a weekend or a few days, this pack has many lashing points for external gear. In my case I was looking for a pack that could easily carry snowshoes. The side compression straps loop through the inside of the crampon pouch, or can be pulled out to run on the outside of the pack for lashing points. The hip belt is just the right thickness and padding to be comfortable as well as flexible for long trips.

The only downside is the ice axe/trekking pole holder runs almost diagonal across the pack. It makes it a little bit difficult to get off without taking the pack off.  

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $200

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Specs

Medium Large
Price MSRP: $175.00
Historic Range: $114.94-$230.00
Reviewers Paid: $100.00-$200.00
Weight 3 lb 2 oz / 1.42 kg 3 lb 5 oz / 1.50 kg -
Capacity 3350 cu in / 55 L 3650 cu in / 60 L -
Dimensions - 30 in X 15 in X 14 in / 76 cm X 38 cm X 36 cm -
Waist Range 30 in - 35 in / 76 cm - 89 cm - -
Torso Range 17.0 in. - 20.0 in. / 43 cm - 51 cm 19.5 in. - 22.5 in. / 50 cm - 57 cm -
Materials 100D HT Ripstop Dobby Nylon, 420D HD Nylon 100D HT Ripstop Dobby Nylon, 420D HD Nylon -
Product Details from Mountain Hardwear »

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