Field Conditions (back to top)
Over the Field test period I spent two days in Joshua Tree National Park. The backpack was exposed to the sand, rocks and dirt in camp and was used on one dayhike. On this dayhike I carried a full 2-liter bladder of water in the hydration sleeve as well as some basic supplies and gear. It was warm, in the 70s F (20s C), dry and clear.
I also carried the backpack on 3 dayhikes in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County. This is chaparral territory with a lot of low bushes and rocky terrain. On all hikes it was temperate, in the 60s and 70s F (15-25 C), and dry.
Additionally I used the backpack for some urban use, mainly as a diaper bag to carry all of my daughter's gear. Including on several airline flights.
Field Report (back to top)
I have had a favorable experience with this pack over the test period. The pack contains a plethora of pockets. I prefer to keep things organized and in their place rather than thrown into a large empty cavern so I like these features. The hipbelt pockets are especially useful since they are so easy to access with the pack on. It would be nice if they were slightly larger so they could hold something like a small point and shoot camera, but their smaller size also has benefits. I've found the hydration sleeve to be helpful. I prefer to use a hydration bladder over a standard water bottle on all but the shortest dayhikes so a hydration sleeve is a necessity for me. This one as worked fine. My 2-liter bladder fills the sleeve. The hydration port is perfectly acceptable to me.
The side pockets have worked fine. I probably use these the least out of all of the pockets on this pack. They would be more useful if I carried a water bottle but I prefer to utilize the sleeve. Other than a water bottle, there's no much I want to store here since the pockets are open and items in them are not completely secure. The large expandable pouch on the outside of the pack has been helpful. It's perfect for shoving items in that I might want to get at during a hike (like a long-sleeved shirt or fleece). The pouch is only secured with an adjustable clip but I've found that if I stuff items in and clinch down the clip the items inside are secure. I haven't had any problems with items falling out and I wouldn't expect to encounter any. This was also useful to keep entertainment items for my daughter on hikes, or just in general. I could quickly get to things that she might need quickly without digging around inside the backpack.
The interior pockets are spacious and functional. Typically I use these to store my personal items like keys, wallet, cell phone, etc.. I have plenty of space in the large mesh pocket. The mesh has held up fine so far.
I really like the suspension on this pack. It's very successful at keeping the pack up and off my back. It hasn't been too warm yet so it hasn't gone through too strenuous of a sweaty back test. I look forward to testing this further as it gets warmer here. Thus far, my back has been nice and dry. The pack does still come in contact with me at the shoulder straps and hipbelt so I have had a minor amount of sweatiness there but overall the pack has done significantly better than other packs I've worn.
The pack has held up very well over the test period. I would say it basically looks like it's new still. Dirt seems to wipe off easily and I haven't had to do anything to keep it looking nice. Everything still appears to be in order with no loose seams or anything out of the ordinary.
Long Term
Report
June 15, 2009 |
Field Conditions (back to top)
I carried the backpack on several dayhikes in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County. This is chaparral territory with a lot of low bushes and rocky terrain. On all hikes it was temperate, in the 50s to 70s F (10-25 C), and dry. Additionally I used the backpack for some urban use, mainly as a diaper bag to carry all of my daughter's gear.
Long Term Report (back to top)
There's not much new information to report that I haven't already said. The backpack works well as I previously reported on. I can't find much of anything that I don't really like. In thinking about what to write about for this report, the only drawback I could think of was that the hipbelt sometimes gets in the way when it's not in use. Daypacks don't always carry full loads and often get non-technical use. In these cases, hipbelts aren't necessary. With the Jade, the hipbelts don't easily get out of the way. I've tried clipping the hipbelt buckles behind my back but that doesn't work comfortably. That has to be a very minor nitpick. I would also say that the pluses the suspension adds greatly outweigh this issue and I'd rather have two daypacks in my arsenal rather than give up the suspension this pack offers. I believe I will always reach for this pack in warm and hot weather and for all strenuous hikes at a minimum.
The pack has continued to hold up well over the remainder of the test period. I have literally done nothing to keep it clean or in good shape. This fits my laid back hiking style perfectly. The pack does not show any signs of wear at all.
Summary(back to top)
I love this backpack. It has a lot of features for a daypack and I really enjoying the JetStream DTS Suspension system.
Thank you Gregory and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test this item.
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