REI Venturi 40 Pack
Tested By Pat
McNeilly
Initial Report: June 17, 2008
Field Report: Augsut 31, 2008
Long-Term
Report: October 24, 2008
Name: Pat McNeilly
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 8” (1.7 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Torso length: 18.5 in (47 cm)
Email address: mcne4752 at yahoo dot com
City, State, Country: Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Backpacking Background:
I have been hiking for at least 20 years but backpacking for only the last five
years. Most of my backpacking is done as
overnight trips and occasional weekend and weeklong trips. My typical packweight
is approximately 18 to 20 lb (8 to 9 kg) before food or water. Most of my backpacking is the three season
variety in the mountains of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West
Virginia. In addition to backpacking, I
also fish, hunt, and have been involved in disaster relief. As a result, some of my backpacking equipment
gets used in a number of different venues.
Product Information:
Product: Venturi 40 Pack
Manufacturer: Recreational Equipment,
Inc. (REI)
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Color: Redstone/Granite
Size: Large
Volume: 2634 cu in (43 L)
Torso sizes: 18–20 in (46-51 cm)
Weight (listed): 2 lb 13 oz (1.28 kg)
Weight (measured): 2 lb 13 oz (1.28 kg)
URL: http://www.rei.com/.
MSRP: $129.00 USD
Initial
Report
Report Date: June 17, 2008
Product Description:
The REI Venturi Pack is a lightweight, top-loading,
weather resistant backpack. The pack is
constructed using a water resistant nylon fabric. The pack utilizes an hourglass shaped tubular
aluminum frame and a tensioned mesh back panel which allows for airflow between
the wearer’s back and the pack. The pack’s
hip belt and shoulder straps are constructed from perforated foam to allow for
lighter weight and breathability. The shoulder straps are contoured to allow
for a better fit. The pack also includes
load lifter straps and lumbar stabilizer straps to help control the load.
The pack has a floating lid which includes a 14 in (35 cm) water resistant
zipper. The underside of lid has a 10 in
(25 cm) zippered map pocket which inside includes a small strap and mitten hook
for securing items such as keys. The top
of the lid also features four small webbing loops for lashing items to the top
of the pack.
The hip belt has two mesh pockets which measure 4 x 6.5 in (10 x 16 cm). The pack also includes two pockets on the
front of the pack. [When referring to
the front and back of the pack, my convention is that the back is the side with
the shoulder straps] One pocket has a
horizontal 9 in (23 cm) zipper and measures approximately 8.5 x 12 in (22 x 31
cm) and sits underneath the lid when the pack is closed. The second pocket has a vertical 13 in (33
cm) water resistant zipper and measures 12 x 17 in (22 x 43 cm). There are also two mesh water bottle pockets
on either side of the pack which appear to be large enough to hold a 1 qt (1 L)
bottle.
There are two tool loops located on the bottom front of the pack. Located 13 in (33 cm) higher up and in-line
with the tool loops are two bungee lash straps for securing tools or trekking
poles. There are also two side
compression straps on either side approximately 14 in (35 cm) from the bottom
of the pack for securing incomplete loads.
The Venturi Pack is also hydration compatible and
includes a hydration sleeve inside the pack, as well as the ability to place a
hydration reservoir in the space between the frame and the mesh back
panel. The latter would free up space
inside the pack should that be necessary.
Product Review:
Upon
arrival, the Venturi Pack looked just as it was
described on the REI website. There were
two things that I immediately noticed when initially handling this pack. The first was that it seemed to be very
light. I was not surprised when it
weighed in at under 3 lb (1.4 kg). The second this was that it seemed very
large. The pack is described on the
website as a daypack but looks much larger than what I would typically use for
a dayhike, particularly on a solo hike in the
summer. Of course, I immediately
wondered how much stuff this thing would hold and began throwing equipment
inside. After putting most of my typical
equipment in the main compartment (i.e., sleeping bag, tent, sleeping
pad) I still had plenty of room for more equipment and hadn’t even touched any
of the other pockets.
The construction of the pack appears to be quite good. I have not noticed any problems with the
seams and all the zippers operate smoothly.
The pack fabric does feel as though it has been treated for water
resistance but the seams are not sealed, as far as I can tell. I will want to monitor how water resistant
the pack is.
As with many packs, there seem to be straps everywhere. The Venturi Pack
does have the typical complement of straps including load lifters, lumbar
stabilization, side compression, sternum strap, and floating lid straps. All these seemed to be in their typical
locations and well attached. I did
notice that while I was inspecting and playing around with the pack that the
lid flopped around more than expected and I noticed that two straps just above
the shoulder straps which hold the lid on kept sliding out of their
buckles. This may be due to them being
new and not having been cinched down much before. They were easily reattached but I will keep
an eye on this during the test period.
I next wanted to put the pack on and test for fit. I loaded the pack with approximately 15 lb
(6.8 kg) of gear and tried it out. Once
the pack was on, I noticed that there is a small foam pad located at the base
of the pack in the lumbar area. I could
feel this as a firm block in my lower back.
This was not uncomfortable but it was noticeable because there was no
other padding against my back, only the mesh back panel. The pack seemed to fit well and felt slightly
stiffer than the internal frame packs I usually use. I noticed that I felt the need to pull the
shoulder strap adjustments very far down to get a comfortable fit. This left the straps dangling at my sides
much more than I am used to. It also
seemed that I needed to pull the sternum strap up as far as it would go to be
in a comfortable location. After further
inspection of the Venturi Pack, it does not appear
that there is any adjustment that can be made to the suspension and that
differences in torso length are dealt with by adjusting the shoulder
straps. I am on the short end of the
torso size for this pack which might explain some of these aberrations. In any event, the pack does fit and I do not
expect these things to be problems (but time will tell).
The
pack has a hydration sleeve and located just above the sleeve are two mitten
hooks to secure a bladder and a small webbing loop with which to thread
hydration tubing through. There is also
a zipper located on the inside of the pack just above the hydration sleeve
which when opened reveals two additional mitten hooks and a webbing loop
inside. These appear to be for securing
a hydration bladder between the pack frame and the mesh back panel (although
there are not instructions to indicate this).
I had a hard time inserting my hand through this zippered opening and
wondered how I would get a full bladder through it. I then realized that a bladder would likely
have to be fed through the side of the pack and secured through the zippered
opening.
The pockets of the pack are worth noting.
The two mesh pockets on the hip belt are easily accessible but seem a
bit small. They will hold snacks and
small items. I was able to put my
digital camera in the pockets but it was a tight fit. The other pockets on the outside of the pack
that will be exposed to the elements have water resistant zippers which operate
quite smoothly. The horizontal zippered
pocket on the front of the pack does not have a water resistant zipper. It appears that this pocket is intended to be
covered by the pack’s lid and should not be directly exposed to rain, etc. I’m not sure how this might work if items are
stuffed under the lid, but I will keep an eye on that. The side water bottle pockets appear to be of
good size but I did note that I had a difficult time trying to put a water
bottle in the pocket while wearing the pack.
Field Report
Report Date: August 31, 2008
Field
Conditions:
Over the past two months, I have used the Venturi
Pack on five dayhikes and on an overnight trip in
central Maryland. I also brought the pack along on a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National
Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. This trip only involved day hiking rather
than backpacking. The distances covered
were all between 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km) on maintained trails with
elevations ranging from 300 to 6000 ft (90 to 1830 m). The weather conditions this summer have
been very nice and I have been hiking in temperatures between 65 to 95 F (18 to
35 C). The humidity has also been lower
this year and only once did I hike in high humidity conditions. I encountered rain on only one of these
hikes, and that was only light to moderate.
Product Review:
I have been enjoying hiking with this pack.
I have not seen any problems with the construction of the pack. The seams appear to be holding well and all
of the straps and zippers are operating smoothly. I have not noticed any slippage of the straps
as I mentioned in my Initial Report.
As I mentioned in my Initial Report, the pack seems very
large and I find that I can load lots of gear in it. It seems to me as though I have a hard time
filling it with gear. I have found
myself questioning whether the volume calculation for the pack is correct. Quick calculations with a tape measure
suggested that I was wrong. I must be
significantly lightening my typical load.
The volume is perfectly adequate for me to do an overnight or a weekend
trip. It has also worked very well when
hiking with my family in the Smokies where I would
tend to carry gear for everyone.
I was initially concerned about how much weight could be easily carried with
the Venturi Pack.
I took two separate hikes, one where I carried approximately 20 lb (9
kg) and another carrying approximately 30 lb (14 kg). I found that the lighter load could be carried
without any problem. The pack also did
well with the 30 lb (14 kg) load. There
was good weight transfer from the frame to the hips but I could feel the
aluminum frame straining somewhat with that much weight. I would say that I would not want to carry
more than 35 lb (16 kg) with the Venturi Pack. I would also note that in order to fit 30 lb
(14 kg) into the pack required that I fit my hydration bladder between the mesh
and frame of the pack. The bladder took
up too much room inside the pack for that much gear.
Speaking
of the using a hydration bladder, I found that trying to hook a hydration
bladder to the mitten hooks located on the inside of the pack was very
difficult. Removing the bladder from the
mitten hooks proved even more difficult.
I found it impossible to do this if the pack was full. I found that I needed to attach small loops
of cord to my hydration bladder to make attaching the mitten hooks even a bit
easier. I’m not sure why they included
the mitten hooks since the sleeve for the hydration bladder does an adequate
job of holding the bladder in place inside the pack. Trying to attach a full bladder between the
mesh and the pack frame is an even more difficult prospect. There is almost no way to fit my hands through
the zippered section located at the top of the pack (and I have relatively
small hands) to grasp the mitten hooks.
This is so difficult that I will only use this configuration when I
absolutely have to. Lastly, since the
hydration port of the pack is located in the center of the pack, as opposed to
either side of the pack, the tubing tends to come straight out of the
port. I found that unless I threaded the
hydration tubing through the loops on the shoulder strap in just the right way,
the tubing would hit me in the back of the neck.
I have found the hip belt and shoulder straps to be very comfortable. One thing that I did note is that to secure
the pack around my waist (especially with a heavy load) I needed to pull the
hip belt just about as small as it could go.
I have a 32 in (81 cm) waist and felt that if I happen to loose any more
weight I would not be able to cinch the belt tight. This could be an issue for thin people (at
least thinner than me). The pockets
located on the hip belt are very handy for keeping snacks or a small
camera. I do get concerned about dirt
and moisture getting into these pockets when the pack is on the ground since
they are mesh, especially when I have my camera in the pocket.
It is hard to tell whether the perforated foam on the hip belt and shoulder
straps keep me any cooler than any other type material. There certainly is no escaping sweating in
the mid-Atlantic in the summer. The
mesh back panel does tend to keep me cooler though. I can feel breezes through the space between
the mesh and the frame. However, that
airflow was significantly impeded when I placed a hydration bladder in that
space. This left me feeling warmer and
with a sweaty back.
I have not encountered much in the way of rain on my hikes. The one hike where there was a light rain I
did not notice that any of the gear inside the pack had gotten wet. I was particularly interested in seeing if
items in the vertical pocket on the front of the pack remained dry. I had anticipated this and placed some dry
bandanas in this pocket before hiking that day.
These items were dry as a bone after the hike. It wasn’t a hurricane by any means but did
leave me with the feeling that items would stay reasonably dry.
A couple of last items that I wanted to mention involve some of the pockets on
the pack. I found that if the pack was
very full the side water bottle pockets were almost impossible to access while
wearing the pack. I might be able to get
the water bottle out but I would not be able to get it back in without removing
the pack. This was not as much of a
problem if the pack was only partially full.
The pockets are rather high up and I do have difficulty with them but I
could get things in and out. I have used
the pocket on the underside of the lid for storing certain items like
maps. There is a mitten hook inside this
pocket for securing keys. I do use this
feature but always feel as if the keys might fall out. I have never had this happen but would feel
more at ease if the hook was not on the underside of the lid.
Long-Term Report
Report Date: October 24, 2008
Field Conditions:
The Venturi Pack received a little less use during
this phase of testing than I expected. I
used pack on two weekend trips, one in western Maryland and the other on the Assateague
Island National Seashore. In addition, I
used the pack on three day hikes all here in central Maryland.
The elevations for the trips were from sea level (quite literally) to
1500 ft (457 m). The distances covered
were rather modest of between 5 to12 miles (8 to 19 km). I encountered a variety of trail conditions
which ranged from loose beach sand to well maintained, rocky trails. The temperatures ranged from 45 to 85 F (7 to
29 C). I did not run into much in the
way of precipitation, other than maybe some heavy dew overnight but no real
rain to speak of.
Product Review:
The REI Venturi Pack has held up well over the
testing period. I have not had any
problems with the materials of the pack.
The fabric seems to have held up well to abrasion, even on the bottom of
the pack. The point at which the frame
runs along the bottom of the pack appears to take the most abuse but even this
does not show signs of excessive wear.
The hip belt and shoulder straps also remain in good shape.
The pack’s zippers are working smoothly, even after encounters with sand. Although I did not encounter much
precipitation while using the pack, I did fill the pack with gear and some
towels and then hose it down in my yard.
I used what I might consider a moderate flow of water, similar to what I
might expect from a good rain shower. The
items in the pockets with water resistant zippers seemed to stay dry, but I did
notice that some water entered the main compartment. The gear wasn’t totally soaked but things
were wet. This is about what I expected
and would likely be seen with most any pack.
There is a horizontal pocket which is typically covered by the pack’s
lid. The lid prevented water from
entering this pocket, even though it does not have a water resistant zipper.
The pack is a bit too large for dayhikes,
particularly in warm weather. The
compression straps are able to cinch things down pretty well, but the lid tends
to feel floppy when the pack isn’t full.
This is certainly not a show stopper but is sometimes a little
annoying. On one hike, I did remove the
lid entirely to see if I noticed any difference without it. The side compression straps were able to
secure the load, which was only about 6 to 8 lb (3 to 4 kg), adequately. I did not find there to be any problem
without the lid and it eliminated any sensation of the lid flopping about.
After using the Venturi Pack for four months, one
thing that I keep wishing for are some extra lashing points on the body of the
pack. The tool loops and bungee lash
straps work very well, particularly for tall items, like trekking poles. However, when I want to attach an odd shaped
item, such as a sleeping pad, I have problems finding a good attachment
point. This isn’t much of a problem on a
dayhike because the pack volume is so large, but on
overnights and weekends this is more of an issue.
Summary:
The REI Venturi 40 Pack appears to be a well made,
light weight pack constructed with weather resistant materials. This pack utilizes a tubular aluminum frame
with a nylon mesh back panel which is comfortable, at least with light loads. The pack has plenty of capacity for a dayhike and appears to be ample enough for overnight and
weekend trips. The Venturi
Pack has plenty of pockets for organizing gear while on the trail. The pack is
hydration compatible but attaching reservoirs and routing the tubing can be
difficult. Although the pack is
comfortable and can accommodate a range of torso lengths, it is somewhat
limited in the adjustment which can be made to the suspension. Tall items can be easily attached but the
pack has few additional lashing points for odd shaped items.
Things I like:
1. Comfortable fit
2. Ample capacity
3. Mesh back panel keeps me cool
Things I don’t like:
1. Hydration attachment
2. Hard to access water bottle pockets
3. Could use some extra lashing points
This concludes my testing of the REI Venturi 40 Pack. I
would like to thank REI and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test
this item.