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Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 pack > Test Report by Jamie DeBenedetto
Product Information Back to contents
Product Description Back to contents The Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 is a flexible framed daypack designed to accommodate users in both urban and outdoor settings. The pack has several features; working my way from the exterior inward they are:
Arrival Condition and Informational Material The Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 looks to be in perfect working order with all straps, buckles, zippers and clips looking and performing as they should. The fabric inside and out is blemish free and I did not find any loose threads or incomplete stitching. Overall craftsmanship is great. The only informational material was the hang tag conveying typical stuff about the company, specifications, features, warranty, etc. written in six different languages. It's all easy to understand and simply organized. Very helpful information, had I not had access to the webpage, I wouldn't have missed a thing. Using the pack is totally intuitive with regard to its features so there's really no need for any more elaborate paperwork. Expectations and First Impressions Back to contents To begin with, it looks sturdy. I'm anxious to see how well the Duramax nylon shell and bottom holds up to the prickly, brushy and rocky terrain of the Sonoran Desert. It also looks comfortable and I like the color scheme, not very girly but to be perfectly honest I get sick of everything marketed to women in pinks and powder blues so it's a nice change. The pack has two features that already stand out in my mind. One is the height of the side mesh pockets. I was glad to see how much of the Nalgene bottle was actually covered once inside. I'm hoping this means my bottles will stay put. Secondly, I'm most interested in evaluating the Anvil Airway. Going into our hot season we'll see temps well above 100 F (38 C) daily for several months meaning perspiration will happen! On the flipside I'm not used to using a pack without hipbelt pockets. I'm wondering if I'll miss those or if the other small pouches on the bag will make up for their absence. I also noticed both shoulder straps have stretchy cross straps only, intended no doubt to secure the hydration hose. I typically hang my GPS unit from one shoulder strap (for quick access) and I'm concerned this elastic strap isn't going to accommodate this set-up. Finally, I don't have a laptop so the hydration slot will probably only be used to house a reservoir or possibly a sit-pad. I'll be replacing my regular work pack with the Red Rock 25 so I expect to use this pack about four days a week. It will be mainly carrying 1 L of water for me and 3 for the dogs in both plastic water bottles and a 2 L Platypus bladder; human and K9 first-aid, poop bags, dog water bowl, spare leash, 10 Essentials kit, sometimes a lunch, GPS, camera, and foam butt-pad. For extended day trips I will amend the gear list if it's relevant in my future reports.
Since mid-April when the Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 arrived it's been used on
29 day hikes. I've also used the pack while walking through local parks, along
urban washes (or arroyos), and in dog parks 13 times. The majority of these treks
took place
in the Sonoran Desert in or near Phoenix or Cave Creek, Arizona. Elevations range
between 1,500 ft (450 m) and 2,300 ft (700 m). Temperatures fluctuated from the
mid 70'sF (24 C) up to the low 100'sF (39 C). Weather was mostly clear and sunny,
no precipitation. Use time was between one and half and four hours on each outing.
This lack of attachment points has been a challenge for me. I must have my camera and multi-tool in an easily accessible location. I like them to be either on the chest strap or on my shoulder strap which wasn't possible on the Red Rock without getting creative with a small carabineer and a pouch made by another manufacture. The chest strap was easy to adjust and buckle/unbuckle at home but in the field I found it more difficult, especially with gloved hands. Conversely, I found the load lifter handle and all the zippers worked perfectly with my gloved hands. The zippers are very sturdy and there aren't any loose threads anywhere nearby to catch on. Love quality materials! The load lifter handle is an often overlooked feature but not for me! I almost always hang my pack at rest stops, partially because the desert floor is full of stickers and little clingy seeds that want free rides down the trails but mostly because a few of my furry companions are males and they sometimes get wild ideas about property ownership! The Red Rock's handle is robust and the opening is wide enough to accommodate several branch sizes. I'm very pleased with it. I haven't needed to use the daisy chain or the trekking pole loops so I'll have to evaluate those in the last part of the series. I'm also going to save my comments about the Anvil Airway system, the belt strap and the organizer pocket for my Long Term report. I haven't really made up my mind about them yet. Pros and Cons Thus Far Back to contents Aspects I'm pleased with…
Aspects I'm underwhelmed with…
For my final observations please check back in about two months when I'll be
posting my Long Term Report.
Collective Use and Field Conditions Back to contents In the final two months of this test I used the Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 on seven more day hikes to desert mountain or creek areas for a test series total of thirty-six treks. Additionally, I wore it on 14 other outings in local parks and on urban wash paths. Since we are in full blown summer conditions here in Phoenix, AZ (elev. 1,500 ft / 450 m) it's been used in primarily hot, sunny conditions with temperatures in the 100's (37 to 43 C). I did have two exceptions to that where I was hiking in light rain and higher humidity. The temperatures on those two treks were in the low 80's (28 C). Hikes lasted between 1.5 and 4 hours per outing. Long Term Conclusions Back to contents Mountainsmith is synonymous with quality construction so I wasn't surprised to find that the Red Rock is bomber tough. I've hauled it, hung it, scraped it, tossed it, jostled it, and sweat on it several times every week for the last four months and the condition of the material is fabulously unfazed. If I washed off all the dirt and sweat marks it would look brand new. I'm very pleased with the durability of the Duramax nylon. The pack's many features are also quite good. There are plenty of pockets with room for everything I needed and then some. The zippers run clean and can be operated with gloved hands. The stretchy side pockets easily take girthy water bottles and the load lifter handle and hydration port are large enough to actually do what they are designed to do. The Anvil Airway, which serves to ventilate the users back, was another of the packs many positive attributes. I purposely wear a loose wet long sleeve shirt on summer hikes and after years of working outdoors I naturally sweat quite easily so my evaluation is based on general comparison to other packs I've used in these same conditions. Given that, I think the Anvil air chamber does help for two simple reasons: one, I don't recall feeling heat building up along the sections of my back where the pack touches but I do recall feeling air flow at times when there was a strong enough breeze. And second, while my back was still sweaty (can't imagine any way around that in 109 F / 43 C temperatures) I never felt that saturated wet sensation like I used to get with the old book bag I carried in high school. The padding on either side of the airway also gave ample support and protection from objects inside. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no use for the organizer panel or the daisy chain so they didn't really get any testing but the trekking pole loops did come in handy on one occasion. Well, at least one of them did. I tried this feature with one of the MSR poles I own, which telescopes down into three segments and does not have a tip guard or basket. Loading/unloading the pole into/out of the "system" was no problem, an open loop at the bottom of the pack and a hook-and-loop tab hiding behind the load stabilizer straps higher up are the only components. It's a simple system that worked fine to hold the pole in place except when bending over. I had trouble getting the hook-and-loop to tighten down enough on the shaft to keep the pole from slipping. In all, the Red Rock has many commendable qualities, but in my opinion it has two significant flaws that keep it from being a really fantastic dayhiking pack: the hipbelt and the lack of attachment points on the shoulder straps. The manufacturer gave this bag a generous carry capacity of 25 lbs (11 kg), they used quality materials, put them together well, and complimented it all with spacious compartments which makes it easy to carry lots of stuff. Regrettably, I found it to be very uncomfortable to wear for hours of use because the hipbelt does very little to distribute weight off my shoulders. The max I carried was only 15 lbs (7 kg) and I struggled. I can't imagine how unrealistic another 10 lbs (4 kg) would be. I realize they are marketing this as an urban use bag as well so I can totally understand someone in that setting not wanting a more robust hipbelt, perhaps something detachable would address this issue for both types of users. The other underwhelming aspect was the nonexistent attachment options on the shoulder straps. Without hipbelt pockets there is really no where to carry those extra items I routinely need while on the move; things like my GPS unit, camera, multi-tool, etc. which I prefer to carry in a place where they can be reached without having to stop to take the pack off. The two elastic bands on the shoulder straps worked fine to keep a hydration hose in check but were much too flimsy as lash points. Final Thoughts Back to contents If I had to sum up the Red Rock 25 in ten words or less, I'd say it's rugged and roomy with a bit of an identity problem. If conditions call for a sturdy pack that I know will hold whatever I need for a day hike I will certainly consider the Red Rock as a trustworthy option. I don't think it will be my daily go to pack, however, because of the comfort limitations I experienced. My thanks to Backpackgeartest.org and Mountainsmith for giving me the opportunity to be part of this test series. -Jamie J. DeBenedetto - 2013 Read more gear reviews by Jamie DeBenedetto Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Mountainsmith Red Rock 25 pack > Test Report by Jamie DeBenedetto |