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Equinox Katahdin Field Report
Tester Bio
Name: Evan Cornell
Age: 14
Gender: Male
Height: 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters)
Weight: 105 pounds (47.5 kilograms)
Email Address: llenrocnave AT backpacker DOT com
City, State, and Country: Milan, Ohio, U.S.
Date: August 13, 2004
Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking about a year and a half (fall of 2002), and have been taking weekend and weeklong trips. I am involved in at least one weekend outdoor activity a month through Scouting. I like my pack to be as light as I can make it, but don't consider myself as a minimalist yet. I am in the process of refining my backpacking system, downsizing and simplifying. I am learning to use a tarp, and making my own gear when possible. I am well on my way to falling under the category of ultralight backpacker. I normally hike with my scout troop in Ohio, where the temperature is in the range of up to 90 F (32 C) in the summer, and down to 0 F (-18 C) in winter.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Equinox Ltd.
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Manufacturers website: http://www.equinoxltd.com
Listed Weight: 1 lb 6 oz (0.62 kg)
Weight as Delivered: 1 lb 8 oz (0.68 kg)
Manufacturers stated capacity: 3350 cu in (55 L)
Product Description: The Katahdin Equinox is an ultralighter's dream pack. It is much lighter than most other "heavy-duty" packs, and it has a pretty large capacity. The main body fabric is "sil-nylon" which is blue, and feels very slippery. The fabric has proven water-resistant, but not totally water proof. The bottom and sides of the pack is made of a heavier ripstop nylon, the color black, which is more durable than the main body fabric. Of course, as with any pack, good treatment of the pack will extend the usable life of the pack. The lower back panel of the Katahdin is a soft, black, fabric slot through which the waistbelt passes. The upper back panel is a heavy black mesh to enhance ventilation of the back. The waistbelt of the Katahdin is removable, and is connected by the side stabilizing straps (which I will explain later) and a large square of a hook and loop closure. The inside of the waistbelt is covered in the same material that is on the lower back panel, and the outside of the belt is the same material as the bottom of the pack. The belt is secured by a large black webbing belt with a large plastic clip. The side stabilizing straps are set up in a V configuration, and are made from black webbing. The shoulder straps have the same material as the waistbelt, and are constructed with a strip of black webbing along the length of the shoulder strap. On this vertical strap is a sternum strap, which prevents the pack from swaying side to side is one is walking. The shoulder straps are connected to the pack at the bottom by a black webbing strap with a plastic slider to adjust the length of the strap. The shoulder strap is connected directly to the top of the pack with a heavy reinforcement patch on the heavy mesh back panel. The vertical line of webbing on the shoulder strap connects above the main attachment of the shoulder strap to form what are known as load-lifter straps. On the reinforcement of the shoulder strap attachments, there is a loop of webbing to lift the pack with. On each side of the pack, down near the waistbelt, there is a mesh pocket closed with a toggle and elastic cord. This pocket is meant for a water bottle, or other small items that need to be kept handy. On both side panels of heavier ripstop nylon, there is a zipper pocket, small enough for a energy bar or multi-tool. The main body of the pack is closed by a toggle and cord, and there is no lid pocket. Along the front of the pack connected to the side panels, there are three webbing compression straps to help the load be compressed to have a smaller, convenient pack to carry. Also, on the body fabric, there is a patch that says "Equinox, made in Williamsport, PA". There is no frame on the Katahdin, so a rolled up sleeping pad or careful packing is necessary to ensure a comfortable load to carry.
Field Information
I have had a couple of chances to use the Katahdin, one of which being a three week vacation to the Southwest of the United States. The trip was by car and the final destination was Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim. Most of the trip, I stayed in hotels, but about a week of the vacation was camping. As I was with my family, there was no overnight backpacking (sigh!), but I did use the pack on a few dayhikes. The weather during these dayhikes was beautiful, and as I was at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, most of the area was ponderosa pine forest. This forest made the trip very comfortable, with daytime temperatures at about 75 F (23.89 C) and nighttime temperatures at about a cool 60 F (15.56 C). It did not rain during this trip so I did not get to test the water protection capabilities of the pack. I did, however, test the comfort of the pack on some long dayhikes. The Widforss trail was about 10 miles (16.10 kilometers) roundtrip, and led to a beautiful overlook of the canyon. The terrain, for being right next to the Grand Canyon, was surprisingly flat. There were a few ridges and valleys to cross, but no major grades. I carried the loaded pack, which was about 18 pounds (8.16 kilograms) and my camera gear, which is about 2 pounds (.91 kilograms) extra. Even though no overnight backcountry camping was done, the pack was worn during the dayhikes. The pack was very comfortable while hiking, sporting a cushy, yet light, waistbelt, and wide shoulder straps. With a 3/4 inch (1.91 centimeters) thick closed cell sleeping pad, the pack works very well without a frame. I did not mind the lack of a dedicated frame, as I can make do without. I did not journey into the depths of the canyon, as that would have been a multi-day trek, which there was no time for.
The other big adventure I had during the test period was a week long summer camp, which is always a fun event. Camp Avery-Hand is located near Mansfield, Ohio, which is in north-central Ohio. That area is rather flat with a few hills, but like the majority of Ohio, the major worry while camping or backpacking is rain and storms. The summer daytime temperatures are around 80 F (26.67 C), and nighttime temperatures around 65 F (18.33 C). On the first day, as the troop and I were checking in, it started raining very heavily. All our gear was outside on the ground, right outside the check-in building. My Katahdin pack was lying on the ground, the shoulder strap side facing the ground. When I realized it was starting to rain, I put on the pack, not only to keep it off the muddy ground, but to test the water resisting qualities of the pack. The main compartment is closed by a simple drawcord, by no means waterproof in a heavy downpour, but it can be cinched quite tightly. I had lined the entire pack on the inside with a large plastic trash bag to keep the water from soaking my gear through the seams and top opening. The trashbag was just rolled and folded over in the pack, again, by no means water submersible, but it did keep the rain out of my gear. After about fifteen minutes in the downpour, I went into the check-in building and set my pack down, like almost all the other scouts were doing. The Scoutmaster then decided the rain had let up enough to hike to our campsite, which was about .25 miles (.40 kilometers) away. The rain had let up some, but we were also hiking in a hardwood forest, so water was also dripping from the trees. When we got to the campsites, the big canvas wall tents were already set up by the camp staff. I dumped my stuff down in one of the tents, and started unpacking. I discovered that all of my gear was perfectly dry, excepting, of course, the exterior of the Katahdin. Even though the drawstring closure was just cinched tightly, it still kept out all of the rain. I did appreciate the zipper and mesh pockets on both sides of the pack, as it did help to organize the small stuff. I did not mind the lack of other internal compartments, as I can do without. The rest of the week was mostly walking around with a daypack, and I didn't use the Katahdin again, except when hiking out to leave the camp.
Pros and Cons/Summary
Pros
- Waterproof if used with a trash bag liner
- Light weight
- Comfortable to wear
Cons
- Shoulder straps are a bit too wide
Overall, on both the big trips I took during the test period, I was pleased with the Katahdin's performance. I pack light, because I don't like to carry a lot of weight, and the Katahdin complements my gear system nicely. Again, thank you Equinox, and BGT for the chance to test the Equinox Katahdin.
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