Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Ultimate Direction Cohiba > Thomas Peltier > Initial Report

I have been in the outdoors since I was a toddler. My mother introduced me to backpacking when I was in the backpack. I in good turn joined the Boy Scouts to get away from Mom on the weekend hikes. My first backpack trip with the Boy Scouts was down a dirt road to a park and campsite. That was my last trip with the Boy Scouts. Since then I have been backpacking mostly in the Sierra Nevada.

I have been a professional river guide and kayak instructor for the last 11 years; however, I currently work at a family establishment in Bakersfield, California. Working a "Real Job" keeps me away from the outdoors a bit more than I would like. My summers are busy between city work and river guiding. Much of my packing is done on the river in the summer. This has driven me to long winter trips and short summer trips for the last several years. I took up snowshoeing to help get into winter packing. I have found that less is often more in my backpacking and my summer trips I find myself as happy in a pair of Chacos carrying my pocketknife as I do with a heavy pack and big boots.

The Cohiba arrived in a large brown box via UPS. A brochure and the Cohiba backpack were the only contents of the cardboard box. My Cohiba has a Forest green and black color scheme. I slipped the Cohiba on my back and rolled my shoulders around a few times. The Cohiba seemed to fit on my back fine, at least when it's empty. Since the Cohiba seemed to fit me, I headed for the gear closet to add some weight to the equation. After tossing my sleeping bag, cooking kit and a couple of fleeces into the main compartment I slipped the Cohiba back onto my shoulders, buckled the waist belt and started walking around my house. The Cohiba felt comfortable on my back. I noticed while walking around the living room that the Cohiba rides high on my back and is very unrestricted.

The Ultimate Direction Cohiba is a convertible backpack. In addition to the main compartment the Cohiba has three removable compartments; one on each side and one that slides over a beaver tail on the front of the pack.

The Ultimate Design Cohiba harness is unique to me. The Cohiba has a plastic frame sheet much like many other backpacks. It also sports a long plastic dowel across the bottom of the pack. The shoulder straps are connected by a length of webbing that runs around this dowel. The effect is a dynamic shoulder strap system that stays with your shoulders through all sorts of movements. After I poked and prodded around the pack I decided to test the system out. I stuffed the pack with my sleeping bag and cooking gear along with a couple of cans of beans. I then went out in my alley and took a short walk and then a jog. The pack seemed to fit well and stick to my body very nicely. When I returned home I decided to climb the big Fruitless Mulberry tree in the back yard while still wearing the pack. The waist band for the Cohiba is padded nicely and rides fairly high on my hips. I had no trouble at all climbing up into my tree with the Cohiba on my back. I'm looking forward to my first good walk in the Sierra Nevada with this little pack.

The Cohiba rides high on my back and ends high on my hips. It has a very comfortable, snug feel to it when on my back with 15 or 20 pounds (7- 9 kg). The shoulder straps have nice articulation across my chest and I have freedom of movement with my arms. When I role my shoulders over the straps stay right where they belong. I find this pack very comfortable and easy to wear. It took my just a few moments to loosen and adjust the straps. I should also note that the straps all have elastic loops sewn to the ends, so that you can role up any excess webbing and stop it from flapping about. This is a nice feature that helps add sleekness to the backpack. I feel like the pack keeps a clean look without straps flopping about everyplace.

I have left my job in the city and I will be returning to river guiding, at least for the next six months. This will give me the opportunity to spend much of my time in California. I look forward to having many opportunities for overnight hikes in the Southern Sierra Nevada. I expect to spend most of my time hiking between 900 and 8,000 feet (274 - 2438 meters) I expect to have a few opportunities to use the Cohiba in below freezing temperatures but most of the time I expect to hike in the 40 to 90 degree (4.5 to 32 C) range.

Thank you for taking the time to read my report. I'll be back to report on how well the Cohiba performed for me in a few months. Be sure to check back and read my Field and Long Tern Reports real soon.



Thanks Again
Thomas Peltier II

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Ultimate Direction Cohiba > Thomas Peltier > Initial Report