Backpacks are like golf clubs. You make your selection based on your size and how far you’re going.
The first part is easy: you get a pack that fits your frame. The second changes constantly, which is why golfers lug around 14 clubs and why it’s not uncommon for hikers to have more than one pack (or two or…don’t go in that closet, honey).
None of this is a problem for billionaire backpackers, of which there must be several. Hikers with fewer resources want a pack that works in more than one scenario. Roomy enough for a multi-day trek, light enough for a weekend outing, sturdy enough to withstand a downpour and the assaults that come from underbrush and inattention.
L.L. Bean’s AT 55 pack qualifies as a good option and an affordable one ($179 MSRP, currently marked down to $155, though last month it was on sale for just $143.20). It’s light (the large size weighs in at 3 lb. 5 oz.) but spacious (3,700 cu. in. or 60 liters).
Over five days in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, it held up nicely: no nicks, no scratches. I have an unsubstantiated suspicion about the popular stretchy Spandura pockets on this pack (and others), but I found them convenient to use and durable. (And my knowledgeable outfitter claims the fabric will hold up for a decade or longer.)
The AT 55 has a few nice features, like the trampoline suspension system, which leaves an open space between pack and back; the ventilation keeps you cool and eliminates the sweat that comes when a pack clings to you like a frightened toddler. There’s an internal sleeve for a bladder and a port for the drinking tube. Side compression straps can be adjusted to tighten down the load.
Otherwise, this a pretty stripped down offering: the shoulder and belt pads are minimal (with perforations to cut weight) and there are no external zippered pockets except the lid and two small ones on the belt. Hikers will probably cram a rain jacket into the large stretch Spandura pocket on the front, then stick a water bottle and food in the side stretch pockets—which means everything else has to be packed into the body of the pack, which means you’ll want to pack carefully before you start off on your day.
Packing is especially challenging if you’re carrying a large bear canister, which I was. Slipping that depth charge into the pack was no challenge, but it took up a lot of the space. That naturally led to a debate about how much pack is needed for a five-day hike. The 3,700 cu. in. AT 55 seems small, even though Bean says it’s designed “for trips of three to five days.” (The company’s on-line buying guide adds to the debate by stating: “You’ll need 5,000+ cu. in. of capacity to carry gear and provisions for an extended hike of five days or more.”) In the end, the lightweight AT 55 turned out to be adequate and it gave me the option of dumping clothes and gear at the campsite and using it as a large-but-not-absurd daypack.
Bottom line: this one is built for speed and some comfort. But going with a simple, light pack doesn’t mean you have to give up durability. The frame is made from 7000-series aluminum; the body uses 210-denier ripstop nylon except for the bottom and the lid-top, which are 600-denier Kodra.
I had only two reservations. First, I missed having a couple of side pockets (for ease of access and organization). Second, and more serious, the upper load lifters/stabilizers kept working loose and needed constant adjustment. A Bean technician suggested that this could indicate incorrect threading through the tension locks (not the case) or a problem with a slip-lock buckle. In any case, making those adjustments on the fly was easy—a couple of tugs on the easy-to-reach straps—but a nuisance.
