Customer Reviews

High Sierra Explorer 55 Frame Pack

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased the pack as a extended weekend pack for my 19 year old son. He is 6'0" and weighs 220 lbs. This pack is listed as a 55 Liter pack. It is. It is well made and I will keep it for my wife. When he took it out of the box he tried it on. I looked at the packing materials. It is listed as a slim fit. It is for women and kids. It has a max waist of 32". This is not in the description. I wanted a full sized internal frame pack for him. The brochure that came with the pack clearly shows it as slim fit and lists the proportions. The ad does not. It would be great for youth and women, but I do not feel it is a good fit for adults. It is a good weekend pack and I am keeping it for my wife. The ad needs to show the brochure which clearly show High Sierra packs and who they fit and size.

I bought this pack as a placeholder until I get enough money to buy a more expensive Osprey or Kelty. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised at the durability and comfort of this pack. Being a 55L, it is perfect for weekend excursions. Even with 35+ lbs of gear, this pack rode comfortably and stability was good too. The only complaint I have is it does squeak as you walk along. I noticed another reviewer mentioned this as well, and rest assured it is not just your pack. I don't think it is necessarily a manufacturing flaw--just annoying.

It does have one added bonus that even the more expensive packs sometimes lack. That is a built in rain-cover. There is a small velcro pocket on the underside of the pack that contains a drawstring rain-cover attached by strap and everything. If you get caught in a Summer thunderstorm, just pull the cover out of the pocket, pull it over the pack and tighten the drawstring and you're good to go. This came in useful for me since I got caught in a downpour my first day out.

Other than the squeak, this pack is great in durablity, great in stability, and great in comfort. Definitely worth the price. I would definitely recommend it.

I bought this pack as a "stand-in" for a last-minute 50km weekend trip I just made, and in the longer term for my boys to use. Thus the range of torso size adjustment, durability and price were all important factors for me.
This pack is reasonably well constructed of what appears to be sturdy materials. The shoulder harness adjustment mechanism (a velcro tab that wraps around loops spaced along the pack spine) is not the greatest - it's a little too loose, which means I ended up compensating by tightening the shoulder straps a little more than I'd like. (And perhaps it's just my pack but the harness squeaks as you walk along!) However, considering the price this is a reasonable compromise.

I was looking for a sturdy, well built, and roomy bag for my camping trip and also as an investment as a luggage backpack for all future trips overseas/in the states. I used this for my camping trip and was surprised at how roomy it was and how much it could hold! The straps were more than helpful and I was able to lock my sleeping bag/pillow into place and large water bottle/umbrella on the sides.

Some nice extras this bag has is a bottom compartment for separate items (be it shoes, sleeping bag (mine did not fit!), etc.). A cellphone holder, two straps in the front for poles/axes, a rain fly is in the bottom pocket which you can pull over the bag in case of rain.

Sizing: accordingly the waist size strap for this bag is fit for slim people, I am a slim guy and it fits nicely. The bags with the higher numbers are for regular waist sizes and bigger. The Explorer 55 fits nicely for individuals with a 28" to 31" waist size.

my 5'5" girlfriend uses this pack and she is very very happy with it. we have done two overnight hikes so far and it has held up very well. she wishes it had as many pockets as the long trail 90, but still has room left over for a bunch of water bottles. you might want to get a stuff sack for your sleeping bag, or even get one of the hiking sleeping bags since the sleeping bag area of the pack is a little tight. way stronger packs than either of us thought they would be considering the price.

I purchased this pack for a 3 day, 22-mile backpacking trip in Yosemite. The pack proved to be both reliable and comfortable with 45 pounds of gear stuffed into it. Comes with a spacious main compartment with an additional slot for a water bladder and complimenting guide to thread your mouth-piece through; plus, a lower compartment for a well-compressed sleeping bag is separated by a strong, zippered flap. The numerous straps/loops on the exterior creates almost limitless surface area for additional equipment. Additionally, a hidden pocket on the bottom hides away a sweet water proof cover for the pack in the event of a downpour.

The only real issue I found with this bag was its tenancy to loosen at the hip belt. For some reason, every half-hour or so, I found myself re-tightening the belt. Also, the shoulder harness anchor squeaks a bit.

All in all, for my first pack, I found this piece of equipment to be invaluable in what turned out to be a fantastic weekend backpacking through Yosemite.

Everything on this pack is adjustable! I got it for my boyfriend so he can join me on some backpacking adventures and it is perfect for his size (5'10 and 180lbs), and just about any other size since EVERTHING IS ADJUSTABLE! There's a lot of usable space and it is fairly light (not carbon fiber light, but it's pretty light for the size). The only reason this pack didn't get the five star rating from me is that it's not as light as it could be, but that's sometimes what happens when you use the thicker threading (which is more durable) and put in that back padding that this pack seems to have a lot of. The boyfriend says it is comfortable, so there you have it!

I went backpacking on superior hiking trail in Minnesota. The pack handled great on a four day 22 mile trip. There was plenty of room for all the items needed and additional items could be hung on the outside (such as a sleep mat, which is a must for the back). The shoulder and waist starp could be easily adjusted. If your a small size this pack is deffinetly not for you. I'm 32 and i had to nearly adjuted all the way. The rain tarp which is included came in very handy when heavy rain hit us. The only negative thing about this pack is if more pockets where available. I do recommend this for anyone in the medium size.

I purchased this backpack for a trip to Europe last June. The quality of the materials is great; it does not feel cheap at all. I purchased in blue and I loved the color. I am a small 5'2" woman and weight 135 pounds. I filled up the backpack to its maximum capacity and traveled with it for a month and it held up like a champ!
The little orange hood is great for the rainy days and to keep your backpack protected at the airport and crowded places like trains and metros (no one can open your backpack when the hoody is on it).
The back and waist support are very good and the weight of the backpack is divided between your shoulders and your waist so it does not feel that heavy. The back support has foam and is very comfy and even thought I did sweat a lot, it was never uncomfortable to wear the backpack and it didn't get any funky smell on the fabric or anything. One of the shoulder straps was always getting loose, which was a bit annoying, but I just had to pull down the strap to adjust it again and was good to go.

I am very happy with my purchase, my boyfriend got the 65 one and he is very happy with it too! I am looking forward to my next trip so I can take my backpack with me again!!

Used this bag twice to go camping/hiking. Had all the right pockets to fit all of my gear. The straps were comfortable and there was just enough space for all of my "just in case" items for this weekend trip. Looking back though, it was a tight fit, and maybe the next bigger size would be worth the money.

The only things I did not like about this bag were that there were loose straps everywhere once you got everything strapped in. It looked kind of messy, but it didn't bother me that much since hey, we're going camping, big deal. But I did look at the picture and my bag for awhile trying to figure out how they got it so neat, and mine looked so messy...? Another gripe I had was that the right shoulder strap kept coming loose after about 3 hours of hiking with a full pack. It was pretty annoying and I ended up having to tie a knot so it would not come loose again.

All in all, a good bang for your buck compared to comparable, more expensive bags out there.