Customer Reviews

Kelty Pawnee 3300 Backpack

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

 

 

Bought this pack looking for a cheap pack that could do double-duty, handling long day hikes and light weekenders. While it's a nice pack for the price, the adjustability is lacking.

The included instructions (also available on Kelty's website) state that the hip belt buckle should be over your belly button. I find this uncomfortable because the waist belt then pinches the skin above my hip bones. The instructions also claim it has an adjustable hip belt. The hip belt is indeed attached to the pack with Velcro, however the material on the back panel of the bag wraps over the hip belt restricting its up & down adjustability to about 1.5 inches--and you have to fight hard for those 1.5 inches. I'm 6'1", and the bag is simply not long enough for me.

Even if I could get used to the belt height, I couldn't get the aluminum stay that runs along the spine to be comfortable. No matter how much I bent it, it always contacted the middle of my upper back, something that I could tell would be painful even before trying a hike with it.

All that said, I think the problem is simply one of fit on taller people. My 5'4' female hiking partner tried it on, and after about 30 minutes of adjustment (probably undoing everything I had done previously) she has fallen in love with it.

Her only complaint--the mesh water bottle pockets are a bit meager. Standard 1L Nalgene bottles easily slip out. (She has to slip the side compression straps over them to hold them in.)

I'm not sure why there are no reviews for this product. I'm quite happy with it. I was looking for a bag bigger than 3100 cubic inches but not TOO big (under 3600). The Pawnee 3300 fits that niche quite well. It is well made, with nice padding and the standard amount of adjusting straps to help you carry your load with minimal effort. Kelty is a pretty big name after all.

My only complaint is its lack of dedicated pockets. This backpack basically consists of one large vertical pocket with a decent size front pocket. You could use the very top hood part, which is meant to be used to hold your hydration pack, as a third pocket.

Not sure why the previous reviewer is saying this pack isn't good for taller people....I'm 6'2" and this backpack works great for me. Remember that the ideal position for the hip belt is to cover your belly button when it's on. Mine fit perfectly without any adjustments. I was looking in the $200+ range for backpacks....and then I tried this pack on at my local outdoors shop. It was the most comfortable pack I tried on by far! I recently took it on an overnight backpacking trip and it felt amazing. It's light and comfortable, I couldn't believe how much less tired I felt compared to my old external frame pack. It feels slightly more durable to me then some of the ultralight packs I checked out too. Great quality and durability.

Overall the only negatives would be the lack of pockets, and the loss of straps at the bottom of the pack (for tent/sleeping bag) There are loops on the bottom of the pack, so for a few dollars you can buy your own straps and hook them on. I did this and it works great for my tent to strap onto the bottom of the pack. The other thing is the back plate (there's a metal plate that runs on the very back of the pack) you have to adjust. It's very strange that the metal bar would not be covered with at least a small pad or some material. At first this bar was really digging into my back, after about 30 minutes of adjusting it and bending it to fit my back, it felt great. If it feels off, keep adjusting it! Once you get it just right, it will make a world of difference...trust me.

You simply cannot beat this pack for the money, thank you amazon for the killer deal. And thanks Kelty for making top-quality products that you don't have to take out a loan to buy! I love the Kelty brand.