Customer Reviews

Teton Sports 5200 Internal Frame Backpack

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a nice pack with lots of features. Great for beginners and how can you beat the price? Wow. I should have noted from the other reviewer, that this pack is *small* (he could not get it to fit and he was 6'2"). While capicity is very large, and lots of attachment options exist, the frame is set up for very small people. I am 5'10" and set the pack to the very largest frame setting and still had serious pain carrying the pack when full (45lbs). This pack is truly a woman's or more likely a youth sized pack. On the smallest settings it fits my [...]son perfectly - so I am keeping it for him.

I bought this bag for a 10 day backpacking trip to Europe. I filled the bag to it's max capacity and found that I had packed enough clothing for at least a 15-18 day trip. The bag showed great structural integrity overall and stayed well balanced on my body frame through some long hikes. All the compartments made my belongings easy to organize. Some of the outside straps and clips can be a bit excessive, but I would suggest tying up the slack before you check it in at the airport. They did come in handy when I was on the road. I was able to tie up heavy jackets and even my camera tripod securely. One of the clips on the shoulder straps that is used to secure water bladder tubing snapped in transport; however, it was of little significance to me overall and there is an extra one on the other side. I would definitely recommend this bag if you're looking for one item to hold all your stuff.

I take about one 3 week packpack trip a year. I recently used this for a 3 week stint in SE Asia. It was actually a little bigger than I'd like but it was rather inexpensive for the type of backpack so I gave it a try. Unless you are going to a cold place, you shouldn't need more than 55L. My friend bought the Teton 55L off Amazon and I rather liked it, so I'm buying that one next. I was going to originally get that but Amazon's prices seem to change quite a bit on these backpacks. One week it was $49, next $79, next $69.

PROS:
-It's big. I went there using only about 60% of the capacity. I ended up buying a lot more stuff than I usually do just because I knew I had the space.
-The materials are very good quality. For the price, I was very surprised. I'd guess it would be around $100-$150 if I saw it in the store for the first time.
-Sleeping bag compartment, pretty easy access.

CONS:
-It's HEAVY. I would put it at 6 pounds empty. I was rather irritated when I picked it up. It's the heaviest backpack I've ever picked up.
-The design is really poor. The number of straps and plastic snaps is beyond insane. Not only that, most of the straps are over twice the length you need it to be, even for a large person. There are several I had no clue what they did, like the bottom ones. There are both loops and straps on the bottom of it for an unknown reason. This all adds a ton of weight. In fact, I spent about 3 hours clipping off all the straps and buckles I didn't need or figure out what the purpose was. I also removed the huge, oversized hip pads/straps. I then used industrial glue to redo the straps. I removed nearly 3 pounds from it.
-The 10+ refers to the top being used as a hip bag, there's a rather large, heavy buckle in the top part that you use to strap around your waist. Not only is it awkward to wear, it's the dorkiest looking thing. I'd put it on par with duct-tape and a large zip-lock freezer baggie.
-Water bottle holders are too short, my water kept falling out. I ended up just carrying it in my hand.
-The rain cover in the top is pointless to me. more weight I got rid of. It'd help if you are in a downpour but who treks when it's raining that heavy. Maybe if you're in the woods and can't get decent shelter...or you want to use it to make a temp shelter... For light rain, the material is semi-water resistant. I just sprayed some water-proofer on it before I left and voila, zero weight water resistant.
-The side pockets are useless. I like the ones that actually are compartments. These are just folds that expand out. I could only stick a couple folded shirts in them.
-Material is high quality, however it's also very heavy again adding to the weight
-The top is only held on by plastic buckles, the kind that easily come un-done when check-in'd at the airport. I used metals clasps to secure them for flight. If they come undone, I could easily imagine your contents being dumped all over the tarmac.
-The main compartment's height/width ratio is not good. It's basically a long slender tube. It'd be better to have the widget and depth increased and have it a few inches shorter like most others.
-The main straps that go over the shoulder, which supports the entire bag are nearly ripped apart and I didn't have much weight in it. It can easily be fixed with 'gorilla glue' which I used on other parts as well. There's only a line of stitching on each strap supporting the entire weight. For the most critical, stressed stitch...spend the extra penny to make it more secure.

SUMMARY:
Good for the price. I might suggest it if you are mountain backpacking and are more interested in getting something decent for a cheap price but for backpack traveling, there are a lot better options, even in the $50-$100 range.

Its a good pack but not constructed the best. I had to restitch part of the inside because it was falling apart on arrival and I didn't want that to happen while I was out. The rainjacket works well and came in handy on my first day out. other than a few construction flaws it is a good bag.

I highly recommend this bag for anyone who doesn't yet have the equipment to pack lighter for backpacking trips. It's a fairly heavy bag, but it's built so well, it's really esy to carry. Perfect for beginning backpackers. Probably a good one for highly experienced backpackers going on really long trips. NOT good for ultra-light backpacking, but I don't think there are many of you out there.

I actually had to send this back, however. While it had great features and a great price, it was a little too small for me (in 2 ways). I think the volume was a little small for the week of backpacking I was planning. But more specifically, it only came in one size, and I couldn't adjust it adequately for my height (6'2"). I was sad to send it back, however, because it seemed very nice otherwise.

I purchased this pack for the occasional camping trip and I have absolutely no regrets. Yes, there are alot of little straps and ties, but I'm in the camp of having too many is better than having too few. I am 5'9" and I was good to go without having to make any height adjustments. Despite some concerns from other reviewers regarding comfort, I've found it surprisingly comfortable and wouldn't mind using this to hike-in a few miles fully loaded. I really like the placement for a hydropack, and while the sleeping bag compartment is snug, it works fine. You can also unzip the bottom compartment and just make it one big enclosure if you prefer. I didn't have to use it, but the rain cover is a nice touch. This pack looks, feels, and handles like a much more expensive pack, and especially for this price, I would definitely recommend it to others.

I take about one 3 week packpack trip a year. I recently used this for a 3 week stint in SE Asia. It was actually a little bigger than I'd like but it was rather inexpensive for the type of backpack so I gave it a try. Unless you are going to a cold place, you shouldn't need more than 55L. My friend bought the Teton 55L off Amazon and I rather liked it, so I'm buying that one next. I was going to originally get that but Amazon's prices seem to change quite a bit on these backpacks. One week it was $49, next $79, next $69.

PROS:
-It's big. I went there using only about 60% of the capacity. I ended up buying a lot more stuff than I usually do just because I knew I had the space.
-The materials are very good quality. For the price, I was very surprised. I'd guess it would be around $100-$150 if I saw it in the store for the first time.
-Sleeping bag compartment, pretty easy access.

CONS:
-It's HEAVY. I would put it at 6 pounds empty. I was rather irritated when I picked it up. It's the heaviest backpack I've ever picked up.
-The design is really poor. The number of straps and plastic snaps is beyond insane. Not only that, most of the straps are over twice the length you need it to be, even for a large person. There are several I had no clue what they did, like the bottom ones. There are both loops and straps on the bottom of it for an unknown reason. This all adds a ton of weight. In fact, I spent about 3 hours clipping off all the straps and buckles I didn't need or figure out what the purpose was. I also removed the huge, oversized hip pads/straps. I then used industrial glue to redo the straps. I removed nearly 3 pounds from it.
-The 10+ refers to the top being used as a hip bag, there's a rather large, heavy buckle in the top part that you use to strap around your waist. Not only is it awkward to wear, it's the dorkiest looking thing. I'd put it on par with duct-tape and a large zip-lock freezer baggie.
-Water bottle holders are too short, my water kept falling out. I ended up just carrying it in my hand.
-The rain cover in the top is pointless to me. more weight I got rid of. It'd help if you are in a downpour but who treks when it's raining that heavy. Maybe if you're in the woods and can't get decent shelter...or you want to use it to make a temp shelter... For light rain, the material is semi-water resistant. I just sprayed some water-proofer on it before I left and voila, zero weight water resistant.
-The side pockets are useless. I like the ones that actually are compartments. These are just folds that expand out. I could only stick a couple folded shirts in them.
-Material is high quality, however it's also very heavy again adding to the weight
-The top is only held on by plastic buckles, the kind that easily come un-done when check-in'd at the airport. I used metals clasps to secure them for flight. If they come undone, I could easily imagine your contents being dumped all over the tarmac.
-The main compartment's height/width ratio is not good. It's basically a long slender tube. It'd be better to have the widget and depth increased and have it a few inches shorter like most others.
-The main straps that go over the shoulder, which supports the entire bag are nearly ripped apart and I didn't have much weight in it. It can easily be fixed with 'gorilla glue' which I used on other parts as well. There's only a line of stitching on each strap supporting the entire weight. For the most critical, stressed stitch...spend the extra penny to make it more secure.

SUMMARY:
Good for the price. I might suggest it if you are mountain backpacking and are more interested in getting something decent for a cheap price but for backpack traveling, there are a lot better options, even in the $50-$100 range.

This pack has excellent features and is a great value for the price. I used this bag on a 4 day backpacking trip in Yosemite and it held up extremely well. The fabric is durable and all of the zippers worked out of the box. A lot of people commented that there are an excessive number of straps on this pack, I don't think that's the case at all. If you are packing a lot of gear you'll find that the straps are well designed to keep the load balanced and where you need it to be as you hike the trail. The guys complaining of excessive straps probably aren't packing that much gear to begin with. All I know is that I was completely satisfied by the placement of the pockets, straps, and the durability of the pack. It even stayed dry while hiking in extremely wet conditions (mist trail).

However, if you are over 6' tall this bag may not be for you. I am 6'2" and found the bag to be too small for my torso. As a result, the entire weight of the bag rested on my shoulders regardless of how I adjusted the straps or waist belt. It just wasn't too comfortable under a heavy load. The Teton Sports Explorer 4000 is a smaller pack but is made for longer torso's. I later tried the Explorer 4000 and found it to be very comfortable and would recommend taller folks try that bag instead.

Also, I found Teton Sports customer service to be top notch and extremely responsive.

Overall, you wont find a better pack for the price and I would highly recommend it.

Great capacity, comfortable, and cheap! I like its design: many storage spaces, pockets for hydration system, water bottles, sleeping bag, and straps for sleeping pads, etc.