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When you need a pack for an extended trip that won’t break your back or your wallet, the Kelty Red Cloud Backpack is where it’s at. In addition to the cavernous main packbag, the lid of the Red Cloud comes off and converts to a hip pack for short side hikes and summit attempts. Two side pockets and a front organizer pocket keep your small essentials at the ready, and the venting back panel, shoulder straps, and hip belt keep you cool on hot summer slogs. The adjustable suspension helps you dial in the perfect fit, and the durable, 600D polyester fabric holds up to the rigors of multi-day mountain excursions.
It's an awesome pack to have...it was the first one I ever bought and still use it regularely. However, if you want to hike through, you may want to consider a smaller pack. You probably won't be carrying a tent for most of the time, will have regular food and water pickups, and will be traveling light. No need to carry a 6lb pack if a lighter one would work
I bought this pack a few years ago and love the way it rides. I used it in Philmont two years ago and plan on using in 2011 when I do the AT. It can be over packed so watch your weight and gearlist.
My personal idea for this pack and the AT is this... you can easily thru-hike the AT with a pack half the size and half the weight. The beauty of the AT is that you have road crossings quite often, which means many different places for re-supplies: grocery stores, post offices, smaller outfitters. You don't need to carry a pack that is this large. Yeah, it's cheap and large, but you'll be wishing you got another pack before you even make it out of Georgia.
My suggestion: one of the more popular packs on the AT would be the Granite Gear Vapor Trail - rides like a king, extremely comfortable, easy to set up and use, and easily large enough for your AT needs:
This pack is very good for any backpacking trip. Plenty of room for all your essentials, comfortable & the price is right. I really like detaching my lid for day hiking. Go for it dude & have a great A.T. trip.
I bought this pack a year ago to use for a trip into the High Sierras. We went to 13k ft. on a trail with lots of vertical and switch backs. The pack handled great . Very comfortable . Lots of room. Great for cold weather trips where you need extra gear . The only draw back is that you could over pack and add weight. Great for extended as well as short trips. Can't say enough about it ...Great buy.
I have the 5600, and I love it. The only flaw I've found in this pack is that the zipper of the sleeping bag compartment tends to get stuck. Anyone with a passion for the ultralight should diregard this pack, as it weighs nearly 6 pounds empty. But if that doesn't concern you, this pack is great. There's enough room to smuggle a small family across the border and the dual openings for hydrations tubes allow easy access whether you're right or left-handed. Multiple outer pockets allow for easy organization, so you'll never forget where you put that flashlight as you're trying to set up camp in the dark. I'm not in the best shape of my life, but I still carried this pack loaded with 30 pounds up steep hills and hardly noticed it was there.
Great suspension, hip belt pockets, a sleeve behind each side pocket allowing you to secure long items easily into the water bottle pockets, front access panel, and tons of ways to compress your load make this my favorite pack I've owned as well as the most budget friendly.
I have the 6650 and have used this on numerous weekend trips (a little overkill), and it has performed wonderfully. I hope to get a long trip in over spring break. This is the best pack I have ever used, it outperformed an older Kelty of mine that I took to Philmont. Wish I had bought this sooner!
The Red Cloud is not waterproof. Use a pack cover to keep it dry. They're light weight and inexpensive: http://www.backcountry.com/store/KEL0149/Kelty-Backpack-Rain-Cover.html This would be a great pack for a trip to Thailand. Lots of space for your stuff and the removable hood turns into a hip pack. You can load the pack from top or through the back panel so getting at your stuff in the middle of the pack is a breeze. Have fun on your trip!
I work for the National Park Service as part of the trail crew of Isle Royale National Park. We bought several redclouds in various sizes for our work (which entails being in the backcountry for up to ten days at a time). The bottom line is this is a great pack. Very comfortable lower back and waist padding. The two side pockets are useful, but the zippers have a tendency to burst open, so avoid overloading them with things of value. The detachable pack is great, allowing plenty of room for a day's food and water and then some. If you pack heavy like us, demand durability, and comfort...this is the pack for you.
Write your question here...I'm comparing this with a Gregory pack. Reviews of the Red Cloud seem positive. Is there a way to strap a rifle to the pack?
On the 2009 model you can slide a rifle/fishing pole behind the side pockets into the mesh water bottle pockets. When not in use a velcro section closes off that access so you can have extra pockets behind the side pockets perfect for maps or other flat items.
First of all, I have an older model of the Red Cloud, but there are straps that are oriented horizontal or parallel with the ground when wearing the pack. These straps could be used to secure a rifle bag or scabbard to the pack over one of the side pouches.
I personally would NOT recommend this. I would suggest a custom sling over strapping to a backpack in most situations. This would prevent damage from force applied to the rifle when strapping the pack, and it would be easier to access.
I think this looks like a good pack but what kind of pocket space does it have. Is there room for a decent sized camera and how accessible is the water bottle pockets? Are they tough to reach?
Maybe you don't have a mental picture of how big 85L is. There is room for a decent sized child in this beast. And yes, the water bottle pockets are accessible.
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