I have helped several people select and fit backpacks, but until this year I used a pack from 1972. Last fall I decided it really was time to replace my Mac Pac.  Here is my story of that process.

Start with the need

I tell people never to get a backpack bigger than you really need because you will fill it and then have to carry it. My typical trail itinerary is six days at elevations from 8,000 to 13,000 feet during summer and early fall. We have frosty nights and warm days. I carry a week’s worth of food, layers of clothes with a change of socks, sleeping quarters, and a share of kitchen gear and fuel. My old pack has an external frame and 3,200 cubic inches of capacity, plus room to strap more on the frame. That had usually been about enough capacity for my needs and heavy enough to not want more.

Consider personal preferences

Another thing I tell folks is that until you have a preference, you aren’t ready to buy equipment. I discourage first-timers from buying any equipment other than boots because they may not like backpacking, and they don’t know what they want. When they have decided they want to go backpacking again and have attitudes about equipment, then they are ready to consider buying equipment. Until then, they borrow gear.

I prefer external-frame packs for load handling and letting my back “breathe.” Most of my hiking buddies switched from external-frame packs to internal frames years ago. They tell me how great their packs feel and how much better it is than their old external-frame pack. As I began my search for a new pack I went to several retailers and found few choices in external frames. I tried the external frame packs, but none fit as well as my old custom pack. I decided to give internal frames a chance.

Among internal frame choices, Osprey had serious contenders. They adjust to an exact fit, and are very comfortable with a moderate load (under 40 pounds). The good folks at Backwoods patiently adjusted several models for me, but the back ventilation was not up to my expectations and load distribution did not feel like I am used to. They also seemed a little heavy, but none of the packs with features I was looking for were as light as my old pack. Oh – and I hoped I wouldn’t have to spend $300 for a decent fitting pack. I kept looking.

Widen the search

By searching the Internet I found more brands and options but most of the good looking choices were still over $300. By December I found a company I was not familiar with – Outdoor Products, Inc. They had a full line of packs, and had a new model, El Sol, with the longest frame I had seen. The Saturn looked like it might be plenty big, but the frame on El Sol intrigued me since I have a long torso. The bag had several design features more common on internals. I found the other models from Outdoor Products at several vendors, but couldn’t find El Sol anywhere. I called the company. El Sol was new and wouldn’t be distributed until March. In March I found El Sol at CampMor online for about $100. The web page showed more spec’s on the pack than I had seen in the early information from the manufacturer. I was excited about the possibilities of this pack, but since I still couldn’t find it stocked at any local retailers I ordered it online. My wife has heard me talk about the importance of good fit and she was shocked that I ordered a pack I hadn’t tried on. I thought this was the only way to try the pack, and that I would return it if I didn’t like it.

Next time - the pack arrives 

Right out of the box - adjust to fit

The pack looks good. It has a solid design and seems well constructed. The frame allows easy adjustments for torso length and waist/hips size by changing which slots the straps use. It came with the straps set for the longest torso and widest hips. The mesh back band is typical for an external-frame pack and although it was installed, it was not tied taut at all. I retied it as tight as I could without changing where it was or how it was tied. Before I put a load in the pack I found that the mesh did not keep the frame off my back and it was uncomfortable. Upon examination it became obvious that I could move the mesh up to the area where the frame hit me, so I did. That helped.

I put 40 pounds in the pack and adjusted the straps. I had a good fit. I carried it a mile on level ground and it felt really good. I added ten more pounds and walked down and up the hill by my house. It still felt good. I still hadn’t removed the tags, and I wanted to be absolutely sure this was “a keeper” before I cut them off. Comfort was my first criteria, and El Sol had passed that test. At this point I closely examined the features of the pack I finally had in my hands.

El Sol is a big pack. The top extends to allow over 5,000 cubic inches inside, plus there is room below the pack to strap a tent to the frame. It has two large side pockets on the pack, two more “normal” pockets, and each of these four have an outside elastic mesh pocket (the pockets have pockets.) There are two more zipper pockets on the hip belt. A pouch goes over the top. They say it is removable, but I haven’t figured out how. That pouch has a second zipper pocket with a rain cover. The empty weight of El Sol is more than my old pack, but I sure do like its features.

The main compartment can be extended upward and or divided (zipper shelf) into a large upper and smaller lower section. A zipper arc provides access to the lower section of the main compartment. A heavy-duty zipper provides access to the upper section in addition to the double drawstring top opening.

The main compartment has a sleeve designed to fit Outdoor Products’ 2 liter Cyclone® hydration bladder and a hole to feed the hose through. There is a clip for the hose on the left shoulder strap. As an early adopter, my pack came with the hydration system included, but product information now shows it “sold separately.” I have seen the hydration system at Wal-Mart, so I feel good about my prospects for replacing that if I need to someday. Another change seems to be in color choices since the blue I bought is no longer available.

The shoulder and hip straps are padded and comfortable to me. It has the usual adjustments for lifting shoulder straps off the top of the shoulder, a sternum strap for keeping them centered, and pulls to change the pack frame angle from the hip belt. I had no trouble getting a full load balanced to put the weight on my hips and use my shoulders to keep the pack upright without tipping me over.

The unique frame is 37 inches long. The Enduroflex™ material feels like molded plastic. The frame is rigid enough to provide load lift from the waist that I expect from an external-frame pack. It is also flexible and gives a little with twisting movements. Since I am used to a very rigid frame this felt different, but it feels good so I adapted quickly.

The next day I picked up the pack and noticed the flexible frame didn’t appreciate leaning with a 40 pound load. It had taken on a slight curve. It took a few minutes to recover its shape while I walked in it, so when I took it off I laid the still loaded pack on the pack face, leaving the frame unstressed. I didn’t have the new shape issue again as I went through my season of training hikes in the neighborhood.

I took El Sol on a three day hike over the Memorial Day weekend on the Boardstand Road & Old Military Road Trail loop of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail system in east Oklahoma. The pack performed beautifully on the trail. In camp, it was unloaded enough that the frame flex issue didn’t recur with it standing overnight against a tree. The only equipment problem I had was a zipper failure.

El Sol has nylon zippers. One of the large side pockets was loaded causing a stress point against the middle of the zipper and it split open during the hike. I was able to force the zipper to properly unzip and then zip back again and it seemed OK. Since then that point of failure has proven itself to be weak and that zipper will not stay closed if the pocket is full. However, I found a workaround solution. That pocket zips from the top and the bottom. If the zipper pulls are brought together near the weak point instead of high or low, the zipper holds just fine. This works pretty well, but I think it would be good if next year’s model uses a heavier zipper, like the main compartment zipper, on the two large pockets. I know that will just add more weight to an already heavy pack. It is a tradeoff.   

I found I like the pockets on the hip belt. I took week-long trips using El Sol in the Pecos Wilderness in June and September this year. After a few variations I settled on a compass and camera in one belt pocket and snacks in the other. The hydration system works well, but I learned the first time out with it that it is important to cover the mouthpiece when applying DEET with the pack on. Yuck - no wonder insects don’t like that stuff.

The rain cover fits nicely round the pack, with elastic to hold all the way around, and it is attached to the top flap pocket so it won’t get away from you. Drying the rain cover is a bit of a challenge around the elastic bunching, but this isn’t a very big problem.