One of the great skills that every adventurer needs to hone is packing. It sounds trivial – just throw some things in a bag, right? No. Adventures go wrong because of bad packaging. The ice ax should be where the ice ax should be. Learning where the ice ax should be is part of the adventure, but once you know, you know. This goes for everything you bring, no matter where you go, whether backpacking on the PCT, crag climbing in the Wind River Range, or sailing to Tahiti.
To pack like a teacher you must study how teachers pack. For me, this has meant years of hanging out with river guides, trail crews, forest service employees, and sailors. That’s how I found things like NRS straps, Helly Hanson skirts, and Mystery Ranch backpacks. Almost everyone I know who works in the field relies on a Mystery Ranch backpack. I have yet to try one of the company’s larger backpacks, but the Coulee 30, which Mystery Ranch released last year, is one of the best backpacks I’ve used.
The Coulee 30 strikes the right balance of weight, comfort, organization, and capacity to be a great day pack that’s capable of overnight trips if you have light gear.
Design and fit
The Coulee 30 is not the type of ultralight pack that trail runners will stop and ask about (which happened with my Mountainsmith fanny pack). At 2.7 pounds for the men’s L/XL I tested, it’s definitely heavy for a day pack, but that weight translates into a solid pack with an incredibly comfortable suspension system. I carried up to 28 pounds in this backpack and it was still comfortable.
Photography: Scott Gilbertson
The suspension is adjustable, allowing you to customize the fit (something rare with this backpack capacity). There is a velcro closure that moves the shoulder yoke up and down wherever is best for your body. It’s not the easiest to adjust, which is a good thing I guess as it means it won’t move, but it’s a little fiddly to adjust. Fortunately, you should only have to do this a few times to get the perfect fit. If you are between sizes (I am between S/M and L/XL), I suggest you choose a larger size. It is easier to make the larger backpack fit a slightly smaller torso than to size up to S/M.
Both the back panel and the S-shaped shoulder straps are very well padded, and once fitted properly, the Coulee 30 is incredibly comfortable, even with heavy loads. There are adjustment straps on the shoulders to transfer weight back and forth as needed, and although there are no true straps like that on the belt, the way it’s constructed makes it easy to transfer most of the weight by loosening it. and tightening the main buckle. The sternum strap is a little smaller than I would like, but it does the job.
Photography: Scott Gilbertson
