Kelty makes a killer pack. They're lightweight, durable, and have everything you need but not too much. These are nearly $70 at Amazon, even more at REI. If you're in the market for a pack, this is a great one.

Got this last time it was on woot and love it. We use it as a day bag (w/ 2 kids, have tons of stuff to carry around).
Favorite things about it: The big pouch unzips all the way down, so you don't get stuff lost at the bottom when you're cleaning it out. All the little organization pockets are in the front pouch (last backpack had them in the main pouch and small things would always pop out when bigger stuff was put in, really annoying). Waist belt is detachable.

Just got back from a weekend canoe trip using this very pack. I also use it for a gym bag, and a daily commuter on my bike to my office.

This pack is a little too heavy for the hardcore ultralight backpacking crowd, and a little too small for the heavyweight camping set, but as a utility pack it's perfect, in my opinion. And for the price of a pack that is only half as good!

It looks like you can only get the medium size pack here, so if you have a long torso, or are very tall, it may not fit perfectly.

It does pass for carry-on size when I travel, although I don't stuff it completely full.

$75.45 on amazon and people really seem to like this bag!

http://www.amazon.com/Kelty-Redwing-44-Internal-Frame/dp/B004CXENI6

got this the last time. it says there is 4" of torso adjustment, but the waist belt only moves around 1" or so. Where is the other 3 inches?

Plus, the waist belt adjusts, but the aluminum stay does not, thus if i move the belt up, the stay's arch contour will be off, requiring a complete rebend. Is that the way it is?

I bought this last time it came on, and I like it a lot overall. I'm a shorter guy 5'4.5", and mainly got this for a hydration day-pack when I'm hiking with my girlfriend. Its plenty big enough for the day including: food, jacket, and 3 liter water bladder.

The main downside of the pack is that the straps seem to be pretty close together and rub the sides of my neck and dig into the shoulder/neck connecting muscles. This might be because I'm a shorter guy and therefore the straps need to be pretty small to keep the backpack situated on my back in the right place while carrying heavier loads. Also at my height, the waist-belt probably lays just a little lower than what it should be for a "perfect fit" according to places like REI.

When it comes to water bladders, I'd recommend one like a platypus (http://www.amazon.com/Platypus-Big-ZipTM-SL-3-0L/dp/B0015ZJLJK/ref=pd_sim_sg_1) due to the fact that this backpack is quite long and has a clip that really only will work for bags like this rather than ones that Camelbak produces.

All said and done though, for the price, its a great pack with tons of space, great strapping, seemingly great build quality, and the ability to hold a water bladder well. I've taken it hiking, on weekend trips, to a day at the state fair, and its handled itself superbly the entire time.

I GOT ONE OF THESE LAST TIME AROUND FOR MY LONG SAND DUNE DESERT TRIPS ON MY QUAD WITH THE FAMILY AT GLAMIS CA. I HAVENT TRYED IT YET , IM CONCERNED THE METAL BAR MIGHT STICK ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD , IF I FALL OFF THE BIKE.

trmpt8604 wrote:The main downside of the pack is that the straps seem to be pretty close together and rub the sides of my neck and dig into the shoulder/neck connecting muscles. This might be because I'm a shorter guy and therefore the straps need to be pretty small to keep the backpack situated on my back in the right place while carrying heavier loads. Also at my height, the waist-belt probably lays just a little lower than what it should be for a "perfect fit" according to places like REI.

Did you pick up a pack off the shelf, or get one fitted to you? If you had one fitted, they did a terrible job; if you didn't, you'll notice a world of difference when one is chosen for you that actually fits. One size does not fit all.

lwang wrote:got this the last time. it says there is 4" of torso adjustment, but the waist belt only moves around 1" or so. Where is the other 3 inches?

Plus, the waist belt adjusts, but the aluminum stay does not, thus if i move the belt up, the stay's arch contour will be off, requiring a complete rebend. Is that the way it is?

I assumed the torso adjustment is part waistbelt, part the shoulder straps, and part the little straps connecting the top of the backpack to the top of the shoulder straps.

Yes to the second half. Ideally you should fit this pack once with weight in it and you should be good when you wear it. Sharing this with multiple people could be tough... If you didn't want to rebend, you can pull out the plastic sheet inside the pack and then the metal bar.

I got this last time it was on woot and it works great. I love that it has a panel opening so you aren't taking everything out of the pack to get to the bottom. The side and front organizational pockets are also nice, plus it breathes well on your back. Its a good size to use as a carry-on, but for more than a 3 day hike you'd have to be packing pretty light, i.e. someone else is going to be carrying the tent. One word of warning, if you're really skinny it may be hard to get the hip belt small enough. I'm a 5'7, 150lb male with a 30" waist and the hip belt barely adjusts small enough to be effective for me, so for women it may just be too big.

mm20 wrote:Did you pick up a pack off the shelf, or get one fitted to you? If you had one fitted, they did a terrible job; if you didn't, you'll notice a world of difference when one is chosen for you that actually fits. One size does not fit all.

trmpt8604 wrote:I bought this last time it came on

It was worth the risk to try it instead of paying the 40 more at a store for it. The time it dug in and got my sore was a heavy pack and no waistbelt so it was partially my fault. Just was putting it out there that either way, the straps are pretty close together for most people with larger muscles in the neck/shoulder area.

If one has excess growth of muscles on their stomach, where do you wear the waist belt? Across the ahem..muscle belly or under it on the actual waist? If across the belly, the drop in waist size below the stomach is greater than the addition width created by the hip bone, thus the waist belt will likely drop down, unless it was pulled extremely tight making me look like those meat tied up with strings for cooking.

Are there any color options for this backpack or are we stuck with the color shown in the pic of the pack.

trmpt8604 wrote:It was worth the risk to try it instead of paying the 40 more at a store for it. The time it dug in and got my sore was a heavy pack and no waistbelt so it was partially my fault. Just was putting it out there that either way, the straps are pretty close together for most people with larger muscles in the neck/shoulder area.

Reading fail for me. Carry on.

Does anyone know if it will fit my laptop? I don't know if anyone has tried for these laptops but it's a bit hard to find a backpack that'll fit the G74sx Asus Laptop.

Thanks for all your help ahead of time.
Long Live Woot!

Have bought, not tried it yet. Same price $49.99:
http://sport.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5070422&pageindex=1&replycount=62

and my comment then:

whatsamattaU wrote:real quick:
reviews and a video I can't embed:
http://www.backcountryedge.com/kelty-redwing-44-2650.aspx

Product webpage with reviews:
http://www.kelty.com/p-414-redwing-44.aspx

$49.99 to record price

Bye

In for one.
I've used the 3100cu version of this for weekends on the Appalachian Trail. Bombproof and ideal for rugged outdoor use.
Bought this one for my wife, hoping she'll join me on the next overnighter in September.
I believe this size will work well.

I have two Kelty internal frame backpacks, one larger than this and one smaller, and I absolutely adore them. I spent close to a year shopping for the right internal frame bag and Kelty's lumbar support system was far more comfortable than any other brand that I tried on. My bags have been durable - clean off easily and I've had NO trouble with tears/rips/defects (and I push my packs, trust me!) - and the compression system is amazing. I couldn't rave enough about the waist belt, compression straps, ease of adjustability, or quality of Kelty packs.

ThunderThighs wrote:It's Back to School week. Uhm, I guess if you have a really long hike to school, this could be useful.

Hey now! I actually think this would be an ideal backpack for school: most high school and even college students regularly carry 10-30% of their body weight in backpacks; this causes shoulder/back pain. The hip belt transfers much of the weight of the pack to the hips from the shoulders, which is much healthier. I'm currently looking for a new internal frame, front-loading, hip-belt-having backpack to use around campus because I need the compression and hip belt in order to carry more than 3-4 pounds. (Unfortunately, I think I'd need the Kelty Women's Redwing; I'm short and have an especially short torso, so I think this is too big for me, but I highly recommend Kelty in general - and I think this bag would make a great school backpack!)

mrwizzy2002 wrote:Does anyone know if it will fit my laptop? I don't know if anyone has tried for these laptops but it's a bit hard to find a backpack that'll fit the G74sx Asus Laptop.

Thanks for all your help ahead of time.
Long Live Woot!

This is what I wrote last time around.

TLTC: It fits a 17" Macbook and multiple days of clothing with no problem. So, most likely.

Too bad on this. My husband and I are looking for day packs that can also double as bicycle commuter packs. He is 6' 4" though and I am 5' 2". Based on the comments this won't fit either of us very well.

I love my Kelty Redwing, used it for a good 6 months until I got a toploader for climbing. Tons of room, and a very durable pack.

The Kelty Redwings have earned a place in many hiker's hearts for a reason - they seem to live up to the "bulletproof" label. My 3100 ci one is 12 years old, has been to three continents and on untold trips and is going strong. I've done everything from moderate mountains to carrying ice/beer/beach chairs with it and not only does it not die, it doesn't even seem to suffer.

It won't process my order. I keep getting a server error.

ThunderThighs wrote:Sorry for the problems. I'm reporting it now. You're the 2nd one to post.

EDIT: Anything different about this order than others? Address? Coupon? Payment method? Just to help us narrow it down since it's seems to be very random right now.

EDIT 2: They found the problem (it was sporadic) and they are fixing it. Should be just a bit.

I did enter a coupon code

whatsamattaU wrote:Have bought, not tried it yet. Same price $49.99:
http://sport.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5070422&pageindex=1&replycount=62

and my comment then:


Bye

Very informative, sold me on purchasing the bag, thanks!

Anyone have advice if this will fit a slim 5'10" frame?

Can anyone tell me where this pack is made?

I really love the Kelty 44. One of the best dayhiking packs I have ever owned. If you guys and girls have any questions about it let me know. Iv been using the Redwing 44 and 50 for a LONG time now.

jlcharles wrote:Can anyone tell me where this pack is made?

These are made in Vietnam.

michaeljonhansen wrote:Anyone have advice if this will fit a slim 5'10" frame?

I am a mid build 5'11 and it fits like a glove. You should have no issues with fit. Especially with the chest straps being adjustable left to right and up and down using the rail system on the straps. Also with the abdomen strap being adjustable as well as you can see in the picture above.

mrwizzy2002 wrote:Does anyone know if it will fit my laptop? I don't know if anyone has tried for these laptops but it's a bit hard to find a backpack that'll fit the G74sx Asus Laptop.

Thanks for all your help ahead of time.
Long Live Woot!

I guess you could use the spot inside the main compartment that is meant for a hydration balder. It is kinda designed the same way. I have never tried it because I only ever used my Redwings for hiking but I don't see why you couldn't use it as a school bag. The internal frame and compression straps would help displace the wight of the contents for a college student that's for sure.

rebeltreble wrote:Too bad on this. My husband and I are looking for day packs that can also double as bicycle commuter packs. He is 6' 4" though and I am 5' 2". Based on the comments this won't fit either of us very well.

I beg to differ. My girl is 5'2" and she has a new model black version on this bag and she LOVES it. Also my friend owns one as well (bought on my recommendation) and hes 6'2" and he has bought 2 more after he used it.

Got one last time it was sold, great pack,great price! Buy it.

390gopac wrote:One word of warning, if you're really skinny it may be hard to get the hip belt small enough. I'm a 5'7, 150lb male with a 30" waist and the hip belt barely adjusts small enough to be effective for me, so for women it may just be too big.

You'd need to be a really skinny or petite woman for that to be the case...

Hip straps on a woman (at least, on me) are most comfortable resting on the HIPS rather than the narrower waist, and you'd be hard pressed to find a woman with mere 30" hips*. I'm a 5'6" 110 lb lightweight and even my waist is 29. I like my hip strap about 33" for a snug fit.

TL;DR - if you're a woman, don't discount this unless your hips are 30" since you'll likely be most comfortable with the belt resting on your hip bones.

(*edit: No offense meant if you are a woman with 30" hips of course)

Any idea when these get shipped out and how soon they would arrive? I am looking for a backpack before the Labor day weekend.

michaeljonhansen wrote:Anyone have advice if this will fit a slim 5'10" frame?

I'm slim and 5' 8", and this pack fits like a dream. Too bad I paid full price about 1 month ago.

michaeljonhansen wrote:Anyone have advice if this will fit a slim 5'10" frame?

I'm 5'10" 150lbs, this pack fits really well. Have had it for over a month, already taken 4 weekend airport trips with it and love it! I just wish they had some other colors.

I'm in for 1 pack. Funny, I was actually shopping for a pack to use on an upcoming trip to Cuba. I need to pack it full of video gear and that video showing it full of video gear pretty well sold me on it.

Ended up pulling the trigger last night. Can't wait to try it out on our trip to Shenandoah next month.