Gossamer Gear Quick Kumo 36 Fastpack Evaluation

The Gossamer Gear Quick Kumo is a 36-liter ultralight backpack with vest-style shoulder straps and an non-compulsory detachable hip belt. Whereas it’s designed for fastpacking (operating and backpacking), it additionally makes a superb daypack for prolonged hikes in addition to an excellent carry-on bag for journey with its quite a few pockets and compressibility. Gossamer Gear nonetheless makes the unique model of the Kumo 36 with common backpacking shoulder straps, though the match is barely completely different. I used the unique Kumo 36 for a few years and beloved it, however the addition of the vest straps and their extremely practical pockets are an enormous improve on the unique that’s value contemplating when you have a Kumo in your sights.

• Weight: 21.5 oz (detachable hip belt is 3.2 oz)
• Quantity: 36L (28L of closed storage, doesn’t embrace vest pockets)
• Gender: Unisex
• Pockets: 10 (that’s not a mistake)
• Hydration Prepared: Sure (no inside hydration pocket – hand loop solely)
• Load Lifters: No
• Hipbelt pockets: Sure
• Trekking pole holders: Sure
• Entry: High
• Supplies: 70D and 100D Robic Nylon
• Max really helpful weight: 20-25 lbs

The Quick Kumo 36 is a frameless backpack made with Robic nylon. It has an exterior sit pad pocket that holds a comfortable foam pad, offers the pack a little bit construction, provides consolation, and is helpful once you wish to sit down for some time. The shoulder straps are extra-wide vest-style straps with twin sternum straps loaded with pockets able to holding comfortable bottles, a smartphone, or snacks. A detachable hip belt with two mesh pockets can be included and is designed to maintain the pack near your torso when operating.

The Quick Kumo has Gossamer Gear’s signature fold-over high, which is a cross between a high lid, a roll high, and an extension collar. It has a large map pocket on the surface that’s additionally good for holding private gadgets. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have a key fob. The fold-over high will not be handy to make use of usually, so that you’re higher off storing much less often used gadgets within the pack’s fundamental compartment and the whole lot else in its open exterior pockets within the pack’s shoulder straps, entrance stretch mesh pocket, facet pockets, and hip belt pockets.

The within of the principle compartment doesn’t have a hydration pocket, nevertheless it does have a loop from which you’ll be able to grasp a reservoir, central hose ports between the shoulder straps, and hose keeper loops. There are facet stretch water bottle pockets on the perimeters of the pack which have compression cords above them if you wish to safe tall bottles or ones with a water filter screwed on high. The facet pockets have entrance lower outs so you may attain again and pull a bottle out the entrance of the pocket if you happen to can’t pull it out from the highest.

The entrance of the pack has a big stretch mesh pocket that’s good for storing layers or damp gadgets. There are trekking pole loops on the base of the pocket that may settle for pole suggestions, however there aren’t any elastic shaft holders to safe the highest of the poles to the pack. It’s the identical story with the ice axe loop on the opposite facet, which doesn’t have a shaft holder. In each instances, you may create one by looping an elastic wire round one of many wire lops distributed within the seams or the pack or by tucking the highest of your poles or axe beneath the facet compression straps.

However the star of the Quick Kumo “present” is the pack’s vest-style shoulder straps. They’re the pack’s workplace. They’re well-padded with spacer mesh and have twin sternum straps to maintain the pack near your chest and stop bouncing. You’ll discover that the Quick Kumo sits a bit increased in your torso than on the common Kumo 36 and helps preserve your ahead momentum higher, even if you happen to’re mountain climbing and never operating.

The hip belt additionally rides increased up on the torso, under the ribs. It’s detachable however has two mesh pockets giant sufficient to retailer two or three bars. I desire to hike with out it as a result of the contents of my pack and the vest straps preserve the pack near my torso with out it. Being frameless, the hipbelt additionally doesn’t play a supporting function on the Kumo (or on another frameless backpack) aside from a spot to place pockets.

The shoulder straps have two deep pockets for holding water bottles – 500ml comfortable bottles work nicely, however so do hard-sized 23.7 oz bottles. The precise strap has a shorter pocket later over the bottle pocket that’s good for snacks and a small half pocket (sewn closed on high) with an open nook to stuff trash inside. Nonetheless, I have to say that the trash pockets you discover on fastpacks and a few backpacks don’t make a lot sense to me if you wish to decrease in a single day meals smells in bear nation (Simply saying). The left vest strap has a second zippered pocket layered over the bottle pocket that’s giant sufficient to retailer a Smartphone, and it may be used even when you have a water bottle contained in the internal pocket.

Frameless backpack comparability

Advice

The Gossamer Gear Kumo 36 is a frameless ultralight fastpack that can be utilized for path operating, backpacking, or day mountain climbing. It has vest-style shoulder straps, twin sternum straps, and a detachable hipbelt that give it a distinct really feel from a extra typical backpack, one which rides increased and nearer on the torso than one with a body and a load-bearing hipbelt. With 36 liters of capability (28 liters inside) the Kumo is acceptable for fastpacks and backpacking with minimal gear or prolonged day hikes that require extra clothes or meals. When you just like the appears to be like of the Kumo however desire a smaller capability model, I like to recommend testing the Gossamer Gear Loris 25, which supplies zipper entry to the principle compartment and is extra attuned to the extra frequent storage entry that day hikers desire.

Purchase at Gossamer Gear

Disclosure: Gossamer Gear donated a Quick Kumo for evaluation.

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