Ladies: Why You’ll Love the CamelBak L.U.X.E.
August 1, 2008
It was painful to watch my M.U.L.E. die. We’d spent six years together—biking, hiking, skiing—and the M.U.L.E. schlepped it all, from spare tubes to arm warmers to cans of PBR. But when the last zipper broke and no amount of washing could erase its stench, I knew it was over. Still, I hoped safety pins might keep it intact for a few more rides…
My fiancé had been watching my pathetic display of loyalty to this stinky, disintegrating day pack and decided to take action. For my birthday, he surprised me with a new CamelBak: the L.U.X.E. “It’s the women’s-specific version of the M.U.L.E.,” he said, grinning. He could tell from the way my face lit up that he’d done well.
After only one ride, I understood why the L.U.X.E. is dubbed “the women’s mountain bike pack by which all others are judged.” Here are five reasons why you’ll love it:
- Curved, narrow shoulder straps. I have a smaller torso than most guys, so I appreciate the LUXE’s close-set shoulder straps. Even better, the straps are designed to follow the contours of a woman’s body (i.e.: they don’t squash your chest).
- Higher sternum strap for greater stability, with a woman’s body in mind.
- MP3 player pocket located just behind the neck for easy access. The fleece-lined pouch is also perfect for a digital camera, and is protected from the elements by a weatherproof zipper.
- Cargo Space. Like the M.U.L.E., the L.U.X.E. has a 100-ounce bladder and 500 cubic inches of cargo room. With two zippered pouches for dry storage and two open compartments for easy access, I have space to carry all I need for a full day’s ride in any climate.
- Cool color scheme. The black/beetroot is just plain sexy (also comes in blue/silver and brindle/silver). CamelBak added reflective piping on the outer pack for greater visibility at night.
Osprey Packs Ariel 75 Backpack - Women’s
May 19, 2008
Osprey Packs Ariel 75 Backpack - Women’s 4600cu in
Product Description
Price: $268.95
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5pm Friday: you punch the time clock and dash for the hills. The Osprey Ariel 75 knows you only have the weekend to get away, so it’ll make sure you don’t waste any time worrying about your pack. The Ariel’s separate sleeping bag compartment and mesh pockets will keep you organized and the straightjacket compression system will make sure you can adjust your pack to be the size and shape you need. Gear loops on the outside of the pack are ready for last minute and oddball-shaped items. The Ariel’s real advantage, however, lies in its Ethereal suspension and women’s specific design. This means superior comfort, fit, and support, all in a pack under 5 lbs. Just in case you do need to leave the big pack behind for a bit, the Ariel’s top pocket and waist belt combine to form a super-comfy hydration ready fanny pack you can use for that last push to the top.
Product Reviews
GREAT!
This is a GREAT pack! it is the perfect size for weekend trips. I have done solo weekend trips with this! The suspesion system is great and the hip belt is really comfortable. Make sure you measure your torso and get the right size for that. I had back surgery and this makes carrying a heavier load unnoticeable and distributes the weight very nicely over my back. It fits my tiny shoulders great as well. Love this!
Osprey Packs Ariel 75 Backpack - Women’s 4600cu in
Price: $268.95
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The North Face Spire 33 Backpack
November 15, 2007
The North Face Spire 33 Backpack - Women’s - 2000 cu in
Product Description
Price: $108.95
Buy Now
The North Face Spire 33 Women’s Backpack is an all-season, all-sport pack you’ll use every weekend of the year. Mid-sized for the right one-day balance of manageability and capacity, the Spire is a top-loader to maximize its useable space, and optionally overload into the collar for extra room. Up top, the Spire sports a cranial cavity to minimize head-bonking and load-lifter straps to keep the straps from digging into your shoulders when your load is hefty. The Spire features double daisy chains for climbing hardwear in every season, adjustable ski slots for winter, and a channeled back panel for summer comfort. The handy gear loops on the waist belt keep tools ready for quick-draw, pun intended. If you’re tackling the mountains, no matter the season, you’ll want The North Face Spire on your back. *Not Available for Shipment to Canada.
Product Reviews
Solid pack for ladies and fellas
I dig this pack, and I’m a guy (must mean I’m built like a female :(. Solid daypack for climbing and day hikes as well as lugging the laptop and textbooks around campus. I dig it. I only wish it had more compartments within the pack itself.
Good Pack
I am able to fit all my gear for a good day of top-roping and sport climbing. Fits great on me. Wish there was a couple of external zipper pockets for small items like a cell phone.
The North Face Spire 33 Backpack - Women’s - 2000 cu in
Price: $108.95
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The North Face Akila Backpack - Women’s
November 9, 2007
The North Face Akila Backpack - Women’s - 1859-2450 cu in
Product Description
Price: $148.95
Buy Now
The Flight Series North Face Women’s Flight Series Akila 40 is an ultralight pack for extended backpacking or climbing trips when you need to go light and fast. The women-specific Akila comes in three different sizes and maintains a low profile to give you what you need to perform. The pack active-cut contour hip-belt and shoulder strap fit your body like a glove, while the X-2 aluminum internal stays provide unparalleled lightweight support. North Face incorporated E-VAP technology into the back panel and split-contoured shoulder harness to increase airflow keeping you dryer and more comfortable on the trail. A rain cover located in the left zip pocket keeps your gear dry, while your water bottle sits comfortably in the other side pocket. As you make the final push to the summit, remove an extra layer from the large front mesh pocket and your ice ax or trekking poles from their specially-designed loops. The lightweight 2lb 4oz (med) Akila gets you to the top fast. *Not Available for Shipment to Canada.
Product Reviews
Excellent fit!
The backpack is exactly as described. Haven t tested on the trails yet, but it is very light, fits perfectly and molds to my hips. It will be used to carry my equipment across the Camino de Santiago in early May 2007.
solid pack for quick and light!
I went on a ridiculous 8- mile-in-4-day hike with some hard core peeps with a goal of going as light as possible. This was only possible with this pack. Its large enough to fit my sleeping bag, tent and food, as well as the layers needed, but not too much more. PROS: It caries REALLY WELL for fastpacking. The material is super-light, but puncture-resistant. The roll-top allows the pack to be used for anything from overnighters to 4/5 days. CONS: It s so streamline that there is no "good" place to put a Nalgene. (You pretty much have to use a CamelBak.)
Comfortable Minimal Backpack
Pros -This bag is very comfortable especially since they are women specific and come in different sizes to fit just so. It’s a good looking bag. This would be a great bag for a really short and minimal gear backpack trip, where you really wanted to be able to do a lot of rock hopping and needed a pack to stick right with you, you could carry really heavy stuff just not very much of it. Cons -What I didn’t like about the bag is that there are no water bottle holders or straps at the bottom for a sleeping pad, the bag doesn’t stand up by it self it flops onto its back, and the line that makes up the zipper pulls (that looks like it should be easy to open with gloves on) is oriented the wrong direction making the zippers difficult to open without two hands. Also the side pockets are difficult to access with the pack on.
nice pack
this is a very nice pack. i ordered it for my girlfriend for christmas and we’ve made great use of it since then… super light and comes with a free rain cover which is pretty nice. i have an extra that i was going to give to my sister but she didn’t want it. anyway, if anyone wants it send me an offer (ryan.patrick.daley@gmail.com). i’ll take any reasonable offer - no sense in having two of these things around. cheers
The North Face Akila Backpack - Women’s - 1859-2450 cu in
Price: $148.95
Buy Now
Kelty Red Cloud Backpack - Womens
November 8, 2007
Kelty Red Cloud Backpack - Womens - 5000 cu in
Product Description
Price: $184.95
Buy Now
The Kelty Women’s Red Cloud Backpack combines features, comfort, and value for week-long recreational backpacking. The fully adjustable Red Cloud is designed to fit a multitude of body shapes. Ample padding on the women’s specific waistbelt, back panel, and shoulder straps ensure a contoured fit, a comfortable carry, and help support heavy loads. The Red Cloud’s large main compartment holds most of your gear and the various smaller side, front, and interior pockets help keep smaller items organized. The Red Cloud’s top lid converts into a fanny pack for quick excursions from the base camp when all you need is a camera and a water bottle.
Product Reviews
Great Bag at a Good Price
This bag has a lot of sweet compartments, including the awesome and soft sunglasses case that kept my glasses safe in the rain and hail. Speaking of weather, I didn’t have a rain cover and my stuff stayed nearly completely dry even through 5 hours of hiking in off and on downpours and some hail. Adjustments are easily made to the fit of the bag without any help from others and the detachable pack fits really comfortably and is easy to get into while you’re wearing it. Overall a pretty sweet bag for the price.
Kelty Red Cloud Backpack - Womens - 5000 cu in
Price: $184.95
Buy Now
Osprey Packs Luna 85 Backpack - Women’s
November 5, 2007
Osprey Packs Luna 85 Backpack - Women’s - 5100cu in
Product Description
Price: $378.95
Buy Now
Osprey designed the Women’s Luna 85 backpack with a custom-molded BioForm hipbelt and women-specific harness to balance huge loads on multi-day trips into the backcountry. Osprey knows comfort is paramount so they created this large capacity pack in three women’s sizes for optimal fit. The Luna 85’s ReCurve suspension is specifically designed to accommodate the relatively shorter torsos, narrower shoulders, and tighter curves of the feminine form. You can also custom heat-mold the Luna’s BioForm CM hip-belt at a local Osprey dealer for the ultimate comfort making pressure points and dead zones a thing of the past. You stay organized on the trail with a convertible top pocket/fanny pack, removable hydration sleeve, separate sleeping bag compartment, and a quick-access side zipper. The Women’s Luna 85 is a durable expedition size pack that is ideal for extended backpacking trips or multi-day mountaineering adventures.
Product Reviews
Osprey womens packs for guys
Yea, I love my Osprey Luna, I took it on my trip to the Grand Tetons, and it was great. It was comfortable and spread the weight evenly. I am a little guy, and the Crescent doesn t come in a small, so I opted to get the Luna, and I couldn t be happier. The only difference that I can tell is the color, which I got the green, or "jade", but other than that, they are pretty much identical to the Crescent, just smaller. The pack performed well, and had a great capacity, not only in the main compartment, but it was easy to strap things on to the packs outside. I love it.
Osprey Packs Luna 85 Backpack - Women’s - 5100cu in
Price: $378.95
Buy Now
Osprey Packs Ariel 65 Backpack - Women’s - 4000cu in
October 13, 2007
PRODUCT REVIEW: Osprey Packs : Osprey Packs Ariel 65 Backpack - Women’s - 4000cu in Buy Now: $238.95 Product Reviews The Osprey Women’s Ariel 65 Backpack gives you lots of bang for minimal buck. Osprey designed this lightweight multi-day backpack for the budget-conscious woman who demands superior performance and comfort. The Ariel 65 is specifically designed to fit the female form. The dual density mesh IsoForm shoulder harness adjusts to the delicate contours of a woman’s torso while the foam and mesh AirScape back panel circulates more air to keep her cool. She can also custom mold her IsoForm CM hip-belt to match the shape of her body making pressure points and dead zones a thing of the past. The Ariel 65 puts as much emphasis on functionality as it does comfort. It features a separate sleeping bag compartment, an internal hydration sleeve, and multiple external gear loops for everything from skis to layers to water reserves.
Best Pack For Women!
I have tried a ton of packs, and by far I think this pack is the best one for women. I took this on a four day trek, and it was so light and comfortable that I felt like I only had a day pack on. Not to mention the superior quality of Osprey. I have recommended this to several people, and everyone who uses it will never go back to another brand. Great price too.
Nice lightweight pack
I have yet to thoroughly test this pack but already its a lot more comfortable and lighter than my old pack (made by NZ company Kathmandu). It has a lot of nice features (lots of load stabilizing straps, air access to your back so it doesn’t get sweaty, removable ‘fanny’ pack etc). The only thing that I worry about is that the lightweight fabric will wear out quickly, though it does have a lifetime warranty and is obviously well made. If you are worried about this the more sturdy and rugged Luna may be for you, but you pay for that with the added weight.
Awesome for Women
This is the most comfortable pack I’ve ever had. Especially if you pack it correctly, you hardly notice the weight. The fit is perfect and I would highly recommend getting the waist belt molded. Really good price point for the quality of this pack
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