by Michael Hodgson

In 1998, I had the opportunity to survey leading retailers around the country regarding the best and worst features they see in backpack designs. The article was for Outdoor Retailer magazine, the leading trade magazine serving the outdoor industry. What follows is a brief summary of that article.

Best Features Found On Backpacks-- what are the most important features you look for in a backpack before selling one to your customers?

• Durability -- can take a licking beating through willow, dense brush, alder, and being scuffed and dragged over rocky surfaces.
• Fit and ease of use of design -- too many bells and whistles and "damn straps" to adjust fit and function become confusing and frustrating.
• Gender specific pack designs (ed. note: the outdoor industry's leading trade magazine, Outdoor Retailer has covered this issue extensively and what they have found, and many of the retailers who responded for this article also stated, is that what is meant by "gender specifics" is simply a pack that fits the body types unique to many women while agreeing that the same pack might be ideal for a man and no, it does not have to mean the pack is labeled a women's pack.)
• Accessory pockets to customize a pack in terms of function and volume.
• Hydration bladders in packs with drinking hose.
• Hydration pockets that will accept all sizes of drinking bladders.
• Comfort! Comfort! Comfort!-- no pack will make a load disappear, but users really notice poorly designed packs since they make the load seem more painful.
• Travel packs with removable daypacks that are securely attached when in place.
• Shovel pocket -- great for stuffing extra clothing and gear into.
• Floating top pocket that is detachable.

Worst / Technogimmick Features On Backpacks; what, in your opinion, is more hype than practical use and adds unneccessary cost to a basic backpack?

• Cheesy straps on convertible fanny pack lids -- 1 to 1.5 inch straps "cut your guts off." Wider is better.
• Hybrid internal / external frames
• Top pocket of backpacks that attempt to become a workable fanny pack but all they really do is create a rarely used feature that adds weight and doesn't really work well as a fanny pack when used anyway -- this is a most often asked for feature, but the retailers I interviewed firmly believe that is only because of hype and marketing and most of their customers don't use them. A better solution, according to my research, is to buy a light daypack that can be used as a stuff sack for a sleeping bag and then as a daypack when needed--and this is exactly what your's truly does.
• Hydration pockets that only accept one type of bladder.
• Carbon fiber stays -- added a lot of expense to the backpacks using them without a real noticeable difference in performance.
• One-size-fits-many designs -- either make it fit, or don't make it!
• Hydration bladders in or near the top pocket -- it makes the pack top heavy.
• Kevlar reinforced fabrics -- sure it lightens load but it increased the price to a point where only but the most committed technophiles even looked at them.
• Two ice ax loops on a standard backpack -- does anyone carrying a basic non-technical pack really need to carry two ice axes? But hey, it does look cool.

© 1999 Michael Hodgson; All Rights Reserved