Snugpak has yet again impressed me with an awesome product. I have been impressed with snugpak products from the start and this one is no exception. Proforce equipment (the US distributor for snugpak's military line) sent me the Stamina Pack last year and it's seen quite a bit of use. I've used it on quite a few outings and also had a friend use it on a week long trip hiking the high peaks of the Adirondacks. Aside from a small smudge of dirt and a worn in feel, the pack looks new.
The Snugpak Stamina is a 2440 cubic inch pack that has some great features, but is very simple in design. By this I mean there aren't a ton of little pockets to get your items lost in and not a ton of "gadgets" on the pack. I really like this in this pack since I will tend to forget where I put things in a pack that has a ton of small pockets. This pack serves it's purpose wonderfully!
I'll start with the outer features first.
The material the pack is made out of is a sturdy canvas type material that has a coating on the inside to help repel water.
The shoulder straps are nice and wide with great padding. They are contoured to be ergonomic for excellent comfort. The sternum strap can be adjusted up or down the shoulder straps and has a slight amount of give for comfort. You'll notice this when huffing and puffing while on a trail with this pack. It helps you to get a full breath and still stabilize the pack. The sternum strap also has a small loop for attaching a carabiner. Adjustment of the shoulder and sternum straps is smooth and easy.
The pack has a nice waist strap too. It's padded around the sides and uses 2 inch webbing and sturdy side release buckle. It's easy to adjust it on the go. One side requires the adjustment via a tri-glide, but the other side is easily adjustable just like normal backpack shoulder straps. This strap really takes a lot of the pressure off the shoulders and puts it on the hips.
The back of the pack is has very thick padding to protect you from you load. This adding is mesh-like to help in breathability and is also stitched to provide air channels for better air flow to your back. This padding is really comfy!
The top has a sturdy carry handle as well.
Moving to the sides of the pack, there is one large pocket on each side, with an elastic opening . When I say large these pockets can fit the Snugpak Softie Elite Sleeping bag with no problem. You can also place items like sleeping mats and folding chairs in this pocket (dependent on their circumference) and stabilize them using the compression straps on the side. Smaller items stay in the pockets also due to the strong elastic top, which hasn't lost any of it's elasticity during my use.
The sides have compression straps with side release buckles (SRBs) on them. Not only is this good for compressing and stabilizing your load but this also lets you strap items to the side of your pack.
Moving to the front of the pack there is a smaller mesh pocket. This is nice for placing smaller items that you may want to have quick access to. The top of this pocket is closed via velcro. I've also found this a good place to tuck in the extra webbing from the top flap.
The front also features elastic shock cord with cord lock for strapping clothing items to the outside that you have quick access to.
The top flap of the pack has two pockets on it to help organize your smaller items. One is internal and is about half the size of the flap and zips closed. The outer one is the size of the top flap itself and easily holds ton of small to medium sized items. As for the flap itself, it can be used to cover an item or two that is placed on the top of the main compartment so that this item can be easily accessed without actually opening the main compartment. When carrying extra footwear I will place this footwear here so it doesn't get dirt and mud on the inside of the pack. The flap has elastic around the sides to get a nice tight fit over the top of the pack. The flap is held down by two adjustable straps that also compress the load.
The bottom of the pack has a small pocket that has a real cool feature...built in rain covers. There are 2 rain covers a DPM woodland pattern and one in tan to give camouflage options for different environments. Both rain covers are stitched to the pack so that they can't be lost as well, a very nice feature. These rain covers hook around the pack using cords and small cord hooks and also tightens around the pack via a draw string cord and cord lock. This cord lock is something I've had to replace due to damage. Since the rain covers are stored in the bottom the cord lock gets a lot of weight put on it and the included cord locks break. I've replaced it with an ITW Nexus cord lock and had no further problems. I suggest either replacing them when you get the pack or having some replacements handy in one of the pack's pockets.
There are also tool loops on the bottom front of the pack for attaching hatchets or ice axes.
Moving to the inside...
The top of the main compartment closes with a cloth neck and draw string with cord lock.
The main compartment is pretty basic, which is nice. The only addition inside the main compartment is a pouch on the left side (as worn) for a 100oz hydration bladder. There is a small grommet in the side of the pack for the hose that is covered with a velcro flap when not in use.
I think I've basically covered most of the features of this pack. For durability I've had absolutely no issues. I really do like this pack as it's just the right size and the materials it's made out of seem to be very tough, yet flexible. Snugpak has really gotten my attention and I highly recommend their products based on my experiences. Workmanship is excellent and materials are quality materials.
Loaded size: 24”H x 14”W x 12”D
Colors: Black, Coyote, OD
Approximate Price: $100
Available at Brigade Quartermasters
6 comments:
thanks for the great review and loads of detail, I've been considering this pack or a similar Karrimor SF pack. The pull out raincover is a great feature, overall size of this pack is great and by keeping limited features and pockets is sure to keep the weight down.
Love my Snugpack1!
nice review. been thinking of buying one for weekend backpack trips. i really dont like those bright Hello colors when backpacking.
but yet there are some design features i didnt like on the pack ( or didnt have). no load lifters , the hydration pouch on the side instead being on the back. i feel that can throw off your balance a bit. then looking at the pics. from your site the torso area seems really small. the hip belt around your stomach tells me that. anyways? not sure yet still but LOVE there sleeping bags. thank you for showing
Great review. Thinking about what unleashed630 said...
Is the waist strap sitting over your stomach because the shoulder straps are tight? Making the waist strap sit higher?
This is the only thing that is putting me off.
Is it possible to put some more pictures up? maybe with a measurements?
Sorry to be cheeky. Great review anyway and a great site!
Jamie,
I'll try to get some more pictures up in the future. The waist belt does run a little high. It might be because I tend to tighten the shoulder straps down quite a bit, but I think it's mostly designed this way. This being a military pack, and not a civilian pack, it's designed to be used with military gear. So I believe that the waist strap is slightly higher to accommodate a "war belt". This way the pack can be comfortably worn while still keeping all your gear on your pistol belt. That'd be my take on this issue.
I've had this bag for about a year and used it to lug all my work stuff with me when I cycle to work. I needed a huge bag due to carrying gym gear, bike locks, lunch boxes, work clothes etc etc. However I never knew half the features - I had my suspicions that there was more to it than i was using - but hydration pack valve and underneath waterproof covers just totally transformed this into an amazing tool in my life. Cheers bud!
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