Todd
2006-11-29 06:33:04 UTC
Arc'Teryx Arro 22 Daypack
BY Todd O. Morken
November 29, 2006
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME: Todd O. Morken
EMAIL: mantraboy1-***@public.gmane.org
AGE: 32
LOCATION: Upper Midwest
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 11" (1.80 m)
WEIGHT: 190 lb (86.20 kg)
I have been backpacking for 15 years. I take 3-4 trips each year that
are a week or longer in duration, as well as several weekend trips. I
usually end up with a heavy daypack weighing 20 lb (9.1 kg) as I like
to be over-prepared, but I'm learning to lighten my load through
better gear selection. My hiking trips range from the mountains to
the desert and flat lands. In addition, being from North Dakota I
have a lot of experience with hiking and camping in snow and cold
temperatures.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Arc'Teryx
Year of Manufacture: 2005 (Still currently produced)
URL: <<HYPERLINK GOES HERE - "http://www.arcteryx.com">>
Listed weight: 2 lb 5 oz (1100 g)
Actual tested weight: 2 lb 6 oz (1177 g)
Size: One Size
Volume: 1340 cu in (22 L)
Materials: HDPE framesheet, 1680D Ballistic Nylon, Armourlite, Hypalon
Warranty: Lifetime
MSRP: $130.00 US
Product Description:
The Arc'Teryx Arro 22 pack is designed to be a durable daypack for
anything from urban commuting to the most extreme conditions that
require a daypack of its size. The pack comes in only one torso size,
but seems to fit a variety of torso sizes well. I wear a large in
their other packs but the Arro 22 fits me pretty well. It does not
come with any accessories, and a hydration bladder is not included.
The body of the pack is made from 1680D Ballistic Nylon, the front
Kangaroo pocket is Armourlite, a very tough smooth fabric. The
attachment points are made from or reinforced with Hypalon. The back
of the pack has a thermoformed padded back panel, and a semi-rigid
HDPE framesheet. The shoulder straps have load adjusters and the
sternum strap is adjustable for height. Both are features you don't
find on many packs of this size but are very useful for fit and pack
stability. The waist strap is 1 in wide, non padded, and user
removable. This is also a nice feature since I've found 1" wide non
padded waist straps to be of little use on daypacks of this size and
usually just get in the way. There is a heavy duty carry handle on
the top of the pack that is very convenient for when you just want to
grab the pack and go. The pack has a covered opening on the top that
allows the hydration bladder hose to exit the pack and a clip to
attach it to the shoulder strap.
The front of the pack has two mesh water bottle pockets, one of which
has a Velcro closure, and the other elastic. They are not as deep as
I would like, but I find this to be the case on most packs. It will
hold a Nalgene bottle, but not very securely due to the shallow nature
of the pocket. There is one Hypalon loop on the front of the pack
that can hold a carabineer. The large vertical zippered kangaroo
pocket on the front of the pack has drainage holes at the bottom.
It's perfect for either storing wet items, or just small frequently
used items you don't want to have to dig into the main pack for.
Inside the pack is a mesh sleeve for up to a 100 oz (3 L) hydration
bladder. There is an interior zipper at the top which allows access
to the HDPE framesheet if you need or desire to remove it. Other than
that there are no other pockets on the inside or outside of the pack.
The zippers are heavy duty water resistant YKK zippers. The shoulder
straps are nicely padded but not too bulky and have attachment points
that can easily accept a small accessory pouch to hold a GPS, cell
phone, etc. The bottom of the pack is not flat, the bottom angles up
from the back of the pack and then angles back to the top of the pack.
This means the pack does not sit up by itself so when it's not on the
user it has to be laid on its side, or leaned up against something to
stay upright. This angular design creates an aerodynamic sleek look
to the pack, but at the expense of some capacity.
Field Use:
I have used this pack on many short local and weekend hikes. I've
used it on the bike as a commuter pack, and even just around town and
for school. The pack has performed very well in all these uses. It
is comfortable, and is just the right size for an urban commuter pack.
It rides very well on the bike, but the top of the pack sits pretty
high and tends to contact the back of my helmet on rough rides.
It has also been used on two more extensive trips the first being a 4
week trip to the Southwest. During this trip the pack was used on
many day hikes in conditions that ranged from below freezing at 13,000
ft (3962 m) in the Loveland Pass area of Colorado, to 110 F (61 C) in
Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, and everywhere in between. The second
trip was this fall in the little badlands of North Dakota where it was
used for a week during a geology field course. During this time the
temperatures ranged from 60 F (16 C) to 80 F (27 C). We did field
mapping for the entire week so we were out hiking around for 10-12
hours a day.
It performed on both trips without any problems. The Arro 22 pack is
the perfect size to pack a lot of water, and still get the bare
essentials such as food, first aid, survival gear, and raingear for a
day hike. The pack was never uncomfortable, and the semi rigid
framesheet is a great feature. Without a framesheet many daypacks do
not sit flat on your back because the hydration bladder rounds out the
back of the pack. This makes for an uncomfortable pack that does not
ride on your back well. The Arro 22 does not suffer from this
problem it rode securely over rough and smooth terrain. I never used
the waist belt as with a pack of this size I've never seen much use
for one. The shoulder straps, load straps, and adjustable sternum
strap make for a very adjustable and comfortable fit. The pack
proved to be very durable and took everything thrown at it. I would
say the average weight of the pack during my use was probably 13 lb
(5.5 kg) with a max of somewhere in the 18 lb (7.3 kg) range. It
handled these loads comfortably, and securely.
As for improvements I would like to see the water bottle pockets made
larger, or some type of bottle securing strap built in. I would also
like to see a daisy chain added to the front of the pack. I've found
them very valuable for attaching carabineers or clipping small items
to. A wider padded hip belt would be a nice addition since it is
removable and would be much more useful than the thin unpadded strap
they provide currently. None of these are big issues in my book and
it is still by far my most used pack in this size range.
Summary:
I don't baby my gear, I expect it to be durable and perform, but I
also don't abuse it. That said, the Arc'Teryx Arro 22 has taken
everything I've thrown at it and not only been comfortable but
extremely durable. It has stood up to snow, sand, wind, rain, being
tossed around, and in general just used hard. It is not an ultra
light pack, but its durability and comfort more than makes up for it.
I've had to replace other daypacks that saw less use than this one has.
Pros:
1. Extremely durable
2. Kangaroo pocket is great for wet or small frequently needed items
3. HDPE framesheet for better fit when loaded, especially with a
hydration bladder.
Cons:
1. Water bottle pockets could be deeper, or have some type of bottle
retaining strap
2. Size options may help fitting those people with either very long
or very short torso lengths
3. No daisy chain
This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
BY Todd O. Morken
November 29, 2006
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME: Todd O. Morken
EMAIL: mantraboy1-***@public.gmane.org
AGE: 32
LOCATION: Upper Midwest
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 11" (1.80 m)
WEIGHT: 190 lb (86.20 kg)
I have been backpacking for 15 years. I take 3-4 trips each year that
are a week or longer in duration, as well as several weekend trips. I
usually end up with a heavy daypack weighing 20 lb (9.1 kg) as I like
to be over-prepared, but I'm learning to lighten my load through
better gear selection. My hiking trips range from the mountains to
the desert and flat lands. In addition, being from North Dakota I
have a lot of experience with hiking and camping in snow and cold
temperatures.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Arc'Teryx
Year of Manufacture: 2005 (Still currently produced)
URL: <<HYPERLINK GOES HERE - "http://www.arcteryx.com">>
Listed weight: 2 lb 5 oz (1100 g)
Actual tested weight: 2 lb 6 oz (1177 g)
Size: One Size
Volume: 1340 cu in (22 L)
Materials: HDPE framesheet, 1680D Ballistic Nylon, Armourlite, Hypalon
Warranty: Lifetime
MSRP: $130.00 US
Product Description:
The Arc'Teryx Arro 22 pack is designed to be a durable daypack for
anything from urban commuting to the most extreme conditions that
require a daypack of its size. The pack comes in only one torso size,
but seems to fit a variety of torso sizes well. I wear a large in
their other packs but the Arro 22 fits me pretty well. It does not
come with any accessories, and a hydration bladder is not included.
The body of the pack is made from 1680D Ballistic Nylon, the front
Kangaroo pocket is Armourlite, a very tough smooth fabric. The
attachment points are made from or reinforced with Hypalon. The back
of the pack has a thermoformed padded back panel, and a semi-rigid
HDPE framesheet. The shoulder straps have load adjusters and the
sternum strap is adjustable for height. Both are features you don't
find on many packs of this size but are very useful for fit and pack
stability. The waist strap is 1 in wide, non padded, and user
removable. This is also a nice feature since I've found 1" wide non
padded waist straps to be of little use on daypacks of this size and
usually just get in the way. There is a heavy duty carry handle on
the top of the pack that is very convenient for when you just want to
grab the pack and go. The pack has a covered opening on the top that
allows the hydration bladder hose to exit the pack and a clip to
attach it to the shoulder strap.
The front of the pack has two mesh water bottle pockets, one of which
has a Velcro closure, and the other elastic. They are not as deep as
I would like, but I find this to be the case on most packs. It will
hold a Nalgene bottle, but not very securely due to the shallow nature
of the pocket. There is one Hypalon loop on the front of the pack
that can hold a carabineer. The large vertical zippered kangaroo
pocket on the front of the pack has drainage holes at the bottom.
It's perfect for either storing wet items, or just small frequently
used items you don't want to have to dig into the main pack for.
Inside the pack is a mesh sleeve for up to a 100 oz (3 L) hydration
bladder. There is an interior zipper at the top which allows access
to the HDPE framesheet if you need or desire to remove it. Other than
that there are no other pockets on the inside or outside of the pack.
The zippers are heavy duty water resistant YKK zippers. The shoulder
straps are nicely padded but not too bulky and have attachment points
that can easily accept a small accessory pouch to hold a GPS, cell
phone, etc. The bottom of the pack is not flat, the bottom angles up
from the back of the pack and then angles back to the top of the pack.
This means the pack does not sit up by itself so when it's not on the
user it has to be laid on its side, or leaned up against something to
stay upright. This angular design creates an aerodynamic sleek look
to the pack, but at the expense of some capacity.
Field Use:
I have used this pack on many short local and weekend hikes. I've
used it on the bike as a commuter pack, and even just around town and
for school. The pack has performed very well in all these uses. It
is comfortable, and is just the right size for an urban commuter pack.
It rides very well on the bike, but the top of the pack sits pretty
high and tends to contact the back of my helmet on rough rides.
It has also been used on two more extensive trips the first being a 4
week trip to the Southwest. During this trip the pack was used on
many day hikes in conditions that ranged from below freezing at 13,000
ft (3962 m) in the Loveland Pass area of Colorado, to 110 F (61 C) in
Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, and everywhere in between. The second
trip was this fall in the little badlands of North Dakota where it was
used for a week during a geology field course. During this time the
temperatures ranged from 60 F (16 C) to 80 F (27 C). We did field
mapping for the entire week so we were out hiking around for 10-12
hours a day.
It performed on both trips without any problems. The Arro 22 pack is
the perfect size to pack a lot of water, and still get the bare
essentials such as food, first aid, survival gear, and raingear for a
day hike. The pack was never uncomfortable, and the semi rigid
framesheet is a great feature. Without a framesheet many daypacks do
not sit flat on your back because the hydration bladder rounds out the
back of the pack. This makes for an uncomfortable pack that does not
ride on your back well. The Arro 22 does not suffer from this
problem it rode securely over rough and smooth terrain. I never used
the waist belt as with a pack of this size I've never seen much use
for one. The shoulder straps, load straps, and adjustable sternum
strap make for a very adjustable and comfortable fit. The pack
proved to be very durable and took everything thrown at it. I would
say the average weight of the pack during my use was probably 13 lb
(5.5 kg) with a max of somewhere in the 18 lb (7.3 kg) range. It
handled these loads comfortably, and securely.
As for improvements I would like to see the water bottle pockets made
larger, or some type of bottle securing strap built in. I would also
like to see a daisy chain added to the front of the pack. I've found
them very valuable for attaching carabineers or clipping small items
to. A wider padded hip belt would be a nice addition since it is
removable and would be much more useful than the thin unpadded strap
they provide currently. None of these are big issues in my book and
it is still by far my most used pack in this size range.
Summary:
I don't baby my gear, I expect it to be durable and perform, but I
also don't abuse it. That said, the Arc'Teryx Arro 22 has taken
everything I've thrown at it and not only been comfortable but
extremely durable. It has stood up to snow, sand, wind, rain, being
tossed around, and in general just used hard. It is not an ultra
light pack, but its durability and comfort more than makes up for it.
I've had to replace other daypacks that saw less use than this one has.
Pros:
1. Extremely durable
2. Kangaroo pocket is great for wet or small frequently needed items
3. HDPE framesheet for better fit when loaded, especially with a
hydration bladder.
Cons:
1. Water bottle pockets could be deeper, or have some type of bottle
retaining strap
2. Size options may help fitting those people with either very long
or very short torso lengths
3. No daisy chain
This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.