Kelty Hawkeye Lumbar Pack : Good Fit, Priced Right

I strapped on my Kelty Hawkeye pack, and tackled Tiger Mountain, a 2,000 foot elevation gain. It took me 65 minutes for the three-mile hike up, and 40 minutes to get back down. Those of you who were paying attention in science (grade school) will realize that the same distance with the aid of gravity can take a lot less time.

This time of year it's always wet and muddy, and I got my new Hawkeye pack all dirty. What I didn't do was fill the pack to capacity. I tried. I carried enough water for my dog, Red, and for me. I packed treats for both of us. I stashed my rain jacket in it when I heated up. I threw in a few plastic bags for poop, a leash, and my cell phone. I even packed my camera, just in case I encountered Sasquatch. And I still had room for an extra pair of shoes and a teddy bear.

For the past nine years, I've been pretty happy with the man purse I had. But I'm happy I have the roomy Hawkeye for longer outings.

The stretchy mesh pouches on each end of the bag are big enough to carry water bottles and have just the right about of stretch to hold them in place. No more bottles tumbling out on a good downhill bounding run.

The top of the Hawkeye is not just a zippered slash across the top. It's C-shaped, with the two points of the 'C' culminating at my back. So when I'm on the trail I can reach back and open the mouth and actually reach in for my snack. An excellent piece of engineering.

The Hawkeye is loaded with pouches, pockets, cubby holes, and hiding places. This allows me to keep the food separate from the poop, the camera from the water, and have a special place just for my car keys. The zips are all nice YKK brand. But the teeth aren't so big that muddy crap gets into them and jams the zipper.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fit. With many lumbar packs I've worn in the past the "lumbar" aspect of the pack seems merely to be a suggestion about where it should be worn. The Hawkeye actually sits on the correct spot on my back, has effective padding, and has an internal support hoop that keeps the pack from folding over on itself. In other words, the pack hugs me where it's supposed to hug me, so I can concentrate on the scenery.

Bottom LIne: The Hawkeye pack is a great option for day hikers, and it's priced below many similar-sized packs from other companies.--C.H. (Nov '07)

Price: $70

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Manufacturer's Site: www.kelty.com