The Symbiosis Gear Aspen UL backpack is an ultralight, frameless backpack designed for girls by a lady. This makes it uncommon on the earth of ultralight backpacks, the place most packs are unisex. This principally means they’re made for males.
Sort: FramelessVoume: 48L (38L predominant, 10L exterior pockets)Weight: 25 oz/ 708 gGender: Unisex however made for girls and people with slim shoulders, with S-shaped shoulder strapsPockets: 5 openWaist belt pockets: NoHydration suitable: NoLoad lifters: NoMaximum really useful load: 20 lbsSizing: One sizeMaterials: 420D Extreema (Nylon), Spundra UHMWPEFit: 5’2” to six’1” heightHipbelt vary: 18”-50”
Backpack Storage and Group
The Aspen is a top-loading backpack with a complete capability of 48 liters. This consists of 38 liters of inner quantity and 10 liters within the exterior pockets. The pack bag has a roll prime with snaps for closure and a Y-strap to carry it down.
There are 5 open pockets: a big entrance stretch pocket good for storing stuff you want quick access. There are two massive aspect pockets fabricated from stable, sturdy 420D ripstop nylon material. It’s potential to seize a water bottle from the aspect pockets and put it again in. It may be performed with a Nalgene, however it’s a lot simpler with a tall bottle with a smaller diameter, corresponding to Smartwater or an analogous model. One pocket will maintain two such bottles or one bottle plus different gear. Each pockets have a cord-locked shock wire on the opening.
There’s a fourth pocket on the underside of the pack. It’s the identical stretch material as on the entrance pocket. It could possibly be a superb place to place a map, a sit pad, or a bandana. Additionally, something inside it could possibly get squished while you set the pack down. This pocket is most safe when the pack is full, however it’s not a superb place to maintain valuables.
The fifth pocket is an built-in stretch cellphone pocket on the appropriate shoulder strap. I used to be initially skeptical about this pocket, however it holds onto my cellphone fairly effectively, and it doesn’t impede shoulder motion.
You’ll be able to match a full-size bear canister vertically within the pack, then pack round it. Nevertheless, this takes up a big quantity of the usable inside area. It’s endorsed that you simply add a sit pad to the again for padding. You could possibly additionally put it on prime utilizing the Y strap; nonetheless, you’ll most likely need it empty or full of mild issues, reasonably than including a considerable amount of weight excessive up on the pack and throwing off your stability.
There are not any pockets on the waistbelt. Nevertheless, a removable pouch is within the design section at Symbiosis Gear.
Backpack Body
The Aspen is a frameless backpack with a padded mesh again. The pack is outfitted with female-friendly S-curve shoulder straps. I discovered them fairly snug, and they need to match any breast dimension. The sternum strap may be very simply adjusted alongside the shoulder strap. A part of it’s stretchy with the intention to get a agency but forgiving match.
The Apen doesn’t use load lifters, and so they’d be pointless on a frameless backpack anyway as a result of there’s no body to anchor them to. When packing the pack, you need to ensure you don’t oversuff it so it barrels towards your again however lies flat towards it.
The waist belt is easy 1.5” webbing, so it doesn’t switch load to the hips. The buckle lies properly flat and is straightforward to function. Huge elastic bands wrap across the belt that you need to use to handle any extra belt webbing
Exterior Attachment and Compression
The Aspen has zigzag aspect compression straps that run the size of the pack and may also be used to connect gadgets to the edges. There’s not a lot extra size, so it’s troublesome to connect something cumbersome. There’s a lengthy Y-strap that can be utilized to compress the highest of the pack or to safe a cumbersome merchandise, corresponding to a foam sledding pad.
Along with shock wire over the entrance stretch pocket, there are gear loops on the base of the pack to facilitate carrying trekking poles. There are additionally daisy chains on the shoulder straps for attaching accent pockets.
Most Advisable Load
The Aspen is rated for 20 lbs, and after I go over that, it turns into uncomfortable. Ideally, you’d need to get your base weight (minus meals, gasoline, and water) right down to round 10 lbs and carry a minimal load to suit into the pack’s 38L of closed capability and 10L of open pocket area. That’s a fairly minimal summer time load by my requirements, with few nice-to-have consolation gadgets. Whereas the Aspen is a backpack designed for girls, you’ll need to shrink your load quantity and weight considerably to make use of it comfortably, significantly in the event you use a backpack with a body and hipbelt in the present day.
Suggestion
The Symbiosis Aspen is an ultralight frameless backpack designed for girls. With a complete capability of 48 liters (38L of closed storage), it’s primarily designed for thru-hikers who need a sturdy ultralight backpack made with thick nylon (Extreema) reasonably than dearer Dyneema or Extremely material. That stated, the Aspen would additionally make a pleasant pack for shorter-duration or weekend backpacking journeys, supplied you may preserve your whole pack weight underneath 20 kilos.
Disclosure: Symbiosis donated a backpack for evaluate.
In regards to the Writer
Wanda Rice has been backpacking because the late 1980’s. She has climbed the New Hampshire 48, the New Hampshire 48 in winter, the New England 67, the New England Hundred Highest, and the 4-Season 48. Wanda additionally teaches for the Appalachian Mountain Membership’s (AMC) Mountain Management College, the AMC New Hampshire Chapter Spring and Winter Faculties in addition to the AMC NH Winter Mountain climbing Collection. She leads day and in a single day journeys for AMC NH year-round and loves mentoring new leaders. She is a gear junkie, a self-proclaimed Queen of Gear Hacks, and loves sharing her ideas and methods with others. Wanda lives in southern NH and is trying ahead to transferring nearer to the mountains within the subsequent few years.
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