Has anybody tried one yet? I just might plop down the cash for one. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my local Walmart (non-supercenter) had 4 of these backpacks in the sporting goods section. Walmart.com doesn't show them online but I did find this via Google: Coleman Max 65-Liter Rucksack Customer Ratings & Reviews - Top & Best Rated Products - Walmart ^ I'm not exactly sure if that's the exact pack, but 5 stars out of 14 reviews ain't too shabby. If you Google or Youtube "Coleman Max Elate 65L Backpack" you'll find more reviews and videos. Google Image doesn't pull much up. I don't backpack often but I do want a pack of this size for when I do. It'd be simple hiking from the boat ramp's parking lot out to maybe 5 miles or so along the river in the woods for a nice camping endeavor -- Nothing too major since I'm in Iowa and there's a house no more than 5 miles in any direction anywhere in this state, along with gravel roads and highways. 75 bucks would be the most I'd want to spend for a large pack -- $200+ for a nicer Kelty would be outrageous for me since I'm not an "extreme backpacker." Just wondering what you all think. Looks like a pretty good deal. The pack is probably made in Vietnam but, like always, you get what you pay for. I don't think I'd trust the bottom lashing loops for more than a sleeping bag and pad. I've had good luck with Coleman tents and sleeping bags and etcetera with my small wallet so I think I might take the plunge on this pack. Opinions? Thanks! P.S. Next time I'm at my Walmart, I'll check these packs out even more, i.e., see what the frame is made of, try it on, etc, and come back and tell you all about it.
Coleman makes good gear for the occasional use. I have had a couple of xponent packs that have been used by many young people the past 12 years and they have held up just fine. (grandpas need extra gear for impromptu outings when the kids come to visit.) More critical to me than price is the weight itself. If it's in the 5 lb range that is good for the money. However, be warned, a few nights 5 miles along the river is going to lead to more and more trips.:tinysmile_twink_t2:
^ Good points, @Grandpa. Weight of the pack itself is a big issue but, can't get everything for 75 bones, I'm betting. I'll be sure to judge the pack next time I'm there. Today, they had 4 of this "Elate" name; orange/grey, red/black, and 2 blue/black -- I hope they still have the orange one when I get the cash, as it'd be the lightest color (and I like orange, lol). I've done a few 14-mile (round trip) trips along the river with a heavy camo hunting pack, and it wasn't so bad -- I just "need" a "huge" pack for the non-hunting season just enjoying the woods, with plenty more room to spare (according to weight, of course).
:tinysmile_fatgrin_tCome on grand pa, you remember the weight aint an issue days:tinysmile_fatgrin_t Back in my young deckhand days I weighed like 180 and had this big haukin canvas bag That I tied to an external frame. The frames big cool feature is it had fold out legs that would prop it up and make like an on the ground back rest for sitting. Surely ya remember the days when back rest were a luxury. The bags big advantage was it had a long narrow pocket on both sides and they could hold a fly rod or machetti or gun. 80 90 lbs wernt nuffin and ya could go all day with it on ya back. Weight wasn't an issue it was a challenge. Sadly those days are gone replaced by a more leisure life style. Come to think of it though, I still cary that pack weight with every step I take. so I guess Im still pretty rugged. Only thing is now the weight is built in.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Yep Cappy, a 300 lb friend assured me he could carry an extra 100 lbs too. Then I patted his belly and said, "yeah I know you can but how you going to carry your sleeping bag"?:tinysmile_fatgrin_t What I can carry and what I do carry are a long ways apart. Being lazy has its advantages.:tinysmile_twink_t2:
Yeah I picked one up about 3 years ago for guest use, pirmary use was my GF at the time now wife who has her own good pack. It works ok but I noticed that the zippers would then to bust if the pack was to stuffed. It is ok for use every now and then, but if you are looking for a pirmary pack, and are not in a rush to get it. I would watch the internet (REI outlet, backcountry, groupon (yes I have gotten 1 good deal on a high serira pack off groupon good), etc.) and go ahead and get a good one. You will be happy when you zipper does not pop on you 5 miles deep and you dont have another good pack to stuff (was my pack in our situation).
I got one to use as a loaner pack. Love the design but don't trust it for regular use. The zipperd are lighter weight then I like and the stitching is weak as well. If you are not going to backpack often, using it around town, or using it for car camping it is a nice pack. However for me I do about 30 to 40 days a year out and the construction of the pack I feel wouldn't hold up over time.
Don't poo-poo a pack just because it's made in Vietnam. Those thirteen year-olds can sew like their life depends on it (because it does). Deuter packs moved their manufacturing to Vietnam so they could keep prices competitive. I love mine... It has help up well despite my abuse. I really wish I had gotten the lite version now, but I can put 30 pounds in it and it wears like a dream.
Read the reviews and you'll see how it got 5 stars. One person talks about this as their pack for long day trips. A backpacker would be using that for 3-4 day outings, not an afternoon in the park. The people writing reviews on Walmart.com aren't exactly serious outdoorsmen. I'm not saying Coleman doesn't make good stuff. I use a cooking set for my ultralight pack. Their stuff is usually heavy, and this pack is a shining example. campmor.com has a Jansport klamath 55 pack for just a few bucks more than that coleman. I used a klamath 85 in a multi-month backpacking/hitchhiking trip around the eastern half of the US and put that thing through some serious torture and it held up amazingly. It's a tough pack. The klamath 55 is below 4 lbs., which is about right for a multi-day pack. If you want a beginner backpack, check this one out.
We have had a few packs by Coleman break only at the zipper which I had to do a quick mend on. Oddly though the grand-kids all have Coleman backpacks for school and theirs are much better than the ones we have seen for backpacking. I would think both should be the same quality though, that is where Coleman loses me.
I'm purchasing a barely used USMC ILBE Generation II with lid and waist strap, tomorrow, for 60 bones. Again, thanks for the input, guys and gals. Keep this thread going.
