The Gossamer Gear Quick Kumo is a 36-liter ultralight backpack with vest-style shoulder straps and an elective detachable hip belt. Whereas it’s designed for fastpacking (operating and backpacking), it additionally makes a wonderful daypack for prolonged hikes in addition to an incredible carry-on bag for journey with its quite a few pockets and compressibility. Gossamer Gear nonetheless makes the unique model of the Kumo 36 with common backpacking shoulder straps, though the match is barely completely different. I used the unique Kumo 36 for a few years and cherished it, however the addition of the vest straps and their extremely practical pockets are an enormous improve on the unique that’s value contemplating if in case you have a Kumo in your sights.
- Weight: 21.5 oz (detachable hip belt is 3.2 oz)
- Quantity: 36L (28L of closed storage, doesn’t embody vest pockets)
- Gender: Unisex
- Pockets: 10 (that’s not a mistake)
- Hydration Prepared: Sure (no inner hydration pocket – hand loop solely)
- Load Lifters: No
- Hipbelt pockets: Sure
- Trekking pole holders: Sure
- Entry: High
- Supplies: 70D and 100D Robic Nylon
- Max really helpful weight: 20-25 lbs
The Quick Kumo 36 is a frameless backpack made with Robic nylon. It has an exterior sit pad pocket that holds a comfortable foam pad, offers the pack somewhat construction, provides consolation, and is helpful once you need to sit down for some time. The shoulder straps are extra-wide vest-style straps with twin sternum straps loaded with pockets able to holding comfortable bottles, a smartphone, or snacks. A detachable hip belt with two mesh pockets can also be included and is designed to maintain the pack near your torso when operating.
The Quick Kumo has Gossamer Gear’s signature fold-over high, which is a cross between a high lid, a roll high, and an extension collar. It has a large map pocket on the skin that’s additionally good for holding private gadgets. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have a key fob. The fold-over high shouldn’t be handy to make use of usually, so that you’re higher off storing much less regularly used gadgets within the pack’s most important compartment and every part else in its open exterior pockets within the pack’s shoulder straps, entrance stretch mesh pocket, facet pockets, and hip belt pockets.
The within of the principle compartment doesn’t have a hydration pocket, however it does have a loop from which you’ll cling a reservoir, central hose ports between the shoulder straps, and hose keeper loops. There are facet stretch water bottle pockets on the edges of the pack which have compression cords above them if you wish to safe tall bottles or ones with a water filter screwed on high. The facet pockets have entrance minimize outs so you’ll be able to attain again and pull a bottle out the entrance of the pocket when you can’t pull it out from the highest.
The entrance of the pack has a big stretch mesh pocket that’s good for storing layers or damp gadgets. There are trekking pole loops on the base of the pocket that may settle for pole suggestions, however there aren’t any elastic shaft holders to safe the highest of the poles to the pack. It’s the identical story with the ice axe loop on the opposite facet, which doesn’t have a shaft holder. In each instances, you’ll be able to create one by looping an elastic wire round one of many wire lops distributed within the seams or the pack or by tucking the highest of your poles or axe below the facet compression straps.
However the star of the Quick Kumo “present” is the pack’s vest-style shoulder straps. They’re the pack’s workplace. They’re well-padded with spacer mesh and have twin sternum straps to maintain the pack near your chest and stop bouncing. You’ll discover that the Quick Kumo sits a bit larger in your torso than on the common Kumo 36 and helps keep your ahead momentum higher, even when you’re climbing and never operating.
The hip belt additionally rides larger up on the torso, beneath the ribs. It’s detachable however has two mesh pockets giant sufficient to retailer two or three bars. I favor to hike with out it as a result of the contents of my pack and the vest straps hold the pack near my torso with out it. Being frameless, the hipbelt additionally doesn’t play a supporting position on the Kumo (or on every other frameless backpack) aside from a spot to place pockets.
The shoulder straps have two deep pockets for holding water bottles – 500ml comfortable bottles work nicely, however so do hard-sized 23.7 oz bottles. The fitting strap has a shorter pocket later over the bottle pocket that’s good for snacks and a small half pocket (sewn closed on high) with an open nook to stuff trash inside. Nonetheless, I have to say that the trash pockets you discover on fastpacks and a few backpacks don’t make a lot sense to me if you wish to decrease in a single day meals smells in bear nation (Simply saying). The left vest strap has a second zippered pocket layered over the bottle pocket that’s giant sufficient to retailer a Smartphone, and it may be used even if in case you have a water bottle contained in the internal pocket.
Frameless backpack comparability
Suggestion
The Gossamer Gear Kumo 36 is a frameless ultralight fastpack that can be utilized for path operating, backpacking, or day climbing. It has vest-style shoulder straps, twin sternum straps, and a detachable hipbelt that give it a special really feel from a extra standard backpack, one which rides larger and nearer on the torso than one with a body and a load-bearing hipbelt. With 36 liters of capability (28 liters inner) the Kumo is suitable for fastpacks and backpacking with minimal gear or prolonged day hikes that require extra clothes or meals. Should you just like the appears to be like of the Kumo however need a smaller capability model, I like to recommend trying out the Gossamer Gear Loris 25, which offers zipper entry to the principle compartment and is extra attuned to the extra frequent storage entry that day hikers favor.
Disclosure: Gossamer Gear donated a Quick Kumo for overview.
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