The Gossamer Gear Quick Kumo is a 36-liter ultralight backpack with vest-style shoulder straps and an non-obligatory detachable hip belt. Whereas it’s designed for fastpacking (operating and backpacking), it additionally makes a superb daypack for prolonged hikes in addition to an amazing 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 beloved it, however the addition of the vest straps and their extremely useful pockets are an enormous improve on the unique that’s price 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 embrace vest pockets)
- Gender: Unisex
- Pockets: 10 (that’s not a mistake)
- Hydration Prepared: Sure (no inside hydration pocket – hand loop solely)
- Load Lifters: No
- Hipbelt pockets: Sure
- Trekking pole holders: Sure
- Entry: Prime
- Supplies: 70D and 100D Robic Nylon
- Max really useful 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 gentle foam pad, provides the pack a bit construction, provides consolation, and is useful while you wish 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 gentle 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 prime, which is a cross between a prime lid, a roll prime, and an extension collar. It has a large map pocket on the surface that’s additionally good for holding private gadgets. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have a key fob. The fold-over prime isn’t handy to make use of usually, so that you’re higher off storing much less ceaselessly used gadgets within the pack’s 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, but it surely does have a loop from which you’ll grasp a reservoir, central hose ports between the shoulder straps, and hose keeper loops. There are facet stretch water bottle pockets on the perimeters of the pack which have compression cords above them if you wish to safe tall bottles or ones with a water filter screwed on prime. The facet pockets have entrance lower outs so you’ll be able to attain again and pull a bottle out the entrance of the pocket in case 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 circumstances, you’ll be able to create one by looping an elastic twine round one of many twine lops distributed within the seams or the pack or by tucking the highest of your poles or axe beneath 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 preserve your ahead momentum higher, even in case you’re mountain 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 preserve the pack near my torso with out it. Being frameless, the hipbelt additionally doesn’t play a supporting function on the Kumo (or on some other frameless backpack) apart from a spot to place pockets.
The shoulder straps have two deep pockets for holding water bottles – 500ml gentle bottles work nicely, however so do hard-sized 23.7 oz bottles. The correct strap has a shorter pocket later over the bottle pocket that’s good for snacks and a small half pocket (sewn closed on prime) with an open nook to stuff trash inside. Nonetheless, I need 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 reduce 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 mountain climbing. It has vest-style shoulder straps, twin sternum straps, and a detachable hipbelt that give it a unique 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 inside) the Kumo is acceptable for fastpacks and backpacking with minimal gear or prolonged day hikes that require extra clothes or meals. When you just like the seems to be of the Kumo however need a smaller capability model, I like to recommend testing 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 assessment.
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