What makes a pack?
There are many things that can make or break a pack. These include: durability, function, elemental resistance, capacity, bells and whistles, and of course, comfort. Packs need to be made of durable materials so they don't fall apart on the trial. They need to be able to hold their own against rain, snow and any other elements, in case of an emergency. Packs also need to be able to store all your gear with ease and in the right orientation, so your pack has a good weight distribution. Finally, a pack needs to be comfortable, as if you are out on a multi-day hike with 25kg of gear, you don't want a pack that is digging into you or is not padded enough. So how does the Kathmandu Incite 60L pack weigh up in each of these categories?Durability
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| Kathmandu Incite 60L - Exterior |
I have only done one "road test" of this pack, and I was carrying 18kg (a failed attempt at packing light) I had no concerns that the pack would rip, nor that I was putting tension on the straps that they couldn't handle. Albeit, this was not pushing the limits of the pack's weight capacity, but it was a comfortable weight for an overnight hike.
I'm not trying to be wizard like here, but once I touched the pack, it gave off an aura of durability. You can tell from the get-go that the gridTECH won't fail you. If you ever get the chance, at least go to a Kathmandu store and touch one of these packs. You'll see what I mean. It feels both durable and water-resistant. Almost edging on water-proof.
Function
A pack can look as good as it wants, but that means nothing if it doesn't work. The Incite does both. Despite looking quite good in the graphite/orange colour combination, it also serves its purpose. Though 18kg of gear doesn't quite push the limits of the pack's functionality, it shows how easily one can store gear in this pack. My sleeping bag fits horizontally at the bottom of the pack, which helps save a lot of space. I was then able to put everything else on top of it, including my sleeping mat, towel, clothes (which I had way too many of) and food bag. Unfortunately, the fold down top of the pack makes it hard to stuff extra gear in, but makes the pack thoroughly more water-resistant than other drawstring top packs. Perhaps this was done to make hikers like me take less gear... Aside from this, my only other complaint is the side water bottle pockets While they make great hiking pole holsters, I need them to hold water bottles when my pack is full. Which they couldn't. I will do further testing of this, to see if it was just the way I was packing my pack, but I don't think it was.
Elemental Resistance
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Kathmandu Incite 60L being an alpine
pack as labelled
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By this I mean how well the pack fairs against rain, snow, wind etc. The Incite seems to hold its own against water. I haven't been able to test how water-resistant it is yet, due to the lack of storms at times when I am hiking, but the quality of its material speaks for itself. I am not particularly worried about water-proofing my gear, just from the feel of the fabric. The gridTECH feels water-resistant, and even the seems seem water-resistant (see what I did there?). The zipper on the top of the pack has a water-resistant outer lining, making me feel even more secure about this pack in winter conditions. The Incite is even labelled as an alpine pack, and if there were alpines in Australia, that's where I would be taking it. I truly believe that this pack can stand up to the elements. But just to be sure, I strapped a Deuter 60-90L raincover to the back of it.
Capacity
The Incite is labelled as a 60L pack. Now, I'm not about to go crazy and pour water into it to see if this is true or not, but I'll suffice to say it is big enough. It's not the largest pack, but it fits all my gear in, plus too many clothes and a 2L water bladder. It even fits my sleeping bag in horizontally, which is more than can be said for that $80 pack I bought on sale... But the moral of this story is the pack is thoroughly big enough to fit all your gear for multi-day hikes, assuming you pack what you need and not every comfort item you can find in your house.
Bells and Whistles
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| Kathmandu Incite 60L - Removable top |
Though not essential for a hiking pack, it is nice to have some functional features when you're paying $300 dollars or more for a good pack. Starting from the top, there is a mesh pocket inside the top compartment. This makes it easy to store things such as pocket knives, medication, earphones, wallets, phones (assuming they aren't the size that sticks out of your pocket) etc. Also a feature of the top compartment is that it is fully detachable. This is a feature that cannot be found on some packs, and makes a hand replacement for a pillow when filled with clothes. Inside the pack there are many hidden features that can be found. Below the fold down top, there are two slits for hydration bladder hoses to be put through, which can attach to the clip on the left shoulder strap (another nifty accessory). Speaking of hydration bladders, there is also an inbuilt holder for hydration bladders. This features an elastic top seam, so your hydration bladder stays secure in its position in the pack. Above this pocket, there is another zip pocket, for more storage of small items. This is bigger than the pocket found in the top, and is made fully of fabric, not mesh. This makes it easy to store larger items, such as excessively large phones, maps, basic first-aid gear, gps, satellite phone etc. The pack also features water bottle holders, but as I mentioned before, when the pack is full, these don't really function as water bottle holders as much as hiking pole holsters. In between these water bottle pockets is an elastic lattice, which is useful for many things. However, the only purpose I have found for it is holding my raincover, which it does securely and with ease. Hidden in behind this are two daisy chains, forming an 'A' shape, presumably making the labelled "A-frame ski attachment". Whatever that is... Below this, there are two ice-axe loops, which I'm sure would function well in a country which has a) snow, b) ice and c) a need for ice-axes. Finally, there are loops on the hip belts, which are labelled as "gear holsters". The only purpose I have found for these though is putting my thumbs in, to rest my arms. Which is also useful.
Comfort
 Kathmandu Incite 60L - S2 Pro harness |
This is possibly the most defining factor of a pack. It needs to be comfortable enough that you aren't feeling pain as soon as you start on the trail. With my 18kg testing weight, properly distributed and adjusted, the pack was fairly comfortable for the 7km that I walked. The pack was quite easy to adjust, except for the torso size. The Incite features Kathmandu's S2 Pro harness system, where the adjustment mechanism for the torso size is hidden behind the moulded back pads. Despite this vast range of adjustment capabilities, I found that the pack did not have quite enough padding for me. It seemed to dig in in places, namely just above my hips and my shoulder blades. This was possibly due to my slim figure (I have less padding than most), but I think it was more due to the lack of padding on the pack's harness. After a while, I got used to it, but I can't help thinking there isn't enough padding on this hiking pack, which is an essential feature.
Overall this is a great pack with a lot of features and capabilities, but it misses out slightly in the comfort area. I would love to see this pack come back with more padding and some pockets on the hip belts, so I can have easy access to my camera. This, if nothing else, would help me build a following on my Instagram account, featuring lots of hiking related pictures. Speaking of which, if you're interested in hiking pictures, hit me up with a follow! Search rohanjc and click that follow request button.
Take a further look at the Kathmandu Incite 60L here: http://www.kathmandu.com.au/incite-gridtech-xt-pack-graphite-orange.html
Adventure on!
- Rohan.
