This year, Patagonia entered into the backpack market and the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in February was abuzz when Patagonia sold samples of their new Refugio Pack at their booth. I picked one up and since that time, I’ve used the Refugio nearly every day for packing along camera gear for work, hiking around the Wasatch Mountains, and even as a mountain biking pack in a pinch.
Like everything Patagonia makes, the quality of the Refugio Pack is immaculate. But for a company that makes apparel for outdoor recreation, one would think the Refugio would stand up to the task. Sadly, this backpack is more appropriate for urban adventures than mountain epics.
On the surface, the Patagonia Refugio Pack is awesome, but it’s far from simple for the minimalists out there. If you have something, anything you want to take along, the Refugio has a pocket specifically designed to hold it. It has a 17-inch laptop sleeve, hydration resevoir pocket with tube port, and a main compartment for big stuff like extra jackets and your lunch. But the little pockets are what make the Refugio an urban-assault piece of gear. There are compartments for pens, chapstick, business cards, wallets, plane tickets, loose change, keys (with lanyard),water bottles, and a fleece-lined pocket for sunglasses or MP3 player.
Along with all the pockets, the Refugio Pack has features that make it seem like a true outdoors veteran. Airflow mesh covers the shoulder straps and back panel, the sternum strap has a built-in rescue whistle, and there are compression straps on the sides. Yet even with all these features, the Patagonia Refugio Pack felt limited. The reason is a simple one: the pack doesn’t have a wait strap.
During any sort of high-impact outdoor activity, a waist strap keeps your pack from flying off your shoulders. From trail running, to mountain biking (or even rock hopping,) when you slam on the brakes, that forward motion will make the pack either whack you in the back of the head or come off completely without that added security.
Because of this, the Patagonia Refugio Pack has been relegated to work duty, disc golf duty, and very light hiking duty. While it’s being put to use, the pack is extremely comfortable. The back panels are plush, the shoulder straps are thick and soft, and the hydration reservoir stays snug and pretty slosh-free inside its pocket. The fabric is also teched-out with a Deluge® DWR finish to protect your belongings in case of rain.
So if you’re a hardcore outdoorsman thinking the Patagonia brand will get you a pack for an ascent of K2, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re a student with lots of books, a parent that takes the kids down to the river walk, or someone who occasionally wanders the trails above town, then the Patagonia Refugio is probably all you’ll need, and it’ll make you look good doing it.
You can purchase the Refugio Pack directly from Patagonia.com
Thank you for this very in-depth review! I really found it quite handy. In fact, I just ordered one in black!
I think you’ll like it. I still use mine almost every day. It’s a workhorse for sure.