Backpacking season is here in the desert, and the mountains will be without snow in a few short months. Time to shop for a new backpacking pack! I’ve been using an old pack since the early 2000’s and it has worked well for me. But it has always felt heavy. Clearly materials have come a long way in the last 15 years as far as strength and weight, which is evident in the new Thule Versant 70L pack.
Bet you didn’t know that Thule, the respected maker of ski/bike racks and vehicle gear boxes, has expanded into backpacks. Well, I got to see them at Outdoor Retailer, and finally took one on a trip to the La Sal Mountains of Moab. It was a yurt trip instead of your typical backpacking trip, but I still hauled a ton of gear and beer, which made my load weigh around 60 pounds. So has Thule knocked it out of the park with their entry into the backpack market? I’ll get to that. First, the details.
The Thule Versant 70L backpack features:
- High strength Cordura fabric
- Customizable torso and hip-belt adjustability
- Removable, VersaClick waterproof rolltop pocket
- StormGuard system combines a rain cover with a waterproof bottom liner to create a fully weather-proof bag
- Top lid converts to a sling pack for summit hikes
- Large U-zip panel allows for easy access
- Two attachment loops for hiking poles or ice axes
- Front shove-it pocket for quick access
The initial thing I noticed with the Versant 70L pack is how light it is when empty. At first glance, I thought the pack couldn’t possibly hold all my gear for a three-day yurt trip, and the company says this pack is large enough for week-long adventures. I had nothing to worry about. I was able to stuff my sleeping bag, backcountry airbag pack, all my ski stuff like gloves, goggles, down booties, shovel, probe, food, extra clothes, and everything else you need on a yurt trip. I also carried about 4 beers and water both inside the pack and in the side pockets. After all that, there was still room to spare.
At the trailhead, the pack felt heavy to lift, but on my back, it sat comfortably. However, after a few miles of skinning, I noticed that the hip belts and shoulder straps were not the most comfortable, especially compared to my previous pack. Even after adjusting both to customize the pack to my dimensions, I decided that there just needs to be a little more padding for even more comfort. That would be an acceptable trade-off for a bit of added weight. Although the back panel and hip belts are adjustable (and it’s a super cool feature) I found the hip belts to be hard to adjust… it takes some muscle.
What I did like is the way the pack frame sat on the back of my hips. It’s ergonomic and almost makes the pack feel like an extension of my body. I also really appreciated the way the pack is set up as far as pockets and such. The water bottle holders on each side are tilted forward, so I could easily reach my bottles for a drink without having to root around blindly, or having to ask a friend to grab them for me.
The Versant 70L is both a top loader and a front loader, in that I could stuff my gear in from the top, but if I needed to access something in the bottom of the pack I could unzip the front and retrieve it without pulling everything out.
A rain cover (which I didn’t need to use despite getting caught in a hail storm) is found in a bottom pocket, and it provides good coverage of the back of the pack. This feature will be clutch on summer trips where afternoon cloud bursts are a given.
The top lid has a few pockets to stow small things like phone cables, papers and the like, and it detaches to make a sling for hiking summits. I also did not use this feature on the yurt trip, but it seems like it would work just fine (though I would still prefer to bring a small pack along that can carry a hydration bladder.)
One of the most unique features of the Versant 70L pack is the VersaClick pocket system. Thule offers a variety of add-on pockets to make the pack even more customizable. These include a pocket with a roll-top closure for waterproof protection of sensitive gear like matches or your phone. You can switch that pocket out for a regular zippered pocket, or you can click in a water bottle holder, which is what I chose to use for the yurt trip and it held my Nalgene bottle without any hangups.
Finally, I got a lot of use out of the front stretch pocket. This is a perfect spot to stuff an extra layer, like a hard shell, in case the weather turns nasty, and be able to access it very quickly. When the afore-mentioned hail storm hit, I was able to grab my shell from the stretch pocket and get it on before my wool mid-layer got too wet.
The Good: The pack itself won’t add to your load because it weighs so little. Extremely versatile with customizable sizing and VersaClick pocket system. Included rain cover. Well thought-out features like stretch front pocket and tilted side pockets.
The Bad: Shoulder straps and hip belts could use some more padding.
Final Word: Thule made a very strong entry into the world of backpacks with the Versant 70L. If you’re in the market for a new multi-day backpacking pack, do yourself a favor and give this one a look.
Thule’s Versant pack line also includes 50L and 60L versions for shorter trips. For more, or to purchase, check them at at thule.com