Aug 10
29
Kelty Tioga 5500 External Frame Pack
Kelty Tioga 5500 External Frame Pack
By Karenna Awtry
External frame backpacks are becoming the classic Cadillac sedans of hiking gear: outdated, oversized energy hogs. The new era of backpacks is all about the sleek, streamlined internal frame, but there are still a few diehards who prefer the tried-and-true features of external frame packs.
Thinking “they just don’t make them like the used to,” these backpacking traditionalists cling to their aging packs for dear life. And hey, why not? Many of them still hold up quite well, even if aging backpacks can cause prematurely aging backs.
Kelty would like these dedicated (and pain-tolerant) folks to know that, when it comes to the incomparable offerings of a well-built external frame hiking backpack, making things like they used to is no longer good enough. The Kelty Tioga 5500 external frame pack takes the classic hiker’s pack and makes it better.
If you’re in the market for an external frame pack, you’re likely planning on carrying a goodly amount of gear on an extended adventure. An itinerary like that requires a lot from your backpack, namely capacity, stability, adjustability, organization and comfort.
Kelty hiking backpacks take all those needs into consideration, and the offerings of the Tioga 5500 are no exception. Take a look at these features:
- Adjustable “H-frame,” whose unique hourglass design allows gear to ride close and high — in what you’ll soon refer to as the “sweet spot”
- Foam-padded shoulder straps, sternum strap and ventilated hip belt
- Load-lifter straps, belt stabilizers and enhanced adjustability on the waist belt that incorporates a pulley-like device, allowing you to more effectively and simply tighten the belt as you go
- A cooling mesh band on the back panel for better airflow
- Full hydration compatibility: ports allow hydration tubes to thread through the back of the pack for easy access, but you do supply your own bladder
- A trio of zippered side pockets, a large front pocket and a zippered stash pocket for unsurpassed organization and stowage
- A separate bottom sleeping bag compartment (accessible from the outside via a heavy-duty zippered opening) that includes a divider and an internal load pocket to better organize your gear
- Hold-open bar at the top of the pack — a classic feature that will never lose its functionality
- Ultra-rugged fabrics, so there’s no need to worry that an external frame trade-in will have you shopping for a replacement in only a few years
Great features, right? But surely, you’re thinking, there must be some drawbacks.
Tioga 5500 users are predominantly pleased with this Kelty hiking back pack. It carries everything and the kitchen sink, stays true to its promises of comfort and strength and stands up to years of rough-and-tumble hiking. However, it’s not waterproof, which is a shortcoming of many extended-trip hiking packs these days and a sore spot for their owners.
Buy a rain cover; even if it causes a few consumer cramps, it’ll be worth the hassle and extend the life of your backpack as well as expand the horizons of your adventures. It’s also not an ideal design for climbing or scrambling over rocks. This is a long-haul trail pack.
Kelty did a great job of designing this pack, reviewers attest, but it sure would be nice if it were a bit easier to figure out the first time around, they say.
Play around with the pack: try it on before buying, have the shop load it up, try different adjustments from the hip belt to the sternum strap and pack and unpack it several times before taking it out for a spin. Most large backpacks require this careful adjustment period. Trust us, it will be worth your time.
The Kelty Tioga 5500 External Frame Backpack weighs about 5 lbs. 10 oz., and fits torsos 16-21 inches in length. Pocket availability is 5 plus 2 main compartments. It’s hydration compatible, includes a separate sleeping bag compartment and is unisex in design. There is no removable daypack.
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