In June I am heading back to the Grand Canyon for another trip below the rim with my company. When we went in October 2009, I took a great pack, but it had too much volume for a day trip, even packing extra for inexperienced people in my group. This time I am packing only for myself but the Grand Canyon in summer demands a size pack that I really don't have in my (substantial) array of gear.
Who am I kidding, I wanted a new pack anyway.
My demands on a new pack were not going to make my decision easy. Here is my list of what I was looking for.
- Hydration sleeve and external bottle holders.
- It must have or be able to except front pouches along the hip belt for food and small gear.
- It must have the ability to lash trekking poles.
- Hold between 300 and 1000 cubic inches of space for gear.
- A high attachment for D-ring, low attachment for rear light.
I could not believe my luck when I stumbled upon the Lafuma Cintek 11 Pro. First the weight is just over one pound. At approximately 700 cubic inches of space it hits my sweet spot for the size to volume ratio I demanded. A bonus is that the hip belt is not a buckle that I tend to brake easily, it's velcro which also solves dangling strap tails. INITIAL IMPRESSION
The pack arrived within the set delivery time. I bought it used-mint condition and it was absolutely in great shape. I could not tell you how this was used. The color is shockingly orange. It is at a level between hunter orange and florescent orange. I could see it as a detraction from those looking for a more matte color, but I like orange. I can't be upset LaFuma took it up a notch.
Along the otherwise clean and uncluttered exterior are two cinch cords for trek poles. I took my poles and after a few different configurations found a set up that worked for me. No problem with this set up. A lower tab which the company suggests be used as a tow strap in Adventure Racing I attached a red LED for hiking and training when its dark out. There is a small zippered pouch towards the top of the bag face that has a very small loop on the bottom seam.
Along the right side hip belt is a medium sized exterior pocket. A downfall of most hip pouches is that they flap around or slide towards the front. LaFuma has taken this pouch and stuck velcro on the back so it sticks to the hip belt. On the opposite side of the pack, the left hip belt is all zippered pouch. Its a flat fit, that upon trail and error can hold five gel packets.
Not only does it have an external hydration pocket accessed through the back panel, it has an internal sleeve as well. I can carry two reservoirs if need be which is a big plus when you live and train in the desert. The hip belt is an interesting concept, instead of mating a male and female clip and pulling the excess straps back toward the pack; it is a strap on the right side, that passes through a swivel on the left belt and then folds back on itself by velcro. The excess strap is stuck to the belt by velcro.
It has four, yes four, pockets for water bottles. Two are located in the usual place, lower outside, next to the hip belt. And for adventure racers and ultra marathoners there is a pouch built into each shoulder strap than can be folded flat when not in use. I love this option. The benefit of a bladder and bottles is that you can have water in your pack but mix carbohydrate and electrolyte powders in the bottles.
FIELD TEST NOTES.
I have used the pack several times now for running and hiking. The first time using it, a 15 mile run, the dye in the padding (a maroon color) bled all over my favorite white hiking shirt. To overcome any future color bleeding, I placed the pack in a mesh ditty bag and washed on delicate in a front loader on warm water. Twice. Each time hanging it to dry. I have not had a problem since. By the way, I used various RIT products to restore the shirt from pink spots. The velcro hip belt keeps the pack snug against the pack and there was no bouncing of any type. Nothing chaffed my neck, shoulders, arm pit area.
The bottle holders on the shoulder straps do not accept standard water bottles of 20oz or 24oz. This is completely unrealistic in a real world scenario and unfortunate as they way the pocket is designed it could easily be made large enough to fit a normal bottle. I found a smaller 16oz. bottle in my cabinet, a cheap promo bottle from somewhere and it fit perfectly but I can't find another. To overcome this challenge I bought to 15.2oz wide mouth juice bottles at a gas station, drilled a hole in the tops and stuck a hard straw in it from some 44oz drink cup I had laying around.
I was concerned about wear and tear on the Cinetik. I think I have done enough to it to state that this was a unwarranted worry. The zippers, pull cords, velcro and fabric have held up very well. I look forward to putting this pack through many more adventures.
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