Hiking in Point Reyes with the Cross Breeze Frame Pack from Outdoor Products
Hiking with a good backpack is like traveling with an old friend. Finding the right one makes the trip more pleasurable and comfortable. I have had the opportunity to try out a variety of backpacks, from lightweight day packs for short hikes to sturdy backpacks for longer trips. However, I had never tried a backpack with an internal frame before. That changed when Outdoor Products offered me the opportunity to try out their Cross Breeze Frame Pack! I’ve always been a big fan of Outdoor Products and was excited to try out the Cross Breeze Frame Pack with high expectations!
Cross Breeze Frame Pack from Outdoor Products
After having done several hikes, day trips and overnight weekend getaways in the past few weeks with this backpack, I must say I’m very impressed overall with how comfortable and practical this pack has proven itself to be! The backpack comes with an inbuilt frame which is ultra lightweight and ergonomically curved, thus it’s namesake – a cross-breeze that will always keep your back cool and dry even on hot sweaty days on the trail. The suspended mesh on the back allows maximum air flow and if you thought backpacks with inbuilt frames were bulky, you will rethink that when you’ve tried the Outdoor Products Cross Breeze Frame Pack!
Outdoor Products Cross Breeze Frame Pack on the floor of the hostel we stayed at in Point Reyes
I was astounded at how easy it was to carry heavy loads with this backpack loaded to the maximum capacity of 1,360+ cubic inches. With a supremely ergonomic padded waist belt and chest strap, along with yoke-style shoulder straps, the entire weight of the backpack was taken off of my neck and shoulders. Instead, it rested easily on my waist and sternum. I barely felt the heavy backpack when hiking on the trails, it just felt like a natural extension that did not weigh me down at all.
Hiking down the steep steps to the lighthouse in Point Reyes
The backpack is roomy enough to hold everything required for a hiking trip lasting several days. I used the main front-loading compartment to stash away several clothes, two books, my laptop and charger, DSLR camera and binoculars. The smaller front pocket was perfect for storing items needed more frequently like my purse, cellphone, chapstick, camera batteries and SD cards, a moleskine notebook and so on. I loved the two deep mesh pockets on either side of the backpack which were perfect for securely holding my Nalgene bottles of water. The backpack fits most 2-liter reservoirs incase you prefer hydrating with those rather than water bottles.
Enjoying the views along the hike in Point Reyes
I really liked that the main front-loading compartment had two zippers which allowed me to quickly open up the compartment and sort through my things. I would have loved to have two zippers on the smaller front pocket as well. But given all the other thoughtful features and ease of use, I’m more than happy with how amazing this backpack turned out to be. I also loved the compression straps which allowed me to compress the entire backpack into a much slimmer and compact version to use as a carry-on pack on a recent flight across the country!
The Outdoor Products Cross Breeze Frame Pack comes in a delightfully vibrant blue color with cheerful yellow zippers and straps. The pack has two additional zippered smaller compartments, one on top of the backpack and another right on the front. Both of these are great to keep items that need to be frequently accessed, like lozenges and chewing gum or a phone charger and trail map. Having already taken this backpack along on several hikes and trips these past few weeks, I can’t wait to load it up and do multi-day backpacking on trails when the weather gets warmer. In summary, here’s a list of pros and cons –
Pros / Things I loved:
- Multiple zippered compartments, in all sizes from large, medium to compact. All 4 compartments are handy and easy to load/access
- Ergonomically curved and lightweight frame with suspended mesh to keep the back cool and better distribute the weight of the pack
- Two deep mesh pockets on either side of the pack are great for water bottles
- Plenty of straps to compress the pack and make it compact/slim for carry-on, comfortable padded straps for shoulders, sternum and to go around waist
- Loved the blue and gray color scheme!
- Trendy look, yet very comfortable and affordable
Things I wished for:
- The only thing I wished was for the smaller medium sized compartment in the middle to have two zippers instead of one. This would allow me to access things from the top of the backpack without unzipping the compartment open all the way
Have you tried the Cross Breeze Frame Pack yet? Buy your own here for $49.99 – $59.99
For all other Outdoor Products, go here.
Happy Hiking!
~ Trupti
Disclosure: Outdoor Products provided for my Cross Breeze Frame Pack in exchange for writing about my experience. Regardless, everything I have said in this post reflects my honest observations and opinions.