Although it wouldn't be at home on the trail, it certainly is at home in the office or the airport.

The black and red colors, combined with the iconic Ducati name make for a backpack that is built for speed.  All of Tumi's Ducati line share that classic coloring.  The backpack is available for about $250.00 but it is worth every single penny.

It's got the style and the features to make it a great everyday bag.  Heck if you ride a Ducati you could strap this onto your back and head off for a weekend.

It's got plenty of room for a change of clothes and some toiletries or a bunch of files from the office and a laptop.  I love the look of Ducati bikes even if I'm a Harley kind of guy and these Tumi bags are 

A venerable trail favorite, the versatile Kelty Redwing 44 is equally at home in the backcountry or in town. Available in a wide range of different colors, the Redwing 44 is both functional and fashionable.   Its got a single aluminum stay and an HDPE framesheet to equip the Redwing 44 with lightweight support.   A contoured and of course, padded waist belt offers comfortable load support.

Kelty's patented Scherer Cinch uses a pulley-like system to double the tightening force on the waistbelt, ensuring that the majority of the backpack's weight is borne by your hips.  When you aren't carrying heavy loads and don't need the additional support, you can remove the waistbelt entirely and reduce the weight of the pack.  

Anatomically curved and padded shoulder straps can be quickly and easily adjusted, allowing the Redwing 44 to accommodate torso lengths ranging from 14.5'' to 18.5''. Load lifter straps relieve stress on your shoulders and an adjustable sternum strap positions the shoulder straps across the chest to prevent chafing under the arms and on the shoulders.

The high-performance Gregory Maya 22 Women's pack is designed to meet the needs of female adventure racers, mountain bikers and day hikers who want to move fast and light. Weighing less than 2 pounds, the 1251 cubic inch Maya 22 Women's pack is sturdy enough to comfortably carry up to 20 pounds while enduring the demands of outdoor adventure. 

Men and women have equal rights but very different bodies and this pack was designed to meet the needs of women.  Designed by women for women and of course tested by women, this pack includes contoured shoulder harnesses and a narrower backpanel with pre-curved hip belts.  Ill fitting packs make for a miserable day on the trail and this pack has the goods to comfortably fit the physique of women.

My favorite list of hiking packs is available here.  The brands that made the cut include, JanSport, Osprey, Kelty, Mountainsmith and Gregory.  The top spot went to Osprey for their Kestrel 38.  The Kestrel line is really quite impressive and certainly worth investigating if you are in need of a new pack.  The 38 is mid-sized and in my opinion offered a compelling selection which is suitable for day long hiking excursions or short overnights.  It really is quite a pack.

But then, every single pack on the top 5 would be welcome to tag along with us on an adventure.  They are all great and oh so much better than the ruck sack I humped in the Army.

Please use this blog posting to share any comments you may have on the selections.

You can check out our top 5 list of school backpacks here.  Feel free to use this blog post to make any comments about our selections.  The brands that made it onto the list include JanSport, DaKine, Volcom and High Sierra, with JanSport garnering two spots with the Superbreak and Big Student packs.


Disagree with the list?  Have another option that you believe should have been included?  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Wayne Gregory designed his first backpack at only 14 for a Boy Scout project. Shortly after this experience he met Andy Drollinger, the founder of San Diego California Adventure 16. Andy really liked Wayne's design and over the next few years Wayne could be found hanging around the Adventure 16 factory, buying raw materials and experimenting with a variety of backpack ideas. He soon became the young companies second employee.

After Wayne dissolved his first company, Sunbird, in 1973, he spent a few years working as a freelance designer in the newly emerging outdoor speciality industry.  Intrigued and excited by the new direction soft packs and internal frame packs were moving, Wayne jumped back into backpack design and founded his next company, Gregory Mountain Products, in 1977 out of San Diego.  Today, Gregory backpacks are recognized for their quality and comfort.  Designed for people who love the outdoors, Gregory packs set the standard.

Gregory offers a full line of packs for men and women.  At the top of that list and #10 in our list of top 10 hiking backpacks, is the Z 30.  This pack is simply amazing and worth every single penny of the price.  Although not a pack but a duffle, their Stash Duffel might just be the perfect duffel: super strong, easy access, simple and versatile. With haul handles on all four corners and a two-way carry strap, the options are almost endless.  Duffles are a great option over traditional suitcases, they offer lighter weight and an come in many different sizes.  I personally love the Stash from Gregory.

You can find daypacks with 3k to 3.5k cubic inches of inner space, which also serve as convenient carry-on luggage. A daypack this large is coming close to full backpack site.  When you look at the average or standard size daypack, you'll find that most offer from 1k to -cubic inches of space to stash your gear. You can't go wrong when selecting a daypack from any of the big name manufacturers like:

• Camelbak
  
• The North Face
  
• Coleman
  
• Jansport
  
• Kelty 
  

A very good day pack that will last for years should cost no more than about a hundred bucks ($100.00.)


Speciality Daypacks
You can also find daypacks that double up as baby or child carriers.  These make it easy to lug the little one around and provide a small amount of storage for diapers, wipes or snacks.  Another specialty daypack is the hydration pack.  These include a bladder that holds one to three gallons of liquid to keep your thirst quenched and your body hydrated during your hike.

DEUTER of Augsburg, Germany, has been in the backpack business since 1898 - longer than any other backpack brand in the world. 

Since establishing a subsidiary in Longmont, Colorado, in 2001, Deuter has had a huge impact upon the U.S. market. Today Deuter USA is recognized as one of the top five backpack brands in the industry. No matter where your outdoor travel lead, a Deuter backpack will always be a reliable companion.

Strapping on a Deuter pack means comfort. With five back systems perfectly suited for specific purposes, Deuter guarantees optimum ventilation and ventilation is vital to comfort.  Deuter's 1984 introduction of the Aircomfort backsystem revolutionized the backpack marketplace. 

Each and every backpack model is perfectly equipped and optimized for maximum comfort and functionality. This provide for a much more enjoyable experience for even the most seasoned outdoor adventurer. To ensure a comfortable fit, the range of products in each category is developed to best fit the vast majority of users. Therefore, the growing SL range for women and smaller torsos, as well as the Vari-Quick harness system to dial in that perfect fit.

Check out the top 3 JanSport Backpacks listed over at BagIdiot.com.  Depending on what you need, the Superbreak is certainly an inexpensive and versatile pack.  For less than thirty bucks, it is one tough backpack, perfect for your k-12 student.

With space for a 15" laptop, water bottle pockets and support for a hydration sleeve, my favorite JanSport Backpack is the Catamount.  For college age students who need to drag a notebook computer around campus and who enjoy days at the park or hikes, this pack is a great choice.  I agree with what is said over there about that.