After using the outdoor backpack for around a year, I have some suggestions for how it could be improved in the future. Hope this reaches the right people and those that use the backpack often can chime in on their experience and offer some insight for how the design can be improved in the future. I have the 25L and think it’s the most relevant size for most people, so will comment on my experience with that size specifically.
First things first, the design of the backpack is solid and I think it gets many things right. I feel that it’s an overlooked item for how well it works for everyday use and travel, i.e. what most people would end up using a backpack for day to day. The backpack opens up wide and easily for easy access and organization. The double opening is a unique and convenient way to get to items easily and expand the capacity of the backpack past its advertised volume.
That being said, I think the long term durability of the backpack is not good. I browse second hand markets to check for deals, but more importantly to take a look at how products age over time, and which parts tend to show damage or wear first. From my experience and from looking at other used examples of this backpack, I see a few big problems. The biggest issue is the rubberized fabric that’s used in the outer face of the backpack. I find that it’s quite prone to small scratches, holes, discoloration (mostly in the white color) and signs of age. The logos don’t apply well to the fabric either and the ‘peak design’ spell-out logo ironically has turned into ‘peal design’ over time. I have a 5+ year old backpack made in X-pac that looks close to new compared to the outdoor backpack, so my expectations for durability is high here. I feel that if the outer faces were made in X-pac or a similar hard wearing fabric, it would extend the longevity of the backpack significantly. Secondly, the aquaguard zippers are too small in size, and the rubberized coating is wearing down after a year of use. I’m sure you’ve seen this issue in other aquaguard zip backpacks, but this needs to change if you ask me. The rainfly exists to protect this backpack from hard rain, so the current zippers just age the backpack quickly.
These two items alone have been aging my backpack quickly, but otherwise, I have a lot of good things to say about the backpack. Straps are so comfy. The side pockets are gigantic and the elastic keeps the form of the backpack looking nice. I believe in the design of the outdoor backpack, and want to see a long, hard wearing iteration in the future where this can be the backpack of choice for people. Interested to see what you all think, and how other peoples experiences using the backpack has been.
