Kakwa 55

Killer Pack

This year I started updating my 15 year old gear. When it came to a new pack , the Durston Kakwa 55 caught my eye. I just did a 20 mile loop last weekend to test it out. This is the best designed , most comfortable backpack I have ever used. The belt pockets are easy to open on the trail and held snacks and protein bars perfectly. The back side pocket was nice to store water filtration gear and a paper map (I’m old skool ) The strap pockets on the backpack straps were amazing , one held my phone , the other my small jbl speaker. The side pockets on either side were worked well ! One gave me easy access to water without having to take off my pack while the other held my Tenkara rod utilizing the tighting cord . The durable netting pocket came in handy when taking layers off , my jacket fit perfectly in the netting and without the hassle of taking off and opening your pack. The pack held all my gear and had room to spare. Trust me , this backpack is a dream !

Almost perfect, still room to improve

Really happy with the backpack but some slight improvements would make it 5-stars. The backpack worked great on the West Coast Trail for 7 days of food carry. My pack was in the 30-35 lb range and the load carry capacity was quite comfortable. I still had room to bring more but I wasn't going to. I added a few hacks to the backpack, like using my foam sit pad for extra padding in the backpack and some shock cord to hold my soft water bottle flasks in the backpack pockets near the best strap. The pockets near the chest strap are a little small for bottles, but totally fine for snacks and sunglasses. I would have liked them to be a little deeper. I would have also liked to seen more attachment points to add small hacks depending on user needs like for an ice-axe holder but keep the weight light for those who don't need such things. It'd be nice if the shock cord of large kangaroo pocket in the front of the backpack was replaceable. Currently not a problem but I wonder about repairability if the shock cord starts stretching out. Generally quite happy with this backpack, it's the lightest out of all my backpacks (also have a 35 and a 70).

There is an old saying, first impressions.