READERS COMMENTS

their testing=fun!......all of you = whining bores . i spent awhile in the military and i find it to be along the lines of what we'd do when ask to test out new gear . first we talk about it....then basic practicality ... then every possible situation possible..no matter how absurd
Posted: Feb 22, 2010 Anonymous

As a motorcyclist, I found the test useful and more realistic than one would might think. There are many stories of guys packs falling off and dragging behind their bikes.
Posted: Jan 23, 2010 Starlifter

Just a waste of money and time
Posted: Jan 14, 2010 cesar covarrubias

For the critics: right now I am flipping a coin and it has landed heads up six times in a row. The seventh time: heads. Eighth: heads. Nine, yep heads. Ten? Heads again. Do you believe me? Of course not, odds don’t work that way. And neither does your perceived lack a “scientific” control. Worrying about whether there is “equal pressure” on all packs or if one pack is in a rut or on the side of the road is a moot point. With fluctuating movement odds are each pack hit the same number of rocks with the same amount of force over the same amount of time. Not to mention, every backpacker will put the packs through different stresses anyway. Some of you might spend the day pushing through brier fields. Myself, I spend a lot of time scraping up against rocks: abrasion resistance is a huge concern to me. Most importantly, the heading clearly states it is excessive and the author makes no mention of trying to get the findings published in the next journal of science.
For the authors: Thanks, interesting stuff! Keep up the good work.

Posted: Dec 29, 2009 Dave A

The angle of the tie in point on the back of the pack may have alot to due with the way the packs were worn. But granite gear does make some tough packs. Your approach is lacking scientific credabilty.
Posted: Dec 29, 2009 shoupdawg

I enjoyed this crazy video. I know it's pretty useless for real world conditions but packs do get wear and tear on the trail. A pack might drop and tumble down a granite slope. Anyway, you got to give BP magazine a break so they can have some advertising monies otherwise we won't be able to read some of the more useful articles. You got a brain, pick and choose which articles are useful to you. One thing missing from the video was price and weight specs. I wonder how heavy the GG pack was.
Posted: Dec 25, 2009 Reader

can I have the packs?
Posted: Dec 18, 2009 Andrew

Great test. Love the overkill... keep 'em coming.
Posted: Nov 12, 2009 Mike

Are you serious? Get real! I have yet to see anyone hiking on their back dragging their pack! Waste of money! And an insult to my intelligence!
I volunteer to take a trip with a group! We could go on difficult terrain to test the durability and resistance of different packs in conditions that would be considered valid to your readers! It wouldn't cost you anything!!!!
Posted: Nov 06, 2009 RLPKR

I find it amusing, but obviously there are flaws in their testing, considering physics, pressure wasnt applied equally to all packs and therefore different results will occur....However if tested individually you would probably get different results, and since they have time to waste, then perhaps they should have a re-match.
Posted: Nov 02, 2009 ROBERT KAPS

Ok, this review was a waste of my time...
Posted: Oct 21, 2009 Buster

I am tired of the naysayers of gear lab. Sure it may not be 100 practical, but it has its points and is fun to watch. Bags are not made of canvas and last for 30 years anymore. I thought it was great to see which company uses material that can take a beating. For anyone thinking this is a waste of time...Backpacker tests the hell out of gear in true to life tests and reviews them all the time. This is more for fun...If you had packs, a jeep and a dirt road at your disposal you would do it too...
Posted: Oct 19, 2009 Griztopher

Reminds me of Man vs Wild. Great TV but not very practical. Lets put a stick of TNT in there while we are at it. See how they do then. Yea, I say TNT while being dragged behind the car. Please have a long rope for the drivers sake. We like him. But wait, maybe that pack CAN save your life ,while sliding down a granit cliff at terminal speed and it is still attached to you while it hook onto a branch just before you hit the deck.
Great TV guys and gals......
Posted: Oct 18, 2009 TWIG

what practical backpacker ties there backpack to a truck and drags it across a road.
Posted: Oct 09, 2009 gram weenie

One more reason not to read Adpacker mag
Posted: Oct 08, 2009 Ali

what a wast get a real job
Posted: Oct 05, 2009 craig

That is a pretty good idea! The fabric used on most packs now is very thin with weight concern being the hype! Not many; even big name brand packs can hold up with moderate use anymore. I think that pack makers/engineer gurus should have durability field tests for the long haul, not just a brisk walk out 3 miles & back. They should load them down with 45 - 50 pounds of gritty gear, then hit the trail and accumulate some miles.
Posted: Oct 03, 2009 Treetop

I am a avid Backpacker always looking for the best gear to take with me, I love that Backpacker.Com tests gear like this, It allowes the averahe Joe like myself an inside look at just how durable gear is. I would love if more gear was tested at these extreem conditions.As we all now " you never know what to expect on your next trip" and its good to know that if your pack and gear take a nasty fall that it will still be intact and usable when you find it. : )
Posted: Oct 02, 2009 Travis Lopez

I saw a major problem with your "scientic" test. Dirt and gravel on the road was not uniform across the with of the road. The stones were on either side of the ruts. It would make a difference then on which order each pack was tied across the back of the car. Just a thought.
Posted: Oct 02, 2009 Eric Peterson

OK, the abrassion testing aspect at 20 MPH is interesting. The rest is overkill. Try testing packs and other gear at in the Presidential Rose Garden or the pull them through picker bushes and briars in the deep south. The speed at which they were dragged has little effect as the abrasion is the same.. the distance on the road, a total of approximately 3 miles. Call Consumer Reports and ask why they call for unrealistic standards such as the number of wheelchairs they can stuff in a subcompact. That said, what other factors did you find out about the fabrics and construction designs and such? How would the contents of these packs have faired? What suggestions can you make for when we go shopping and the specific models are no longer available?
Posted: Oct 01, 2009 Nyrefugee80231

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