New Gear Day! Nunatak 'Bears Ears 50' pack - unique design
Apr 9, 2021 8:23:14 GMT -8
paula53 likes this
Post by biffnix on Apr 9, 2021 8:23:14 GMT -8
I've been waiting for a design like this for *years*!! Where I live (Bishop, CA), pretty much every local trailhead leads into bear territory, so I'm carrying a bear canister for almost every trip.
Here's their site:
Nunatak Bears Ears 50 backpack
Right side view. You can see the water holster on the hipbelt on this side. You can see my BV500 bear canister strapped to the bottom of the pack here. The pack can fit all the way up to the largest Bearikade, as well.
Front view: Shows the roll-top design, and large mesh front pocket. It should hold all of the stuff that I need to access quickly - snacks, water filtration, rain jacket, toilet supplies, stuff like that. You can also see how the straps attach the canister below the pack.
I did load it up fully to 30lbs and strapped it on to walk around behind the house. The weight distribution is stellar. I really like having the center of gravity so much closer to my hips. And those water holsters are just genius. If there's one thing I do NOT like, it's the color. It only comes in black, which can be pretty hot to wear in the Summer sun, but I guess we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, just thought I'd share. Cheers, and happy backpacking, all!
Here's their site:
Nunatak Bears Ears 50 backpack
The problem with every backpack I've ever owned is that carrying a bear canister sucks. Either it's buried mid-pack, making it super inconvenient to dig out for lunch or a snack, or it has to be strapped on top, throwing my center of gravity way off.
The Bears Ears pack is very lightweight (25oz stripped), but makes carrying a full sized canister a breeze. It's also versatile enough to use without a canister. They sell a 'bag in lieu of canister' which fits in the space below the pack to fill with whatever you want, on those occasions you aren't carrying a canister. That canister-replacement bag also doubles as a hang-bag if you choose to use it as your food bag. I won't use that feature much, but it's nice to have the option.
It is otherwise a standard top-loading frameless pack. It has an accordion-fold opening, which then rolls down, and has a strap which fastens to the large front pocket to seal things up. The front pocket is generous, and fully wraps around the entire pack. There are no separate side pockets, as the front pocket encompasses the sides fully, as one big pocket. The top of the front pocket also cinches. There is an ice axe loop included as well. There is a light cord to strap a foam pad or other light gear (jacket, trekking poles, etc.) below the pocket.
There are no hip belt pockets on this pack, but they do have optional strap pockets. I bought one for the right strap, to keep things like snacks, my permits, compass, lip balm, etc. in. I could have bought one for each strap, but I use a Peak Designs clip on the left strap to keep my camera ready to go while hiking.
It says it's designed for a 30-35lb maximum load, which is more than adequate for my usual backpacking needs.
The Bears Ears also has a fantastic water carrying solution. It has a lightweight holster which attaches to the sides (slightly to the rear) on the hipbelt. I thought this might be annoying, maybe hitting them with my hands/arms while hiking, but that is 100% not the case. The slight rearward placement keeps them wholly out of the way, but super easy to grab your water bottle. They sell holsters fitted for standard Smartwater bottles, or for Nalgene bottles. I opted for the Smartwater size, as that's what I carry these days. The real innovation is that the bottles will *never* fall out when bending over to tie your shoes or pick something up off the ground! Where have these been all my life?!?! They are removable, so you can use one, both, or neither, depending on your particular water carrying needs. You can also use the generous front pocket if you've got to go full camel and carry more than 2 liters at a time.
Anyway, here are some photos. I'm looking forward to giving it a thorough trial in the coming weeks as things melt out in the high Sierra.
It is otherwise a standard top-loading frameless pack. It has an accordion-fold opening, which then rolls down, and has a strap which fastens to the large front pocket to seal things up. The front pocket is generous, and fully wraps around the entire pack. There are no separate side pockets, as the front pocket encompasses the sides fully, as one big pocket. The top of the front pocket also cinches. There is an ice axe loop included as well. There is a light cord to strap a foam pad or other light gear (jacket, trekking poles, etc.) below the pocket.
There are no hip belt pockets on this pack, but they do have optional strap pockets. I bought one for the right strap, to keep things like snacks, my permits, compass, lip balm, etc. in. I could have bought one for each strap, but I use a Peak Designs clip on the left strap to keep my camera ready to go while hiking.
It says it's designed for a 30-35lb maximum load, which is more than adequate for my usual backpacking needs.
The Bears Ears also has a fantastic water carrying solution. It has a lightweight holster which attaches to the sides (slightly to the rear) on the hipbelt. I thought this might be annoying, maybe hitting them with my hands/arms while hiking, but that is 100% not the case. The slight rearward placement keeps them wholly out of the way, but super easy to grab your water bottle. They sell holsters fitted for standard Smartwater bottles, or for Nalgene bottles. I opted for the Smartwater size, as that's what I carry these days. The real innovation is that the bottles will *never* fall out when bending over to tie your shoes or pick something up off the ground! Where have these been all my life?!?! They are removable, so you can use one, both, or neither, depending on your particular water carrying needs. You can also use the generous front pocket if you've got to go full camel and carry more than 2 liters at a time.
Anyway, here are some photos. I'm looking forward to giving it a thorough trial in the coming weeks as things melt out in the high Sierra.
Right side view. You can see the water holster on the hipbelt on this side. You can see my BV500 bear canister strapped to the bottom of the pack here. The pack can fit all the way up to the largest Bearikade, as well.
Back of the pack, showing hipbelt attachment, straps (w/strap pocket installed). PD camera clip on left strap. Ladder loops on both straps for attaching whatever you wish. There's a removable foam back pad fitted via a pocket inside the bag body.
Left side view - you can see how the front pocket wraps around the sides. It's nice the mesh does NOT wrap around, as brushing against things on the trail would snag the mesh. Having the more durable materials on the sides of the large front pocket seems a good design choice.
Front view: Shows the roll-top design, and large mesh front pocket. It should hold all of the stuff that I need to access quickly - snacks, water filtration, rain jacket, toilet supplies, stuff like that. You can also see how the straps attach the canister below the pack.
I did load it up fully to 30lbs and strapped it on to walk around behind the house. The weight distribution is stellar. I really like having the center of gravity so much closer to my hips. And those water holsters are just genius. If there's one thing I do NOT like, it's the color. It only comes in black, which can be pretty hot to wear in the Summer sun, but I guess we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, just thought I'd share. Cheers, and happy backpacking, all!
