The Saiko

Before writing our review of the CAMP X2 400 pack, we weren’t so sure what to expect from this outdoor gem.  By way of beginning, we should tell you that the empty pack was lighter than a full glass of water.  No kidding.  We know that stat has backpackers salivating.  We’ve been on many mountains, in numerous countries and been lost in enough cities to make Chris Columbus shake his head.  We know that many of you use your gear for backpacking in the backcountry, but sometimes things have a way of working their way into our daily life.

First off, here are the key features we think you should know about:

• It’s 400 grams / 14oz
• Straps are comfortable on 6′ male and a 5′3″ female
• Comes with small stuff sack so that you can roll it up when not in use and put it into another pack
• Has port for water blatter
• Can strap skis, trekking poles, ice axe, etc without removing the pack
• Has small waist and torso strap stabilizers
• 2 large and deep mesh outer side slots that will fit standard Nalgene bottles
• Lid has zipper that is easy to use and will store quite a bit of gear

On a scale from 1 – 10 (10 being perfect), our ranking for this pack is:  9.

This is a daypack or a summit pack.  Don’t confuse it for a substitute for a 2-14 overnight pack that has significantly more storage and function.  We gave it two applications:  short climb with with 1,300 ft elevation gain and a day trip to the beach on bikes.

For the hike, it was loaded down with the 10 Essentials and a few liters of water in Nalgene bottles.  The climb gained 1,300 ft and we were out there for about 5 hours.  During that time, the straps did not dig into our shoulders or pose any sort of discomfort.  We were shocked.  The Saiko figured that the torso strap would become irritating or that the straps would begin to hurt after a few hours.  We stood corrected and were excited to learn that the team at CAMP did such a great job designing it.

The following day we filled the CAMP X2 400 with all sorts of odd things:  hammock, straps, books, hat, plastic container with food, 2 Nalgene water bottles, sunblock and other things like keys.  We rode a total of about 8 miles.  During that time we removed the pack, dug into it searching for items, put it back on, leaned it against objects and anything else you can think of.  This pack worked wonderfully for an errand bag.  We were wowed once again.  We’ve tested many bags in this way:  proper use vs. city use.  Most packs don’t stand up to the challenge.

Great job CAMP.