Maelstrom Hiking Backpack

This backpack is awesome for my needs. I use it for hiking, going to the gym, and going to work. Its light-weight, durable, and extremely affordable. There are many compartments for all sorts of different items I need to carry, including a couple that I didnt even discover until months after purchase. The first one lasted me a few years before one or two of the zippers started acting up. At the price point, I was pretty happy about that lifespan. I was pleasantly surprised that, instead of being 100% identical, one of the compartments had an extra zipper that made that pocket so much more useful. Highly recommended from someone like me who puts a lot more hard-core miles on backpacks than the average person.

I always wear the backpack when my wife and I hike. I had been using an old nylon backpack for a while now (I think my son had used it for his college days), and when I put water, and other stuff, in it, the straps would get a little cheeky on my shoulders, but I never complained! My wife, though, surprised me with this new backpack, and I am so jazzed, as it is bigger, better, has more features (like the two built-in fanny packs, the two straps--one for the chest and one lower--the inside pocket for a camelpack (sp?), and the convenient ports for ear-bud wires). I am sure I am missing something, but, nevertheless, it is the very best and coolest backpack I have ever worn! She got me the red version, and it is as cool as a red Ferrari!

Taken this bag on a couple of trips now and it's great. It holds a lot without feeling too heavy and the chest and waist strap are comfortable. It fits under an airplane seat perfectly. Great for hiking, great for travel, just all around a great bag.

In the short time I have owned this 40L backpack, I have really put it to the test. It's been on 3 day hikes, 5 overnight backpacking trips, and trips on an airplane. This Maelstrom Hiking Backpack is actually of decent quality and well-stitched. So far I've had no failures in the straps, buckles, cordage, pockets, or anything else. It wipes down clean and airs out fresh after every trip. There are plenty of pockets and pouches along with two water bottle pockets to either side for balanced water carry. The zippers have been no issue whatsoever. They are quality and never bind of snag. The straps all stay put and adjust the way you expect them to. The buckles seem sturdy and snap on and off exactly as expected. If you are hiking overnight I think this is a good option at 40L. If you are going for multiple nights, it's likely you will want something bigger. In my experience, it holds 25 lbs comfortably. I have had up to 35 lbs in it but it was really hard on my shoulders not matter how I adjusted it. Trying to stuff what you need into this smaller pack for multiple days backpack camping is tough. It's really hard to settle the pack in the right way so that it hangs properly for ease of carry. One good thing about the size, is that this backpack will easily fit into overhead bins as a carry-on if you are flying. I've had it on overnight and a 3-night plane trip and I easily fit what I needed into this pack. It seems to spot-clean pretty easily. I have just used cold water on a cloth so far and it's gotten out typical camping dirt and grime. If it takes on any camp odors like smoke, I have gotten it to air out in a couple of days hanging up in my garage. In summary, this is a great starter pack for an extended day hike or overnight backpacking/camping for someone new to camping that wants to see if they like it without spending much more money on a name brand pack. Ultimately, I upgraded to the Mystery Ranch Bridger 55L backpack for backpack camping as I needed something more suited for 2 - 5 day overnight excursions with heavy water carry. I do still use this Maelstrom 40L whenever I fly out for a night or two.

This backpack is an EXCELLENT value! I wish they came in a 30 or 35L option! The pocket configuration is better than any of the expensive name-brand backpacks I tried out! I used this bag for airplane travel, small hikes, and as a purse/diaper bag combo for daily life with kids for a a year, and then purchased a replacement! It fits fine under major airline seats, but on Southwest it was a stretch and it counted as an overhead item on small budget airlines like Avelo. I’m 5’2” and am able to get it to fit comfortably after wearing for a bit. The hip belt is so comfortable and the hip pockets ACTUALLY fit my iPhone 13 Pro in an Otterbox Defender case, and keep it easy to access without turning the pack around! 🙌🏻 I can’t quite reach the water bottle pockets to get them in and out while wearing, which is disappointing (but comparable to all the other brands I tried). The rain cover works great, and the bag was reasonably waterproof at first, but after about 6 months of frequent use, the waterproof membrane began peeling off inside. Another issue I had with the bag is that the Velcro strap designed to hold a hydration pack was catching on the hem around the zipper (which I didn’t realize), and tore the zipper. There was also some stitching on one of the shoulder straps that was beginning to come undone (I’ve probably been way overloading it). At first I was going to repair it, but then I accidentally left a banana peel in the pocket we use for trash and it got moldy. 🤢 So I just purchased my second backpack! First thing I did this time around was connect that Velcro strap to itself so it won’t tear the zipper again!

Buena calidad de la mochila. Me sorprendio su buen tamaño y buena calidad de materiales por el costo. Muy recomendable

Bag is as pictured, quality seems good ( hav not packed the bag but have tested all the zips clips etc). Good amount of features at this price point, very happy with the purchase and delivery so far.

Auf den ersten Blick (Hersteller-Foto) ein guter Rucksack. Das war’s aber auch schon. Trotz der vielen Verstau- und Verschlussmöglichkeiten knickt das Rückenteil ein, da es mit nichts verstärkt wurde. Egal, ob leer oder gefüllt; das Rückenteil berührt nicht mal den Rücken. So schlampert das Ganze um Bauch, Rücken und Schultern. Keine Kaufempfehlung.

O tênis é absolutamente bom!