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From the CO-OP Journal
By Matt & Agnes Hage

As I pulled CamelBak’s new hydration daypack out of the box, my first impression was “Wow, this thing is hefty.” The Franconia LR 24 is both a daypack and a hydration pack, but it’s the Cadillac of those categories. It’s full of features found on most big backpacking rigs, such as load lifters on the shoulder straps, a generous hipbelt with expandable pockets, and compression straps to bring the load closer into your back. And, it has a metal frame. All of these give it the ability to comfortably carry a good-sized load, and with over 20 liters of capacity, that’s a real option.

In addition to what I normally carry for a day hike in the mountains (snacks, layers, jacket, water), I was able to put a DSLR camera with a couple lenses in the pack body along with a couple cans of beer to fill it out properly. There still was room for a sandwich and an apple. With the three-liter water reservoir filled to capacity, my daypack weighed about 28 pounds—all of which would cut straight into my shoulders with a classic “bag with two straps” kind of pack. But trying on the Franconia, fully loaded for a posh day hike, I could feel how the solidly built frame worked with the load lifters, hipbelt and compression straps to provide a smooth carry. This proved to be the case on a couple peak-bagging missions in the mountains near our home in Anchorage, Alaska.

Scrambling up craggy ridgelines, I appreciated how the pack is designed to pull the weight into my back. The side compression straps for the internal reservoir pocket securely put those three liters squarely up against the lumbar area of the back instead of higher up in-between my shoulder blades.

The pack’s air suspension back panel was also one of my favorite features, since hiking a good-sized load up a couple thousand feet of mountain can be sweaty work. Even though I did break a sweat, the back of my shirt didn’t get the soaked feel you can get with limited-airflow back panels. Lastly, the hipbelt tightened easily and both cargo pockets were easy to access while tight on your hips.

CamelBak’s latest incarnation of their signature hydration reservoir, the Crux LR, is topnotch. I’ve shied away from CamelBak hydration systems after years of wonky screw-on lids that often went on half-cocked only to leak two liters of water into my pack. Those days seem to be behind us now: Filling and tightening the new Crux LR is easy and secure.

The Franconia is more like a mini full-featured backpack than a daypack or hydration pack. Because its empty weight of nearly three pounds would easily eclipse the payload, you wouldn’t want this for a trail run or if all you carry is a jacket and a couple energy bars. But its awesome carrying capacity does make it a good choice for day outings (bring a cooking system for hot drinks or dinner on top of some peak) as well as minimalist overnighters (we’ve done three days out of 25-liter packs).

From the CO-OP Journal
By Matt & Agnes Hage

Do you ever wish that your daypack carried as well as your full-size pack? So many small packs (less than 25 liters) are little more than glorified rucksacks: a bag with two shoulder straps. Sometimes that’s all you need, but the simplicity is quickly trumped by necessity once you start adding anything of significant weight, such as water. Without compression straps, your load is literally slumped in a pile in a sack on your back. And without a frame or sturdy hipbelt, every ounce of that pile is going straight to your shoulders. My favorite aspects of CamelBak’s new women-specific Sundowner address both of those issues.

This 22-liter hydration pack will carry everything you need for a full day out in the hills, whether you’re trail hiking, scrambling to the top of craggy peaks or riding a mountain bike. It comes with CamelBak’s new Crux LR reservoir with capacity for three liters (100 ounces) of water. That’s potential for packing some pounds—6.5 pounds, in fact—and the Sundowner is ready to handle it.

Designed with a metal frame, the pack transfers weight from your shoulders to your hips where you want it. What’s more, the Sundowner features a special reservoir pocket right behind the lumbar area of the hipbelt with side compression straps that cinch the reservoir up against your lower back. This helps keep your center of gravity low and also helps takes strain off your shoulders.

The last piece of this load-management puzzle is the load lifters on the shoulder straps. I use them all the time on my full-size pack to take pressure off my shoulders, so it’s nice to see them on a smaller frame pack.

As you’d expect from CamelBak, the pack’s hydration system is topnotch. The hose runs cleanly out from the reservoir and down the shoulder strap. It’s capped with their signature locking bite valve. A unique magnetic tube trap on the shoulder strap keeps the hose accessible while you hike. I found it easier to use and more secure than some other magnetic hose-keepers on the market.

The three-liter reservoir and hose also get their own external access compartment in the pack. For your gear, there are plenty of pockets that keep smaller items from settling to the bottom of your load. My favorites are the rear stuff-it pocket for quick access to my wind jacket and the two hipbelt pockets for snacks or a small camera.

Overall I found the Sundowner to be better than most daypacks on the market today. It’s a useful size at 22 liters—not too big and not too small. Heck, we’ve done overnighters with 25-liter packs and a minimalist kit. The construction appears well done and it should stand up to years of use. The Sundowner is a versatile option for those that want a do-it-all daypack. While trail running and rock climbing wouldn’t be a good fit for this pack, in my opinion, due to the metal frame and bulk, that’s not a dig on the Sundowner, as both of those sports require a certain fit and feature set.