Review: Kifaru Echo Pack

As the old saying goes, sometimes not getting what you want is a tremendous stroke of good fortune. So it is with my latest backpack, as the one I originally wanted was out of stock. Thank goodness for that, because in searching for a substitute, I found Kifaru and their excellent Echo daypack. And boy oh boy am I glad I did.

What I wanted was something light and streamlined, that I could use year-round for light, fast excursions—day-hiking in the spring & summer, short hunts in the fall, and cross-country ski outings in the winter. The Echo is that pack, to a T. It's narrow, so it holds tight to my body and doesn't snag up on tree branches; it has a minimalist waistbelt that can be removed for quickly shouldering or removing the pack; and it's built of burly 500D Cordura, so it can take a beating. Two large handles make for speedy grab-and-go, external water-bottle compartments help out on long hot days or when I've got the dog along, and both an elastic stash pocket and interlaced bungee allow for quickly storing a shell, hat & gloves, or other items I need to keep handy.

But that's not all—inside the pack are three organizational pockets, a hydration compartment, and a removable plastic frame that gives the pack some rigidity without adding weight. Finally, the Echo has a built-in expansion gusset, giving me more space inside when I need it.

All in all, this is a heck of a daypack, one that I'm pleased to have discovered by accident. Next time I need a new pack, I'm going straight to Kifaru.