Patagonia Women’s Chacabuco 28L Backpack: Gripping Gear Review

Patagonia Women’s Chacabuco 28L Backpack: Gripping Gear Review

The Patagonia Women’s Chacabuco 28L Backpack is a pack that represents the high quality and attention to detail that Patagonia puts into their products. This day pack is a great go-to pack if you need something for daily use or if you’re heading out on the trails for a hike.

The Chacabuco pack has numerous features that make it versatile and durable. The main compartment has a padded and lined tablet sleeve to keep either a laptop or tablet protected while leaving plenty of space for other items needed in the pack. There is an additional middle pocket with storage space as well as a smaller front compartment pocket to hold things such as sunglasses, snacks, sunscreen or other necessities. Two large pockets sit on the sides of the pack to fit practically any type of water bottle. The back panel and shoulder straps consist of highly breathable mesh which is ultra-soft, and the suspension-system uses heat-venting to help keep the individual cool. There is also an external shock cord to hold things such as a yoga mat, extra layers and even a bike helmet.

The Chacabuco was tested as both a day hike pack carrying various gear for climbing as well as an everyday urban pack. The durability of the pack is evident when just carrying it, but when it was thrown around at different crags at climbing areas, it didn’t retain any scuff marks or scratches on the 630-denier, 100% nylon plain weave, with a polyurethane coating and DWR finish, material. When it was just a hike, the Chacabuco had plenty of room to carry all necessities for the hike, and the side pockets for hydration accommodated for the size of the water bottles. If a hydration bladder was used, there was a small pocket at the top of the pack to feed the mouthpiece and tube through for easy access. When used as an everyday pack, the padded laptop pocket was great in keeping the laptop secure and separate from any other items that needed to be stored. There was plenty of space for other things and the front organizational pocket was fantastic for a tablet, any pencils and pens as well as other small office supplies.

Bottom Line: The Patagonia Women’s Chacabuco backpack is an extremely useful backpack that can eliminate the dilemma of having to buy a separate day hiking pack along with an everyday urban pack. If the hike isn’t super technical or overly rigorous, the Chacabuco will definitely do the job. It is a sharp looking backpack that is versatile enough to go from outdoors to indoors without compromising durability and comfort. The Patagonia Chacabuco 28L retails at $99.00 and also comes in a 30L.