Loads of Trials, Few Errors

Thriller Ranch’s overbuilt, exterior body expedition, looking, and wildland firefighting packs have earned them a popularity for hauling heavy hundreds. My first expertise with a Thriller Ranch pack even got here when an previous Military buddy dropped a not-insignificant portion of his paycheck on one.

Nevertheless, the corporate’s growth into backpacking, EDC, and basic journey lineups is quietly turning into a masterclass in adapting to demand, whereas retaining an indelible fingerprint. The journey packs have the model’s trademark robustness. Their EDC and day packs function the corporate’s iconic, pocket-aplenty, easy-access, tri-zip design.

The corporate’s founder, Dana Gleason, is famously unimpressed with most ultralight packs. But, with it being a serious market development, Thriller Ranch’s 2024 Radix sequence leverages materials like Extremely-PE to haul conventional hundreds in what — for Thriller Ranch, anyway — may qualify as ultralight. 

In brief: With one of many market’s most unusual harnesses, a strong body and hip belt, light-weight materials, and a number of strengthened openings to entry gear — the Bridger 65 appears like a wedding between Thriller Ranch’s rugged heritage and newest light-weight experimentation. This marriage, although, comes with compromise, a hefty price ticket, and a steep studying curve.

Thriller Ranch Bridger 65 Evaluate

Overview

The Bridger 65’s eclectic parentage has left it with a posh of defining compromises that in the end work properly collectively. 

Its comparatively stiff body and sturdy, adjustable suspension system enable for wonderful load switch, however bump up the the pack’s weight. The working type vest permits additional storage and distributes no matter weight is on the chest comfortably — however mixed with all of the adjustment choices, provides complexity to the becoming course of.

The entrance panel zipper, sleeping bag compartment, and high opening supply best-in-class gear accessibility. Nevertheless, the reinforcements for all of those entry factors can go away the bag feeling cluttered. 

Nonetheless, the pack in the end does so many issues properly, that it’s best to debate the few issues it may do higher first. 

Hips Don’t Lie: Hip Belt, Straps, and Match

From mile one, my again and rear hips felt swaddled in a layer of among the most snug mesh and padding I’ve ever worn, flexibly sewn to the decrease center of the pack. This was strengthened with inflexible exterior padding sewn to the underside exterior corners of the pack. This twin anchor level system felt fitted, free-floating, and rigidly supportive .

Only one drawback: the padding didn’t lengthen beneath the inflexible backing. As soon as my loadout pushed previous 40 kilos and the load settled down on the belt, a distinguished seam began biting my hips with each step.

The complicated connection system and unnumbered hash marks for the torso adjustment made adjusting this tough. I even visited two retailers that promote the pack for a second opinion — however with restricted expertise and none in inventory, they discovered adjusting the pack tough. 

1 / 4 inch up. That’s it. After just a few hours and miles of experimenting, this was all of the adjustment wanted to put the hip belt firmly into the highest two or three most snug I’ve ever worn. 

Individually: Some Shortcomings. Collectively: Compromises

With the hip belt fine-tuned, I used to be left with essentially the most minor annoyances. The reservoir pocket was too slender to simply match something past a 2L bladder. The aspect pockets felt like they may very well be a contact bigger — or cinchable. Nonetheless, their inch-wide webbing managed to supply good sturdiness and comparatively clean entry to 2 1.5L Good Water bottles apiece.

Plus, the hip belt’s exterior reinforcement band presents loops for MOLLE-compatible bottle or onerous can holsters. The pack provided so many choices for water carry, that neither pocket in the end induced me any situation.

The entrance zippered pocket, felt prefer it narrowed unnecessarily towards the highest. Its inside mesh lining (in addition to the mesh for the pockets alongside both aspect of the highest of the primary compartment) felt unnecessarily thick. Total, this left the flayable compartment feeling barely storage-compromised. Nevertheless, between pleating, a spacious lid, frontal daisy chains, and quite a few different exterior staps and loops apart from, I by no means felt missing for outermost storage. 

Merely put: As soon as I began had the pack dialed in, each grievance I had went from a gentle annoyance to functionally unnoticeable — all save for the worth tag. 

Carry Consolation

After 2 months as my major pack by temperate forests, midwestern wetlands, and desert canyonlands alike, I can confidently say the Bridger 65 is the most snug and heavy-hauling inside body pack I’ve ever carried. 

The corporate has likened it to a Cadillac. And it’s not a farfetched comparability, in efficiency or value. 

The pack’s body transferred weight to my hips excellently. It didn’t start to notably bow till north of fifty kilos. Even 70-pound loadouts carried for miles with solely gentle discomfort. The hip belt may need taken me appreciable effort to suit. Nevertheless, this was largely due to how adjustable it’s — each horizontally and vertically. Equally, the load lifters supply adjustable high and backside anchor positions. 

The working vest-style harness is likely to be overbuilt, and is probably not for everybody. Being broad-chested, the working vest-style harness did put barely extra stress on the surface of my pecs. And whereas the vest pockets supply additional storage, something too angular or cumbersome like a Leatherman or a big water bottle, felt instantly awkward. 

However, the vest distributed any topside weight throughout my chest with best-in-class consolation and Fort Knox safety, whereas holding my bug spray, knife, and lens shut at hand. 

Cargo Configurability

I’m the sort of pack obsessive who considers a panel-loading choice vital on any pack north of ultralight. Right here, the Bridger units the bar.

The frontmost pocket is accessible with out having to loosen any compression straps. The panel opening might be flayed solely or unilaterally unzipped, whereas holding some straps clasped to safe gear.

The sleeping bag compartment’s expandable opening simply swallowed my largest artificial sacks. Its inside compression strap and distinctive opening folds again on itself, which de-stresses and protects the zipper — and offers a flat face to which you’ll strap extra gear.

Granted, the variety of compression straps and quantity of 330D nylon reinforcing each opening borders on extreme. Nevertheless, all of it leads to a pack that appears like it’ll punch properly above its weight class in sturdiness for years to return — whereas nonetheless providing first-class entry to your gear.

Nearly the one space during which it doesn’t outperform others is in a detachable lid that, when used as a hip belt, carries with much less consolation and storage than Granite Gear packs round half the worth. 

Conclusions

The Bridger 65 isn’t for everybody. Each its price ticket and complicated adjustability favor these with some miles below their belt. Even then, the distinctive vest-style harness is finest tried on in a retailer (earlier than you buy). However, price range allowing, strive it it’s best to. 

It’d take prior experience, and some trials and miles, to dial down the match. Nevertheless, for these with the endurance, observe, and paycheck, the Bridger 65 balances the very best of Thriller Ranch’s heavy-hauling functionality and more and more light-weight aspirations. This uber-functional (but $375) pack offers best-in-class gear accessibility, load switch, consolation, and sturdiness.