Video Review: Patagonia Refugio 28L - $90

Posted by Unknown on Friday, August 01, 2014 with No comments


Video review:



The good stuff:

I still own this pack. I got it before I went on this crazy quest to find the perfect CDP and didn't know what I really needed.  It is a great pack in so many ways.  The one thing that the Refugio has that I wish all other packs had is that it has a dedicated fleece pocket for my sunglasses/glasses right on top of the pack near the handle.  This is unbelievably convenient and I looked for it (largely without success) in all other packs.

The things that the Refugio has going for it, outnumber the negatives.  It has a great divided organizer pocket in a compartment outside of the main compartment.  It also has comfortable shoulder straps and deep side mesh pockets that hold a 1L Nalgene bottle or a compact tripod (I am a hobby photographer).  It is also spacious for a 28L pack.  This is somewhat the result of it being so flexible (no frame-sheet) but it is also an efficient quasi-top load design that gives you access to the entire volume of the bag.

The bad stuff:

The problems it has are multifold.  As I mentioned above, it is floppy and hot, but it also lacks a waist belt making it squirrelly while cycling or if I am moving at a mild trot to make it across campus to my class (I am a teacher by profession).  Also, it is difficult to remove and insert my 15" MacBook.  The laptop pocket is against the back wall of the pack and there is a deep "roof" that one needs to clear to get the laptop in and out of that pocket.

The other issue is the one mentioned above: the compression straps stretch across the zipper to the main compartment.  What this means is that the compression straps actually stop you from being able to open up the zipper fully; further impeding your ability to access big stuff in the pack.



Summary:

It's a good pack but with serious flaws that have forced me to find its replacement.  It helps to serve as a point of comparison for all the other packs discussed.  Patagonia is also a company I have no trouble supporting as they have business practices that are not always about making the highest possible margin.  That said, the Refugio is a pretty expensive pack for what you get.  There are North Face packs with similar features that are 2/3rds the cost of the Refugio. 


Grade: D (sort of unfair as it is not directly comparable to the true CDPs that follow)