Video Review: Marmot Trans Hauler 28 L - $130 ~ Crossover Day Pack Reviews

Video Review: Marmot Trans Hauler 28 L - $130

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 with No comments

Video review:

The good stuff:

This is the best built pack that I have reviewed, displacing the Patagonia Blackhole as the winner in this regard. The use of high quality TPU and coated nylon, as well as well-sewed seams and tough hardware are apparent the moment you pick up this pack. This pack will last a long, long time and serve its master well.

The separate compartment for the laptop and tablet is perfectly executed. There is just enough padding to protect, but not so much that it makes the pack feel mushy and fat. The waterproof zipper offers protection from all but the most severe downpours. I really like the fact that I can easily access my digital devices without having to go into the main compartment. When a laptop sleeve is in the main compartment, one inevitably has to navigate around the walls of the pack to remove or insert the computer. The Trans Hauler makes this process a breeze.

On the outside of the pack there are two side mesh pockets for water bottles or a compact tripod and the smaller front pocket is fleece-lined making it ideal for sunglasses or goggles - a nice touch rarely found on packs. There is also the typical handle on the top of the pack, but this one is centrally placed fore and aft, making the pack balance well when held by this handle. (Packs that have handles along the back wall will tend to tip towards ones knees when walking, forcing you to hold the pack away from your body.)

The main compartment contains a large mesh pocket on the wall adjacent to the laptop compartment that can hold your power bricks or other digital accessories. The front wall of the pack houses the divided organizer for your cell phone, pens, portable drives, etc. There is also a zippered pocket behind this organizer which extends partially down the length of the pack - a good design as one tends to lose things in these narrow pockets when they are too deep.

The suspension system is well put together with smooth fabric covering any parts that come in contact with your shirt. It is not overly padded and feels firm and secure. The back is stiff enough to allow the pack to keep its shape and there are large grooves to promote air circulation across your back.

The stiffness and flat bottomed design of the pack does allow it to do something that no other pack reviewed thus far can do: stand upright on its own! That is really convenient and something that I didn't know I was missing.

The bad stuff:

The placement of the organizer pocket is not terribly well thought-out. If you open the main compartment, this pocket inevitably inverts (points down), potentially leading you to dump your pens and pack of gun on the floor. It might have been a better idea to put this organizer in a zippered pocket on the outside, front of the pack (necessitating moving the current goggle pocket to the top of the pack where it would drop into the main compartment of the pack). Clearly, one needs to be careful about what one puts in these open top mesh pockets in the organizer.

The mesh side pockets are too narrow for no good reason. In looking at the photos, you will see that it is clear that Marmot could have chosen to extend the pockets across the width of the side of the pack. Why they pulled up short it beyond me. I am hopeful that one of these pack manufacturers will consult with me for their redesigns. (I man can always dream...) The fact that you cannot put in a full size Nalgene bottle is significant given that there is no hanger tab in the laptop compartment to allow that sleeve to double as a hydration bladder sleeve. This is shocking oversight, actually.

The waist strap is ridiculously skimpy. To provide a 3/4 inch strap is a joke. C'mon Marmot! For those of us who use a waist strap, the least you could have done is make it a 1" web belt. How much would that have hurt you!? The other associated problem is that the narrow bottom of the pack does force the waist strap and the shoulder straps to be set really close to the center (i.e. closer to the spine) of the pack. This led to the straps rubbing agains my sides and I am no fatty. I could imagine that this would be highly annoying when hiking. Had they set the attachment points even slightly wider on the pack (and they could have), this issue would have been eliminated.

As always, I cannot leave a review without complaining about compression straps (which I find to be largely useless on this class of pack, by the way). The strap spans the zipper on one side of the pack necessitating unlatching or navigating around the strap if you want to fully open up the pack. Fortunately, the pack has such a wide opening that there is really no need to open up the pack to use it as a panel loader. Still, why not just get rid of the compression straps altogether or, better yet, make them internal. Again, call me, Marmot, when you do the redesign.

Summary:

This really is a superb pack. Yes, it is not perfect, but it is so close. In fact, I can easily live with the "bad stuff" I listed above. I might even figure out a way to change out the waist belt to a wider one. Not sure how I would do it, but I would be willing to try. The pack has so many great design touches and yet has an overall simplicity of design that once will appreciate immediately and for years to come. I am tempted to make this pack the one for me.

Grade: A-

Photos: