Review: Granite Gear Kahiltna 29

In recent years, Granite Gear has built a solid reputation as ultralight pack specialists with a knack for knowing where to cut weight without sacrificing functionality and comfort. So it was to our surprise when their new Kahiltna 29 pack showed up weighing a not so feathery 2 lbs. 2 oz. But, after a couple of months of using the pack for daily commuting, hiking, snowshoeing and as a school bag, we have to admit we’re totally smitten. The Kahiltna is a heavy hauling technical pack with excellent support and comfort that can be used literally every day of the week. To see how the Kahiltna 29 stacks up, see our article on the best daypacks. For overnight or extended trips, we've also tested and written about backpacking packs.
 

Performance

Materials and Construction

True to the manufacturer’s reputation, the Granite Gear Kahiltna 29 is constructed with tough fabrics that are made to last, while incorporating weight saving measures when available. A great example of this is the various widths of webbing. The load bearing or areas with the highest strain, such as the hipbelt and shoulder straps, have wider, more substantial webbing, and areas where the stress on the fabric will be less, such as the sternum strap or side compression straps, you’ll find narrower webbing and buckles. The benefit of this type of construction is the pack weighs in a few ounces lighter than the competition.

As expected at the $140 price point, the zippers and buckles all are high quality. And despite having narrower webbing, the accompanying hardware is plenty tough and the plastics have a quality feel. Using a cheaper REI bag back-to-back with the Kahiltna made us appreciate Granite Gear’s efforts. The plastics feel cheaper, and the stitching is more prone to fraying on the more cost-friendly option. The casual user might not care, but the hiker, travel and commuter looking for an all-in-one option will definitely appreciate the long-lasting build. 
 

Organization

Both zippered front pockets have a large capacity. The main compartment fits everything you’d need for a long hike in inclement weather. We stuffed in a couple of down jackets and rain jackets we were testing as well as a couple of lunches and had room to spare. The front organization pocket clearly has a school or everyday intent, with a zippered mesh pocket and slots for pens and pencils.

Showing the dual purpose of the pack, the hydration sleeve, which sits inside the main compartment along the backpanel, doubles as a laptop case. All sizes of laptops we could get our hands on fit into the sleeve, including a rather thick 15-incher, and Granite Gear claims a 17-inch laptop will fit (we think it wouldn’t fit if it’s housed in a case, however). A single Velcro strap hangs from the top of the pack to hold all types of water bladders in place. 

For the 29-liter capacity and potential school applications, we’d prefer another pocket, perhaps along the top of the pack for smaller items. That would round out the organization a bit better. Beyond that little nitpick, we thought the design was very well thought out. You get two large zippered hipbelt pockets that easily swallowed our phone (iPhone 5c in a LifeProof case) and headlamp, respectively, on an early morning hike. And the shoulder straps have built-in mesh pockets for smaller items. Minus the case, the aforementioned iPhone fit in these stretchy pockets just fine. 

Features

One of the benefits of not going full ultralight is retaining a strong feature set, and the Kahiltna has just about everything one could ask for in a hiking-ready daypack. The included rain cover, stored in a zippered pocket in the bottom of the pack, can be quickly deployed when the weather turns—a major bonus for commuters and year-round hikers in finicky Seattle weather. That the rain cover is a high visibility canary yellow color is another plus in the city.

The hipbelt is completely removable, which we appreciated when we weren’t carrying as heavy a load. And removing it is super easy. Just feed the lower stabilizer straps back through their ladder-lock buckles and pull the hipbelt from either end to remove it—simple as that. Rounding out the features, the pack includes two ice axe loops, a strong top haul loop, and two stretchy mesh water bottle pockets that fit various sizes of bottles well.
 

Fit and Comfort

Slipping on the bag, you immediately appreciate its heavy hauling aspirations. The Kahiltna 29 is a daypack with the customizable fit of a larger backpacking pack. Load-lifter and lower stabilizer straps, a nice sternum strap, and heavy duty (and really effective) strap adjustments for the hipbelt all combine to dial in the fit really well. Dual side compression straps snug the pack in closer to your back, which is appreciated when hiking with either a very small and light or heavy and bulky load. Many packs of this size and style only have a less effective single side compression strap, typically towards the top of the pack, so we appreciate the inclusion.

Thick and supportive hipbelt and shoulder straps deliver a lot of comfort on the trail. It’s the kind of padding that isn’t overly squishy; instead it conforms to you over time, not unlike a quality bike saddle. The backpanel has a stiff HDPE framesheet that isolates your back well from whatever you’re carrying, and the foam along the backpanel is plenty comfy. One area the backpanel falls a bit short is on ventilation. The small channels created by the offsetting foam heights along the back do not move air very well, especially in contrast to a full mesh backpanel. This is a common issue with packs of this style, and moving to a full mesh suspended system would’ve cut in on the pack’s capacity, so it’s hard to knock this too much.

Best Uses

We found the Kahiltna great for a number of applications. The high capacity and good organization—not to mention the reflective tabs and built-in raincover—makes it an excellent option for commuting to the office and school. Reinstall the hipbelt for the weekends, and you’ll appreciate its comfortable performance fit. It’s not so light that we would consider it a summit pack, even with the framesheet removed, and the hefty hipbelt does make it difficult for bike commuting. Beyond these two applications, it was a champ at everything else.
 

The Competition

When looking at the larger daypack market, we found that the Kahiltna falls into a nice in-between spot, and excels at just about every task. In contrast to other bags that we’ve used with this type of dual purpose (a few packs from The North Face come to mind), the Kahiltna remains equally adept on the trail as it is around town. The extra organization and higher capacity doesn’t hurt it when being used as a serious day hiker.

Retailing for $140, the Kahiltna is without a doubt pretty expensive. Slightly cheaper, dedicated hiking packs like the Osprey Stratos are the better choice for those spending most of their time on the trail, but for the quality of materials and comfort, we concluded the Kahiltna is pretty reasonably priced. Part of its value comes down to how you will use the pack. As a casual everyday item it’s darn expensive. But put the Kahiltna 29 at the top of your wish list if you’re looking for a go-to bag that is equally capable in the city and backcountry.