Mountain Hardwear Women’s Napali 50 Review

The Napali 50 is a women’s specific pack that weighs a mere 3 lbs, 7 oz and provides approximately 50 Liters of carrying space. The Napali, despite its weight, does not skimp on features or comfort. The pack has a women’s specific FL suspension system that allows for great ventilation around the torso and comfortable load transfer with moderate loads tested. The Napali’s shoulder straps are also tailored to a women’s body frame and testers did not report any rubbing or pinching with these straps. Testers enjoyed the top and side entry into the main compartment, as well as the smaller zippered side pocket on the left and front to help keep gear organized. The dual density padded hipbelt not only supports heavier loads, it also houses two zippered mesh panels that were great for stowing snacks and other key items. To save weight, the top of the bag closes with a roll top design, similar to a dry bag system, and takes seconds to open and kept the elements out when tested in the field. Testers liked the small daisy chain on the front panel and the clips on the side of the bag that could be used to secure trekking poles, ice axes, etc. The Napali has side mesh pockets for easy access to commonly used items, a separate lower sleeping bag compartment, and hydration sleeve that can be accessed externally, and a stowable front compression panel for extra items, such as camp shoes or wet clothing. Testers felt that the mesh pockets could be a tad deeper and the stowable compression panel slightly larger to accommodate larger overload items. Overall, the testers felt that this pack was a great value and provided a light-weight option for long weekend backpacking trips. For more information about this product, please visit MountainHardwear.com.