Thrupack Gear Review
For the first month or so of Moonshine and I’s 2017 Appalachian Trail thru-hike, we hiked with arguably our favorite person we met along the trail. His name was Jolly. Almost all of our funniest trail memories involve him at some capacity even though we only spent a few short weeks with him.
One of the most memorable aspects about Jolly was his backpack. He carried a small backpack but had a chest harness that held practically everything he needed throughout the day. I often found myself jealous of how easily Jolly could unzip his chest apparatus and access his water filtration system or a snack or AWOL or any of the other countless pieces of gear he stored in that compartment.
And so, after a few hundred miles, I broke down and purchased a $10 fanny pack just to enjoy the convenience of easy access.
And, I fell in love with the concept of a fanny pack.
I could carry my bottle of Sriracha, our GPS Communication Device, and a few snacks right at my waist. That fanny pack changed the way that I hiked. I rarely had to take my backpack off because everything was so much more accessible!
The issue with buying a $10 fanny pack, however, was that it practically disintegrated after a month on the trail.
Thankfully, I got in touch with Thrupack through our good friends over at Garage Grown Gear. Within a week, I had a brand new Summit Bum fanny pack hand crafted by Thrupack.
I immediately felt the difference between my flimsy $10 fanny pack and the lightweight toughness of the Thrupack. BUT, what really sold me was how comfortably the fanny pack became a part of my body.
When I woke up each morning on the trail, I would pack up Moonshine and I’s lunches inside the Thrupack, throw it around my body, and start hiking for the day. Once it was on, I didn’t take my Thrupack off until we arrived at camp for the night. I would hike the entirety of the day without ever taking this insanely comfortable fanny pack off because of how useful is truly was.
Here is a list of everything I carried in my Thrupack on the Appalachian Trail:
1. Moonshine and I’s lunches (yes, it is large enough to carry massive amounts of snackage)
2. Tweezers
3. A lighter
4. Our slim wallet with credit cards and ID’s
5. GPS Communication Device
6. Bottle of Sriracha
7. Extra Snacks
8. My phone
9. A battery pack
10. Water Filter
11. Headlamp
12. Bottle of Ibuprofen
13. 2 Sporks
14. Hand Sanitizer
15. Nail Clippers
16. Small Pocket Knife
17. More Snacks
As you can see, the Thrupack can hold an incredible amount of gear necessary for an average day of thru-hiking. Rather than having to take your backpack off to access all of these belongings, however, you have them conventionality located at your chest/waist.
Lightwieght, Tough, and Practical
Another perk to hiking with a Thrupack is that you displace a sizable amount of weight from your backpack to a different area of your body without adding much weight to your overall setup. The Summit Bum Thrupack only weighs 2.5oz since it is crafted from an ultralight and durable material known as Dyneema X. My Thrupack allowed me to displace about 2lbs of weight from my backpack to my waist/chest. And, as any thru-hiker knows, 2lbs is a lot of extra weight to carry on your back for 2,190 miles!
In so many ways, hiking with a Thrupack changed my Appalachian Trail thru-hike. It provided me with extra comfort and convenience, which enabled me to enjoy each day to a greater capacity.
Thanks, Thrupack for making Moonshine and I’s thru-hike even more spectacular than it already was!
