Ribz Front Pack

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www.backpackgeartest.org has reviews of an older Ribz model that some might find informative.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I have used this front pack system in winter rain, snow and sleet as a complement to my regular smaller-sized 3000ci (50L) pack system to make a lighter winter system. I used it on 4 separate 3-day and 2 4-day overnight backpacking trips in snow/ sleet/ freezing rain in southwest Virgina along the Appalachian Trail at altitudes of 5700 ft (1737 m) in temperatures varying from 0 F (-18 C) to 40 F (7C) as planned. In addition to the overnight trips it was used as day pack on 10 day hikes in central North Carolina at elevations of 400 (122 m)ft to 800 ft (244 m) in more moderate temperatures.I have used it in warm spring weather, including rain and sun. The majority of its use was as a secondary front pack to my light weight pack to improve the volume of my winter backpacking system. I have also used it as a day pack in several configurations: with and without a hydration pack, as a stand alone pack, and for other outdoor adventures such as trail work and range shooting.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Overall I have been very pleased with the performance of this pack in the field. It is lightweight, although I would hesitate to call it ultralight (for the purists out there), but as I am only a lightweight backpacker and not a gram weenie I am very satisfied with it.
It has withstood rain, wind, snow, snowmelt, sleet and held up very well. It is relatively water resistant and the zippers are easy to manipulate with gloves or mitts on.
I attempted to use it mountain biking, but found that my knees bumped the pack when pedaling, so I discontinued its use for that purpose.
The one drawback to using it as a pack is that it is difficult (though not impossible) to use with a hydration bladder, although I was able to dedicate one side of the pack to a 3 L (101 oz) hydration bladder. It makes the pack feel off balance to me, but is doable. I have found that carrying 2 20 oz (.59 L) soda bottles and my filter tends to work well for most day and backpacking trips. This also helps me balance out the weight a bit by carrying one bottle on each side.
I feel the pack contains ample room for a daypack or front pack addition to a lightweight backpacking system, or simply as a volume extender for longer or cold weather trips.
Essentially my report is unchanged from my field report. No significant increase in wear has occurred from last report either, which I did not expect to be the case. There was some fraying around the interior of the pack at the zipper, which is pictured in the Field Report. I had originally planned to document the progressive wear, but it has not shown up yet, after 6 months of use.
I still have not determined the purpose of the extra strapping along the bottom of the pack, but it does not affect the product's performance in my opinion.

SUMMARY

In summary, I have been very pleased with the performance of this product. It has served well as a accessory component to my winter packing system, as a day pack and as an all around gear hauler. Again I would call it lightweight, but not ultralight. In my opinion an ultralight version could be easily made by removing excess strapping, paring down the zipper size, possibly pack volume and going with a lighter weight material. That being said, it works great for me and my proposes, but of course as I have said earlier, I am a big guy who is rough on my gear. RIBZ has stood up to the test so far.

CONTINUED USE

I plan to continue to use RIBZ front pack system for backpacking, hiking and other outdoor adventures. Thanks to BGT and RIBZ for the opportunity to test this product.
This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

By brad banker
Read the original review and other gear reviews at:

www.backpackgeartest.org

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