Gear Test: Impetro Backpack System

I’ve noticed something lately, and maybe you have too…

Backpacks are expensive!

As an avid hiker, biker, and camper, I own multiple backpacks for my outdoor recreational needs.

I have my day hiking backpack, which cost several hundred dollars, my bigger overnight backpack, which also cost several hundred dollars, and a backpack for mountain biking, which cost a few hundred dollars.

That means I dropped well over $1,000 to have all the backpacks I want for my various activities.

It’s painful to think about!

Fortunately, one Canadian company has created a backpack system that promises to provide multiple backpacks for all your outdoor needs for a lot less money. This company’s name: Impetro.

Here’s how the Impetro backpack system works. There’s a base unit, which serves as the common foundational piece for all your adventures. Then, there are four activity-specific packs that you zip onto the base unit. These activity-specific packs include a hiking pack (10 liters), a biking pack (15 liters), a skiing pack (22 liters), and a mountaineering pack (33 liters). Adjust the harness of the newly combined pack, and you’re ready to go.

Clever, right? You essentially have four backpacks for the price of about one backpack from a leading brand. (Currently, on the Impetro website, you can grab the complete bundle — four backpacks — for $280. That works out to $70 per pack. Which is quite a deal in this day and age.)

However, I was a bit skeptical that this backpack system would actually do what I needed it to do. As an experienced outdoor rec gear consumer, it seemed too good to be true. That’s why I reached out to Impetro and requested a sample. They were nice enough to send me a complete bundle to try out. And so, on a recent morning, I took the packs to Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, and that’s exactly what I did.

My first observation: Zipping a pack to the base unit is easy. The zipper didn’t jam up, and the whole thing felt secure. I didn’t get the sense that these zippers or the surrounding materials were going to break anytime soon. (We all know a cheap zipper when we feel one, right? This wasn’t one of them.)

Overall, as I hiked through Shawnee National Forest, the pack system held up fine and felt legit. Many of the packs had attached rain covers, the pockets were adequate, and the material, which is made of nylon, mesh, and other weatherproof fabrics, felt durable, like it could withstand the rigors of outdoor activities.

As a tall person (6’5”), I was initially concerned about the fit. However, after adjusting all the straps, the bag fit me just fine and held all the gear that I put in my everyday hiking backpack. The process of adjusting the straps was straightforward and significantly improved the backpack’s comfort and functionality. In short, the backpack passed all of my preliminary tests.

Discovering the Impetro system was a pleasant surprise. It’s a piece of outdoor gear that I didn’t know I needed until now. I’m excited to share this find with others who, like me, enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. It’s a good option for many people, whether you’re on a tight budget or simply don’t want to overpay for your gear.

In the end, I keep coming back to this: Why pay for four separate backpacks when you can reap all their benefits for the cost of one?

Author: Shawn Gossman is a contributor to Terrain and the founder of Hiking with Shawn.

Top image: Courtesy of Impetro.