CamelBak has completely redesigned their women’s Aventura hiking backpack, and I got to try it out!
Turquoise is one of my favorite colors, so I may have been initially biased toward liking the new Aventura backpack… but as you know my reviews are always unbiased. So without letting the color influence me…
Is the CamelBak Aventura a Good Hiking Daypack?
I put it to the test, and I think it is a good hiking daypack. Why? A lot of reasons.
- Comfortable, lightweight, and breathable. The back of the pack has light weight foam padding, underneath a mesh covering. This enables great airflow, good ergonomics, and the foam makes the Aventura lighter than some others on the market.
- Easy to organize. There are a lot of convenient pockets and storage spots. This is a panel loading backpack, so it is easy to keep your hiking gear organized. In a lightly fleece lined pocket toward the top of the pack, I stored my camera and cell phone. They won’t get scratched in there with the fleece lining, and they won’t get wet because the zipper is seam sealed.
- Great side storage for trekking poles or water bottles. The 100oz (3 Liter) bladder that comes with this pack is sufficient enough for most day hikes I’d go on with this pack, but if you want to stash a bottle or even snacks, there are deep elastic pockets on either side of the backpack. I stored my trekking poles in them, and they didn’t budge during my hike!
- Good fit with new water bladder. CamelBak has redesigned all of their backpacks to better fit the new CamelBak Antidote water reservoir. The plastic piece on the bottom of the fillport slides into a groove in the zippered water bladder compartment.
- Nice little extras. In the winter, I like to snowshoe. I also like to do some basic mountaineering, where I take along my ice axe and crampons. This pack has 3 loops on the bottom of the pack, which means you could conveniently store an ice axe. There is also a little section in the middle of the pack where I stored my vest when not in use. It sure is easy to adjust clothing layers when they are handy!
What Could Be Improved
- Hip Belt pockets! I like to have a convenient place to stash my chapstick and camera. I know some people prefer streamlined hipbelts, but I prefer the extra bit of mesh so I can keep the small little hiking essentials within easy reach.
- Sternum strap adjustment CamelBak was one of the first manufacturers to develop women’s packs that had sternum straps that sat higher on the chest. When I first bought my CamelBak LUXE (the women’s version of the best selling CamelBak MULE backpack), I was really impressed that the sternum strap was positioned to fall above the breasts! This one did fit above my breasts, however, I was on the highest possible notch on the adjustment. So it could fall in the wrong spot for some women!
Overall it is a solid hiking daypack, and the gorgeous color puts it over the top in my opinion! When it comes out on the market, I’ll let you know where it is available.
Want some tips on how to choose the right hiking backpack for you? Check out Hiking 101: Backpacks.
