About.com Rating



The Bottom Line

This Duluth Pack All Day Lumbar Pack surprised me. I didn't expect to find anything that could replace my simple old faithful hunting pack, but this pack may well have done that. After a long deer season of hunting with this pack, I have no plans nor desire to go back to the old backpack that served me well for more than a decade - and that's saying something.

Pros

• Made in USA.
• Lifetime guarantee.

• Easy to put on and take off.
• I found it to be more comfortable and easier to use than a backpack.
• Heavy duty construction (heavy stitching, rivets with leather reinforcement, etc) should last a long time.
• Waterproof bottom liner so you can set it down on dewy ground.
• Simple design with flexibility built in (shoulder straps and waist belts are removable).

Cons

• Not waterproof (but waterproof waxed canvas is available as an option).
• The leather zipper pulls took a little getting used to.
• Cotton can rot.
• Shoulder strap length is not adjustable from the front - so you can't adjust them while wearing the pack.

Description

• Lumbar pack rides on your lower back instead of behind your shoulders.
• Heavy duty waist belt buckles around your hips and shoulder straps help carry the load.
• Shoulder straps are removable, as is the wide, padded waist belt. I don't know why you would, but you have the option anyhow.
• Simple design: One large central compartment with waterproof bottom lining, one generous front pocket, two beverage holders.

• Adjustable snap-buckle compression straps on top allow you to easily strap on a jacket, bedroll, or just about anything else.
• Top and front compartments close with heavy duty plastic zippers.
• Adjustable elastic "bungee" cords in tops of water bottle holders can be used as drawstrings.
• Made with 18-ounce canvas.
• Shoulder straps are cotton, 2 inches wide.
• Lifetime warranty covers craftsmanship (sewing and riveting) and hardware (zippers, buckles, D-rings, snaps, and other similar parts). Duluth offers free repair or replacement if those things fail.
• Cotton canvas fabric is not completely silent, but it's very noisy either.
• Main compartment is about 6" x 14" and 10" deep.
• Front zipper pocket is 7" tall, 10" wide, and 2" deep.
• Front pocket has a few internal "slip" pockets "for keys or licenses."
• Beverage holders are 6" deep and easily hold a 3" diameter bottle.
• Item No. B-179
• Available in many different colors, including Mossy Oak camouflage.

Review of Duluth Pack All Day Lumbar Pack

When I first received the All Day Lumbar Pack, I had my doubts. But I wanted to give it a fair shake, so I adjusted the straps according to the instructions, and tossed it into the rest of my hunting gear. Come deer season, I dragged out the old backpack I'd been using for the past 15 years or so, and transferred my essential hunting gear to the new pack.

My old pack is very simple... it has one large compartment, two good-size side pockets, and one front pocket. An external cross strap with buckle allows me to strap extra hunting clothes to the pack. This Duluth pack is smaller and has fewer pockets, so I wondered whether I would like it - but I've found that most packs have too many small pockets, and the All Day Lumbar Pack has two buckle compression straps on top for extra gear, so I figured I'd give it a go.

I used it for the three days I was able to hunt deer during archery season, and was satisfied. Then I used it extensively during gun season, too - and came away happy.

The Good

My absolute favorite thing about this pack is how easy it is to put on and take off. I often experience shoulder pain if I flex them the wrong way, and that often happens when I put on or take off a backpack. And shouldering a backpack is generally awkward anyhow. With this Duluth pack, I can easily put it on both shoulders without any contortions, pain, or general arm-flapping - and it comes off just as easily.

I also like the dual beverage holders on this pack. Being a deer hunter, I put a water bottle in one side and a pee bottle in the other - making sure to clearly mark which is which, of course! This puts relief - of bladder or thirst, depending on need - within easy each.

The main compartment holds quite a lot of gear, though somewhat less than my old backpack. That is actually a good thing in most cases, because I tend to carry too much stuff when I go hunting. The slightly smaller size forces me to occasionally sort through my pack and set aside gear that I won't be needing for that hunt.

The smaller main compartment also means that, although it is still possible bury things under a pile of other gear, it is never buried quite so deep as was possible to do with my old backpack.

The front pocket has a good zipper closure, and is pretty roomy... and that's good, because it's pretty much replacing the two side pockets on my old pack.

And finally, we have the two compression straps on top of the pack. They are 3/4 of an inch wide, made of a black manmade material that seems plenty durable, are adjustable, and have plastic quick release snap buckles. I find it easy to use these straps to lasso a lot of gear to the top of the pack - in my case that usually means clothing.

Walking to my stand on a cold morning, I can't wear my quilted cold-weather clothing without getting hot - so I carry it along and don it when I get there. Similarly, I often have to carry extra clothes on my way out after the day has warmed up. The compression straps allow me to loosen them to about 16" long, capture my gear and buckle the strap, then cinch it tight to hold it in place.

I was easily able to strap insulated pants and jacket to the pack - and while carrying it, the gear stayed out of the way behind my back. Adding gear to a backpack often makes the load so tall that it's likely to hang up on tree limbs and such.

Another nice feature of this pack over a backpack is that I can buckle the waist belt around a tree in which I'm hunting and have easy access to my gear.

The Bad

My first gripe with the Duluth Pack All Day Lumbar Pack was with the zipper pulls. They are simple leather thongs attached to the metal YKK zipper pulls - and if you are used to grabbing a zipper by the metal pull, as I was, then there's a tendency for the thong to come loose.

Once I learned to pull the leather instead of the metal, that aggravation problem was greatly reduced.

My other complaint was that I sometimes felt the need to adjust the shoulder straps while I had the pack on. While walking in the woods, I wanted to be able to adjust the straps, try it out, and repeat - without ever having to take off the pack. But I couldn't.

The shoulder straps could conceivably be reversed to provide that ability, but I preferred not to do so.

Conclusion

Against all odds, I believe I have finally found a pack to replace the simple old backpack I've used for so long. And I'll be completely honest here - I don't think I could have afforded to buy this pack, as Duluth Pack is a high-dollar, high-quality manufacturer and the price reflects that. But if you can swing the cost, the All Day Lumbar Pack is worth a close look. After all, it is without a doubt the best hunting day pack I have tried so far.

- Russ Chastain

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Disclosure: A review sample was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.