My Trail Co is born from the ashes of the GoLite fame. We have used and abused many Golite products over the years and have them to thank for getting us into lightweight and ultra lightweight backpacking. After GoLite closed down, due to several factors (one of them being too far-reaching in what they offered) they decided to go back and focus on what they were good at. My Trail Company was formed, making backpacks, tents and down garments that worked. The design of the products is, from what we can tell, the same. That can be a great thing if you were a fan of the Jam series of packs. The My Trail Backpack Light 50L is darn near the same design as the Jam or Jam 2 packs. We took our old Jam 70 out to compare and they look the same (pics below) Maybe a little different color, but the same basic function and design. Hurray! We loved using the Jam 50L and 70L packs on adventures.
One of the features that we use a lot is the ComPacktor system that allows you to take the pack from 50 liters down to 20 liters or so with ease. It is not rocket science but it works well. For much of this review, we used the pack compressed down to 20L for backcountry splitboarding. The Backpack Light easily swallowed up all the gear we needed for a moderate day in the mountains. We were even able to fit our shovel, 265cm probe and first aid kit in the smaller zippered pocket. This left us with ample room to store puffy, water, food, jacket, helmet, goggles, gloves and repair kit in the main compartment.
There is a mesh hydration sleeve and ports on both side of the backpack as well. The hip belt pockets are absolutely huge! Each pocket is mesh and stretches. There is even a smaller sleeve pocket within the hip belt pockets to keep things organized. Two large mesh pockets on both sides swallow up liter water bottles and trekking poles. We did not attempt to mount the splitboard in A-Frame, but given the design of the strap, we feel that you could. Not that you would want to rely on that as a feature, as the side straps are not reinforced to withstand the edges of skis. Though you sure could create something to work. Most UL backpackers are pretty creative types 🙂
Dyneema thread is woven in x pattern throughout the backpack, creating a fabric that can take some serious abuse. The frame sheet is sufficient for caring UL to moderate loads. If you are using this pack, then you probably already have a light kit and know how to efficiently pack. The 50L makes a great lightweight (just a tad over 2lbs) backpack for overnighters, through hikes and even day hikes. Heck, this is the backpack I keep in the truck for any adventure, from snow to overnight camp, bike ride to the farmers market. It takes abuse and keeps on ticking. For the money, it is a bargain. MSRP $149. Sizes S (15.5-17.5”) M (17.5-19.5” L (19.5-21.5”) Get it direct from My Trailin both 50L and 70L
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