Okay, so bear with me as this is the first gear review I’ve done. But while there are lots of hiking gear reviews and travel gear reviews – blog posts and videos – long distance walking gear reviews seem to be lacking and I tend to just use hiking gear reviews most of the time when needed. Perhaps I’m not putting in the right search criteria or perhaps everyone just uses the hiking ones as I’ve been doing but I wanted to share reviews on products that I love and which work great for me when doing long distance walks as it is a bit different (most of the time) from backcountry hiking. And I’ll probably do the same for any that truly fail. If the item is just meh, neither good nor bad, I won’t write about it at all.
I’ll also try to include links to the product so that if you’re interested in checking them out, it’s easy to do so. But unless I specifically state something different in the future, none of the links are (or will be) affiliate links, they’ll just be for your convenience. The links will also be to where I bought it in Canada and/or the official brand website (or both when possible).
Everything I review is something I bought myself and used at least a few times before the review. Basically, I want to share stuff that worked great for me (or that sucked). Oh, and they will be all items that are currently still available for sale… which means I can’t review my favourite hiking shoes, as much as I love them, as they are a discontinued model (I should have bought another pair!).
First up, my travel hiking backpack which is the perfect size for long distance walks when not camping.
Helly Hansen Transistor 30L Backpack
I bought the pack online from Sport Check for $104.97 in midnight green. Unfortunately, they don’t have it in that colour anymore but they do in Alert Red and Black (currently at the regular price of $210). However, it’s current on sale on the Helly Hansen website for $105/$126 depending on the colour.
It’s lightweight (900g), hydration compatible, has dual trekking pole attachments, a shockcord laced down the front, two mesh side pockets for water bottles or other stuff you want quickly, a large top opening and several other pockets. There is no internal frame but it has mesh ventilation on the back panel and straps for comfort. And key for me, the dimensions fit many airlines’ carryon size requirements, which is hard to find in a hiking pack as they tend to be too tall.
I used it on my trip to PEI last fall where I was on a walking vacation and it worked great for me. It was comfortable carrying it while walking for a several hours, both partially and fully loaded. It is a unisex pack, but it fit my body well. The side pockets work well for water bottles but they aren’t angled so you do need to at least partially remove the pack to remove a water bottle.
The pockets on the hip belt are fairly roomy and fit my phone on one side (although it wasn’t perfect and I preferred to carry it elsewhere) and keys, chapstick and a granola bar on the other. There is also an outside pocket at the bottom of the pack and I used it for a rain cover (bought separately as one isn’t included with this pack) with room leftover. I found the shockcord useful on a day when I was constantly taking my jacket on and off as I would simply attach it there.
It’s not waterproof but it’s easy to use a pack liner with it, or dry bags or a rain cover. I used a pack liner and had a rain cover which wasn’t necessary as when I used it, I only had one day of light rain.
The foam mesh padding on the back panel, shoulder straps and hip strap is comfortable, although the back will get slightly sweaty on warm/hot days. But that’s to be expected. On cool days, it was fine.
All in all, it’s a good pack that works well as for travel and long distance walking. While it’s marketed more as a day pack, if you’re a light packer it’s fine for a week or two away, great for a weekend trip or multi-day walk. However, if you need camping gear, it won’t be large enough. I have used it successfully on day hikes, weekend trips, and a two week vacation that included a multi-day long distance walk where I used it both fully packed and as a day pack.
Definitely recommended if you need a medium backpack that’s comfortable for walking and carry-on friendly.
Rambles and Walks 