The Patagonia Slope Runner Exploration Pack 18L
The Patagonia Slope Runner Exploration pack takes the vest chassis of the Slope Runner Vest and marries it with a much roomier 18L carrying capacity. The added volume, comfortable shoulder straps and included dual flasks make this a great option for long days in the mountains where keeping weight to a minimum is key but you still need to carry enough food, water and gear to last from sun up to sun down.
Overview
- Material: A blend of 100% recycled nylon, polyester and spandex
- Weight: 385 grams
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
What is the Patagonia Slope Runner Exploration Pack?
The original Patagonia Slope Runner Vest had a mere 3L of capacity, which was insufficient for a full day in the mountains. Recognizing this limitation, Patagonia combined the comfort of the Slope Runner Vests’ shoulder harness with a significantly larger pack to create the Slope Runner Exploration pack, which is in essence, a Running backpack, or a fast pack. I primarily tested the Slope Runner Exploration pack during my summer non-work days in the Alps. I tend to hike much faster than when I’m accompanied by guests, so I streamline my gear to a minimum and no longer need 40L capacity but I want it to be close to body and no longer needs to accomadate a heavy load. The Slope Runner Exploration Pack perfectly accommodates this approach.
The Main Body
The main body of the Slope Runner Exploration pack is made of 210d recycled nylon ripstop with a DWR. It has a slightly stiff hand feel to it that makes it feel as though it could take a bush bash or two and come out well. I’ve used it in a few spring showers and it has kept the contents inside quite dry. I’ve not worn it in a downpour, but then, I try not to be out in a downpour anyway. If fast packing in the rain is in your future I still feel as though you will need to keep your valuables in a dry bag inside this Slope Runner.
Closing the pack is handled by a single drawstring at the top of the main compartment. When tightening the drawstring the top flap is pulled closer to the backpad and therefore the wearer. This helps keep the bag closer to the wearer and pulls the water resistant material over the opening, helping to keep light precipitation out but by no means making the bag waterproof.
At the top corners of the main compartment are two load lifters that pull a flap over the shoulder harness creating bellowed pockets. There is no way to securely close the pockets but they easily handle a spair of gloves or a Patagonia Houdini without much risk of them falling out. The pressure from being worn keeps the bellows closed. Inside the left bellow is a small zip pocket with a clip for valuables. This is where I keep keys or my wallet.
On the top and bottom left side of the body are two elastic cords. These are for affixing an ice axe. There is an accompanying garage for the pick as well. Alas, I did not test this feature out, but it seems like it would work well. There is, unfortunately, no water bladder holder in this bag. You could put a bladder inside the pocket for the back pad, which I have done, but there is now way to suspend the bladder from the top so it sinks to the bottom of the pack as you drink throughout the day. There’s also no port for a hose when the bag is closed.
Shoulder Harness
The shoulder harness is incredibly comfortable. Made of Spacer Mesh, it is very breathable and stretches with the wearer easily. Two load lifters, originating from the aforementioned bellows, matched with the closing cinch pulls the top of the bag close to the back and minimizes bounce when you are moving fast with a fully loaded pack.
Two sternum straps hold the Slope Runner Exploration pack firmly in place. Notched webbing on the inside of the straps hold the bag tight and are easy to adjust, though the bag must be removed to do so. It’s a reliable system that makes replacing broken straps easy should the need arise and finding workarounds on trail also easy.
Hydration Pockets
On the front of the straps are four pockets. Close to the wearer are two matching bottle pockets. Bottles tend to sit high in this pack without having to put the neighboring elastic over the tops which is good as this elastic is in fact for stowing your poles, a point we’ll get into later. The opening of the pockets is quite tight for full bottles, but I’d trade ease of insertion for secure bottles any day of the week.
On top of the bottle pockets are two more pockets to hold gels, your phone (No max size phones), navigation device, or anything else small to mid size you’d see fit to include. The foremost pockets run all the way to the side of the bag and gradually shrink in size. It’s easy to lose small candies and gels in the corners of these pockets. Some sort of separation would have been nice here as once something has worked it’s way into the corners of these pockets, it’s almost impossible to retrieve them with the bag on.
Pole Stashing
The straps on the upper side of the harness that resemble bottle holders are actually designed to hold your poles. The intended use is to place a single Black Diamond Z-Pole through this loop and then the loop at the bottom of the shoulder harness. Unfortunately, I found it uncomfortable having my poles there as my arms constantly rubbed against them. There just isn’t enough room between my choulder and chest to make this a viable carry. I’ve also switched to using the Durston Iceline Pole (review here), which are far too long for this type of carry. The G3 Pivot Trek Poles work okay, but the lower two sections are short and often slip out. This carry is clearly designed for a compact Z-Pole, which makes sense since they’re also popular for trail running.
Back Pad and Side Suspension
The back and shoulder straps are lined with a 100% recycled polyester spacer mesh. Spacer mesh, also known as 3D mesh, is essentially 3 separate layers of fabric knit together – a face and a back connected by a monofilament yarn to produce the “connecting cushion” (source). The backpad breathes really well and has some subtle stretch to it helping it conform to your shoulders and back and move with you.
Tucked inside the backing is a stiff foam back pad. It has been cored out and this results in a lighter weight backpad that breathes better than a solid one. It does a decent job of helping the bag retain its shape and distribute weight. This backpad is removable if you feel the need to save a few grams.
