Mountainsmith Zerk 40 Backpack Review

The Mountainsmith Zerk 40 is a multi-purpose backpack with vest-style shoulder straps that can be utilized for backpacking, thru-hiking, or lengthy day hikes. I hesitate to name it a fast-pack as a result of its utility extends far past that slender fashion of use.

Weighing 30 oz, the Zerk 40 has a roll-top closure, a detachable hip belt strap, and a detachable foam framesheet. Numerous open mesh pockets on the shoulder straps and backpack exterior make it simple to retailer steadily accessed gear and meals so that you don’t must cease and open the pack to entry them. The pack comes with bear canister straps so you possibly can lash a canister on high and contains quite a few exterior gear loops so you possibly can connect further gear to its exterior.

Specs at a Glance

• Weight: 30 oz
• Volume: 40L
• Type: Frameless
• Access: Top (roll-top)
• Gender: Unisex
• Hydration appropriate: Yes, central hose port inner dangle loop
• Pockets: 9 (all open, mesh, and exterior)
• Torso Range: 16-19″
• Includes extras: Stretch bungee wire for the entrance pocket, bear canister straps
• Bear canister compatibility: BV500 and BV475 match inside vertically; BV450 and BV 425 match inside sideways; In addition, exterior straps are additionally included for a high carry
• Materials: 210-denier recycled nylon ripstop (UHMPE); recycled 210-denier nylon SD oxford; nylon 100-denier x Span 840-denier stretch mesh
• Max really helpful load: 20-25 lbs (producer claims 30 lbs)

Backpack Frame and Suspension

The Mountainsmith Zerk 40 is a frameless fixed-length backpack with vast vest-style shoulder straps and a detachable hipbelt made with webbing. Although it has a delicate foam again panel, the dearth of a load-bearing hip belt signifies that your entire pack weight will relaxation in your shoulders. Mountainsmith claims the pack can carry 30 kilos comfortably, however I believe 20-25 lbs is a extra life like restrict that you must shoot for.

If you’ve by no means had a backpack with vest-style shoulder straps, they’ll take a while to get used to as a result of they supply a really completely different really feel than extra conventional backpack straps. For one, vest-style straps are likely to lie flat in your shoulders and higher chest and don’t actually rotate across the curves of your torso the way in which that conventional backpack straps do. Depending on the pack, chances are you’ll discover them too narrowly spaced or too broadly spaced, which may additionally have an effect on consolation. I occur to love the shoulder straps on the Zerk 40 as a result of I believe they favor a broad chest (dimension 46) not like numerous operating packs that I discover favor individuals with narrower torsos. In reality, I discover many running-style vests and path operating packs unusable for simply this purpose.

While the Zerk’s shoulder straps aren’t closely padded, they’re additionally not gossamer skinny. They’re 3″ vast on the high and sewn immediately into the highest of pack-bag, widening to 4.5″ on the backside, with a single adjustable sliding sternum strap between them (there’s no manner so as to add a second sternum strap). The shoulder straps every have two mesh pockets on the entrance with gear loops alongside the facet so you possibly can safe gadgets like an inReach 2 to forestall it from getting misplaced even when it falls out of a pocket. The straps themselves are J-shaped, which can be a consideration in the event you’re feminine or have a well-developed chest the place S-shaped straps could be extra snug.

The Zerk’s hipbelt is a webbing strap and never load-bearing. It’s offered to assist preserve the pack near your hips so it doesn’t bounce round, nevertheless it may also be eliminated. The hip belt is connected to the pack with gatekeeper clips that you may pop open and take away. You’ll want a pair of pliers to compress the buckle sufficient to open the gate, which is just too agency to do by hand.

There is a foam pad in a pad pocket behind the Zerk’s shoulder straps, its major function is to guard your again from being poked by the pack’s contents and isn’t structural like a correct body.  It’s additionally very delicate, and received’t forestall the pack bag from barrelling into your again in the event you overstuff it. You can take away the pad or change it in the event you really need (it weighs 3.2 oz) however I’d nonetheless suggest utilizing some sort of insert as an alternative as a result of it provides the pack bag a form, making it simpler to pack.

Backpack Organization and Storage

The Zerk 40 is laid out like a typical ultralight pack with a roll-top, entrance mesh pocket, and facet water bottle pockets. The roll high can clipped to itself on high or anchored utilizing clips alongside the facet of the pack, which is my desire as a result of it gives higher compression. The high of the roll high doesn’t have a stiffener of any type, so that you need to ensure you flip it just a few occasions to maintain it from unraveling. There’s additionally a single webbing strap that runs from the entrance mesh pocket over the roll high to carry it in place.

The Zerk 40 is designed with numerous exterior pocket storage so you’ve got all the things it’s worthwhile to get by the day inside simple attain with out having to cease to seek out one thing in your pack’s essential compartment. While this packing philosophy isn’t that completely different from another light-weight or cottage-made thru-hiking backpacks, the situation of the Zerk’s exterior pockets and the diploma of the group they supply units them aside from the hipbelt pockets on extra typical backpacks. Everything you may presumably want from snacks, gel packs, water bottles, bug dope, sunscreen, maps, a Smartphone, and so on might be saved inside simple attain within the shoulder strap pockets or the Zerk’s enhanced facet water bottle pockets.

The Zerk’s facet pockets can maintain water bottles, however what makes them distinctive is an extra stretch mesh pocket on the skin, which I liken to “hamster cheeks. These are good for storing extra snacks, fruit, or even trash wrappers so you don’t have to stop and open your pack to access/stow them. I much prefer these “hamster cheek” pockets to the mesh pockets that many ultralight backpack makers have began placing on the bottom of their backpacks. The latter is senseless from a sturdiness perspective for the reason that highest abrasion on a pack happens on the underside once you put it on the bottom.

While I’ve all the time most well-liked packs that allow you to add your personal accent pockets to daisy chains on the shoulder straps, I’ve grown to love the Zerk’s pocket format. I can securely retailer snacks, my Garmin inReach2, sun shades, a digital camera, and Smartphone on the shoulder straps, and extra meals and fruit within the hamster cheek pockets. The contents keep put too, which is helpful on the path, once I carry the pack round city, and for touring. Much to my shock, the Zerk 40 has change into a favourite for that reason.

The remainder of the Zerk 40 is pretty typical. The pack is hydration appropriate with a middle hose port between the shoulder straps, hose keeper loops on each shoulder pads, and a hook inside to hold your bladder however no separate hydration pocket.

The entrance mesh pocket is giant and superb for carrying moist or free objects akin to rain gear, a water filter, or an ultralight tent, however can be made with the identical light-weight mesh as used on the facet water bottle pockets. It is surrounded by crimson gear loops so you possibly can run an exterior elastic wire over it or connect further gadgets to the outside of the pack.

Compression and External Attachment Points

The Zerk 40 has facet compression straps that you simply’ll need to use to deliver the load inside as near your heart of gravity as doable, notably in the event you’re carrying a heavy meals load. The straps are configured in a zig-zag form and slightly awkward to tighten, however don’t intervene with reaching or changing the water bottles within the facet pockets.

There’s a webbing strap that loops over the roll-top to supply top-down compression, which may also be used to safe a foam pad to the highest of the pack, in addition to an ice ax loop, though a shaft holder isn’t offered. If you want one, simply roll your personal with an elastic wire and a wire lock.

The Zerk additionally comes with straps for securing a bear canister to the highest of the pack. The bear canister straps are two webbing straps that connect to 4 gear loops on high of the pack bag. While you may make them actually tight and even crisscross them, the canister tends to slip laterally by them and dangle precariously off the facet of the pack. I’d keep away from utilizing them. If it’s worthwhile to carry a canister, you possibly can retailer it vertically within the Zerk’s essential compartment and simply pack round it. The pack has a protracted extension collar that extends up previous the shoulders and gives further cupboard space.

Comparable Vest-Style Hiking Packs

Recommendation

The Mountain Zerk 40 is a multi-purpose backpack with a vest-style shoulder harness and non-load bearing hip belt. While it’s giant sufficient for light-weight backpacking, it may be utilized in so many various methods from peakbagging to commuting or journey with out breaking stride. Weighing 30 oz (minus optionally available cords and webbing straps) the Zerk is a surprisingly snug backpack offered you don’t overload it to attempt to carry greater than 20-25 kilos. Granted, the expertise of carrying a backpack with out a load-bearing hip belt or a inflexible body takes some getting used to, however the Zerk’s shoulder strap and facet pockets present a degree of group and entry that’s unavailable on many different packs.

Disclosure: The creator bought this backpack.