Keen Steel Bridge Pack : You Can Take it All With You

(We had two reviewers test this pack. Here's L's review. Check out C's here.)

So, this beautiful, cavernous pack arrives from Keen, and I'm all happy because it's loaded with pockets and pouches--zippered, flat, pouchy, all sizes in all places. It's padded for carrying my laptop, the straps and back are padded, and if I wanted, I could attach things to the front of the pack with carabineers. It has padding and rubber strips on the bottom so I can put it down on the ground and it won't fall over. Basically, it's the pack of my dreams.

BUT, I was stuck on a deadline and my neighbors Lee and Natalie were off to Europe for three weeks. So I gave it to Lee and said, "put it through the paces." --E.D. (Mar '10)

Here are his comments:

I loved the Keen Steel Bridge backpack! I'm not saying that If I were trying to cross the Andes I'd take it with me but if I were traveling through city streets and across a European continent on vacation (as I recently did) I would be glad I had this pack.

First, the look of the pack is nice. Not too "Hey, I climbed Everest!" and not too "just off the school bus." More like a smart-looking pack that I could deal with on a daily basis - on the streets and trails.

Second, the many places to store/hide stuff in this pack were more than ample. I continued to find new pockets or sections to use the entire three weeks time I used the bag. Impressive.

The adjustable height chest strap was a nice feature but I should say I didn't use it. Still if I were to wear this pack for very long periods of time it would keep the pack comfortable, and that's an important trait for any pack.

I love the handle on the top of the pack. The worst part of most packs is getting them on to begin with. This handle on the top of the bag let me put one arm through the strap and grab the handle on top to lift the pack to easily get the other arm through.

The pack sat well on my shoulders and back and was comfortable to wear for a few hours or more while waiting for trains or just walking up and down cobblestone streets. It only rained once while I was on vacation and it snowed a few times: all my stuff stayed dry so I'll guess that the pack is water-resistant and the rubber-soled bottom make it safe to set down just about anywhere.

Being in an area where I didn't know the security threat to travelers, I was glad to see the design on the cinching strap buckles. If someone tried to get into my bag from behind, they would have had a really hard time getting it open before I felt the commotion.

The pack was light and held a ton. Nothing broke on the pack, and I crammed it into some pretty tight places as well as filled it to the brim the whole time. I was also in and out of the pack a lot, looking for things (which I usually found at the bottom of a pocket or the pack).

Lee's Keen Steel Bridge Pack traveled from the US to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and the Czech Republic. It still looks brand new!

Available in Black Olive/Shitake, Dark Shadow/Warm Olive, Black.

Bottom Line: This is the ultimate pack. It's well designed, it's attractive, it's secure, and you can stuff it and stuff it and there's still room for more.--E.D. and L.J. (Mar '10)

BUY ONLINE : $130, on sale for $108 at eBags , click to shop at Amazon

Manufacturer's Site: www.keenfootwear.com

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