LL Bean Continental Rucksack – What Were They Thinking?
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I get why people like this pack. However– It has some shortcomings you should be aware of before purchasing. For example: Why would they make the side pockets too small to carry the standard 40 ounce stainless steel bottle? And bottom straps that aren’t large enough to hold a bedroll or sleeping bag (I bought aftermarket straps on Amazon!)
OP/TECH USA Extensions (X-Long) – System Connectors
** Not included in gear load out mentioned in video: Cordage, Ridgeline, Sail needle, etc…
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$70 for that pos? Not surprising from ll bean unfortunately. They have been steadily going downhill for years.
P.s. Donât apologize in advance for opinions. Itâs not necessary and wonât do any good anyway. Nice vid.
Sincere thank you for making this video. I was very close to buying one seeing all of the positive videos about it.
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I think the key is probably just to get a MOLLE bag, that way you can add/subtract whatever extra space you want on it. I always have a difficult time finding the perfect pack for the situation. Itâs basically impossible to have 1 pack that does it all, but maybe a MOLLE pack could do that.
It's not a 200 hundred dollars or more
Pathfinder and Nalgene donât have those big loops on top of the screw on cap like kleen kanteen. You can also buy a smaller cap for the kleen kanteen. I have one, works great.
The 32oz fit wonderfully.
Also, the pathfinder canteen and cup fit.
I have the helicon Tex matilda and a Kelty 65l external frame too.
For shelter and sleep there are plenty option. A ranger roll will fit under and a decent tarp doesnât take much space.
I would say that you could rethink your gear choices and not be so redundant.
This is a great pack for an overnighted or two and is quite durable.
My daughter was gifted the child size one for scouts and itâs lasted 8+ years of kid neglect and will go for another 8 easy.
Also, ll bean gear has a lifetime warranty.
Would you recommend this bag for small outings/ area exploration? I plan to explore Kentucky Lake and Ohio River. I don't plan to camp but more or less practice a few bushcraft skills. Maybe hunt for wood for spoon carving, etc. Nothing major.
Amazon has the extenders for the lower straps. Optech USA extenders fit the LL Bean buckles. $5.95 on Amazon.
I have one. I bought it off the Pathfinder Trade Blanket after watching Dave's review…and I'm pretty happy with it.
I'm trying to embrace the Mors K. philosophy of "more you know, less you carry" and seeing what I can do to reduce bulk and excess without losing beneficial redundancies. It's kind of addictive!
I have 50-70 liter packs, but I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to refine this pack and the kit I'm carrying down to having a kit usable for 1-2 overnights. I think carrying a 70L pack for a single-night trip is a bit silly. I think, so far, I can get it to work for summer months…but it may not be quite enough for our Maine winters just yet (at least until I get better at reducing/refining my kit). đ
It hurts to see how badly they messed up this beautiful rucksack. Compare the bag in this video to some of the other videos out there and you can clearly see that the latest redesign (2019 I think) has resulted in a bag with a lot of the features that make it genuinely useful outdoors cut down to make it appeal to people who will only use it in an urban setting. WTF were they thinking indeed.
this bag is meant for children
Thanks for the description!
The Klean Kanteen bottle is, thanks to the lid with the eye, somehow taller than the stainless Nalgeen with flat lid. Do you think the Nalgene would fit?
If you store things in a more orderly and better folded way, you will fit a lot more in that L.L. backpack. bean, which is beautiful, your backpack is a mess, greetings.
hello, one question, does that L L Bean contiental backpack have a pocket on the top lid for glasses and keys and another pocket on the outside on the back to store a laptop? Thank you so much.
With respect, here a bit of perspective that might be helpful. All packs should be chosen to meet the needs of what you are going to do, how long you will be out, what season it is and many other variables. Choose the right bag for what you need the pack to do. Most people have multiple packs for this reason. No one pack is right for every situation. I have that same exact pack and it works just fine for a day pack or a 10 Cs pack. Don't use the side pockets for a water bottle. Many times, people like the way a pack looks and buy it only for its looks and forget about the bags functions and capacity and limitations. This often results in someone trying to force too much gear in the bag and stressing the bag beyond its capabilities and they tear the bag up.
Attach a carabinier to the bag and attach a Grayl Geopress water purifier to it.
P.S. Try not to expect that pack or any pack to do something it is not designed to do. First decide what features you want a bag to have before you buy.
I have the most recent version of this rucksack. Agree…the covers to the side pockets and back pouch have sewn down edges that make it hard to fully open them. However, 1/2 liter Nalgene bottles, or 24 fluid oz Smart water bottles, fit just fine in the side pockets, and the cover completely folds over them. This pack is quite good as a day pack.
LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, etc are brands that used to create serious outdoor gear but nowadays lean more towards fashion. I use a medium Alice pack because they are durable, although not the most ergonomic. I prefer to stay away from anything with zippers since that and poor stitching are usually the weak links in a bag
I've ran this pack for 3 years now. Seats the Pathfinder 32oz water bottle, cup and stove completely fine with room.
Just got one in the mail ….. kinda regret it but I'll make use of it I'm sure
I have the older model. The pockets are bigger I don't know why they made them smaller
I love this pack. Your not wrong though. I made the modifications to make it work for me. For me it's perfect for hammock camping hikes. Or winter hammock camp over night camping. I'm anxious to see if they make it better.
laughs in 22oz klean kanten
Anyone know where I can purchase one of these?
If you want to use a pack that can fit all of the things you mentioned that you want a bag to hold, you'll need at least a, 65 litre pack.
That's if your packing ultralight gear only. If your using average, bulkier gear, you may even need an 80 litre pack or larger.
Nice review. But youâre expecting way too much out of a smaller bag. The bag holds plenty of items for a day trip or for even an overnighter. Youâre just packing way too much for that purpose. If you want to carry all of this gear, than you should get a bigger bag and not be too hard on a bag not designed for a troop longer than a day or so.
Appreciate the review.
I love this pack. I donât worry about closing the side pockets and two nalgenes fit just fine. I have no problem using this as a minimalist three season, long weekend pack. I also took mine for a monthlong trip to the Philippines with no problem. I heard that newer ones have smaller side pockets, which is a bummer.
If you knew how to pack, you can fit a lot more in there
THANK YOU SO MUCH for listing a plug and play extension strap that works with the bottom straps! I have seen other folks sew on extra webbing which I do NOT wanna do!
BTW- I think it's totally unfair to call a 40oz container "standard" when standard usually is used in reference to a 1Liter container(which DO fit in both pockets- although you might have a problem sliding an axe handle down behind them when the pockets are filled thusly). Truth be told I agree you are expecting too much out of too small a pack. Overnight? sure. Still a good video.
You complained about the side pocket being too small and then you say they couldâve made it more slim and not have the side pockets lol. The problem is that you picked the wrong bag for your needs. I agree itâs not a perfect bag, but in this case itâs not the bag.
Don't blame the pack. You are trying to carry enough gear for a week on the trail, minus any food. But thanks for the laugh.
So…you just made a video to gripe???
Sooooo….you didn't research this bag before buying it
The updated version is horrible compared to the one I bought 6yrs ago But they do have anew version coming out in May that is a 45L Iâm curious to see how that turns out
They are coming out with a Continental Weekender. It looks like it is slightly larger and that the side pockets are still not as useful as they could be. It also looks like it is of a lesser quality than some of the previously released Continental packs. If the side pockets were designed to properly hold a nalgene or Kleen Canteen it still might be a descent pack. If anyone gets one of these please confirm side pocket size.
Nice review⊠you point out some legitimate issues. But, you are asking too much of that little pack. A 40 oz. Stainless bottle is not a âstandard sizeâ. You canât carry extra clothes and food because youâve stuffed a 3-4 lb. Gore-Tex bivy in there. A 30-40 L pack is fine for what itâs designed to do. You want to carry more? You need 50-70 liters.