The REI Traverse 60 is a fully-featured multi-day backpack with an adjustable torso length, so you can dial in a personalized fit. It has loads of pockets and reconfigurable attachment points that make it suitable for year-round adventures with a feature set that’s highly competitive with other brand-name backpacks. Weighing 4 lbs 10 oz, it’s available in men’s and women’s models at a very competitive price.

Specs at a Glance

• Frame: Internal
• Adjustable Torso Length: Yes
• Access: Top, sleeping bag compartment, side zipper
• Weight: 4 lbs 10 oz (size medium)
• Pockets: 10 + main
• Load lifters: Yes
• Hydration compatible: Yes
• Rain cover included: Yes
• Removable day pack: Yes (extra straps weigh 2.4 oz)
• Bear canister compatibility: all bear vault sizes fit horizontally, including the BV500.
• Torso range: multiple sizes avail. from 17″-21″
• Hip belt sizing: 28-55″ (multiple sizes avail from 32-46″)
• Max recommended load: 35 lbs
• Materials: Shell: 210-denier ripstop nylon and 400-denier recycled nylon; lining: 200-denier recycled polyester; raincover: 70-denier recycled nylon (all bluesign approved)
• Pros: Adjustable torso length, three access methods, lots of pockets, optional fanny pack, rain cover
• Cons: Heavier than previous model, hip belt webbing doesn’t always “catch”

Backpack Storage and Organization

The pack has three access points: top, bottom, and a side zipper shown here.

The REI Traverse 60 has a conventional backpack design with a floating top lid with two zippered pockets side water bottle pockets, side gear pockets, an open front pocket, two hip belt pockets, and a rain cover pocket, in addition to the main compartment. It has three points of access:

1. from the top under the lid
2. a hatch leading to an optional sleeping bag compartment
3. a side zipper that runs around the open front pocket.

The top lid has two stacked zippered pockets that are good for holding navigation and personal items, including keys with the pack key fob. The underside of the lid holds another pair of shoulder straps that can be attached to the lid to create a fanny pack, which is good for summit climbs or town resupplies when you don’t want to drag your pack around with you.

The Traverse 60 has side bottle pockets in addition to side gear pockets.

The Traverse 60 has two pairs of side pockets: elasticated stretch pockets for holding water bottles and another pair below the side compression straps for strapping gear to the side of the pack, such as tent poles or fishing rods. I’ve seen this design used on other REI packs in the past and it is unique in the industry. While it does add some weight, splitting the two functions, gear storage and bottle storage, makes a world of sense, especially since the water bottle pockets are truly reachable. A rain cover is stored in another small pocket underneath one these side gear pockets.

There’s an open front pocket on the outside of the main compartment for storing wet gear or layers. The sides of the pocket are made with stretchy lycra to help accommodate oversized or oddly shaped items and provide drainage. The top of the pocket is also secured with a webbing strap and buckle to prevent items from falling out.

The main compartment has an internal hydration pocket and a hang loop to hold a reservoir, with left and right side ports above the shoulder straps to run a hydration hose.

The hip belt pockets are very large.

The hip belt pockets are quite large and are long enough to fit hiking trail maps. One of the pockets is faced with highly stretchable, but non-mesh solid fabric, while the other is faced with the same ripstop nylon used elsewhere on the pack. These pocket are so large I can store all the food I want to eat during the day (after breakfast and before dinner) into them.

Backpack Frame and Suspension

The Traverse 60 has an adjustable torso length.

The REI Traverse 60 is an internal frame backpack that consists of a U-shaped perimeter-style metal rod that slots into the hip belt to transfer load to your hips. There’s also a horizontal stay part way down the inverted “U” to prevent the back of the pack from barreling into your back if you have to carry a hard curved object like a bear canister inside.

The Traverse 60 has an adjustable torso length so you can lengthen or shorten the distance between the hip belt and the shoulder pads in order to dial in a good fit. The adjustments can made anywhere between 17″-21″ including in between the 1-inch marks. The adjustment mechanism is very simple and requires sliding a webbing strap up or down the back panel before locking it in place at the required torso length.

The Traverse has a well padded hip belt and back panel

The back of the shoulder straps and the hip belt are heavily padded and covered with breathable mesh where they come in contact with your shoulder blades and the back of your hips. While the pack does not have a ventilated suspended mesh back panel there are ventilation channels where air can flow through the padding to help keep you cooler. Deuter backpacks use a similar padding configuration on their higher volume packs.

The shoulder straps on the men’s model are J-shaped and well padded with a rail-based sternum strap that is easy to reposition higher or lower along the shoulder straps. The sternum strap on my pack tended to slip when tightened because the webbing did no reliably catch in its triglide buckle. This is easy to fix however, by tying a knot in the webbing strap or poking a safety pin into it at the desired length.

The sternum strap on my pack didn’t always catch when pulled tight.

Finally, the hip belt is quite wide and pre-curved, providing excellent load transfer to the hips. The hip belt has a beefy center buckle which makes the pack easier to use in winter when wearing gloves and pull-forward webbing straps, so you can get a nice snug fit without much effort. Once tightened it stays put and the extra padding keeps it positioned on your iliac crest.

External Attachments and Compression

The Traverse 60 has a good external attachment and compression system, so you can lash bulky gear to the outside of the pack.  It has two tiers of side compression straps that close with buckles, making them easy to use in colder weather when  wearing gloves. For example, I like to attach my snowshoes to the sides of my pack in winter, and that’s easily done on the Traverse 60.

In addition, the pack comes with a pair of sleeping pad straps, that run over the sleeping bag pocket entrance. These are easily removable if not needed since they’re girth hitched to gear loops at the base of the pack.

The Traverse has a pair of sleeping pads straps which are also removable.

There are four additional gear loops around the perimeter of the front stretch pocket if you really want to get fancy and carry a solar panel or some other bulky item. In addition, there are pair ice axe loops which can serve double duty as trekking pole holders, using the top side compression strap to secure the shafts.

Comparison Table

Comparison of the Traverse 60 with other backpacks that we recommend in this weight/volume bracket.

Recommendation

The REI Traverse 60 is a great multi-day internal frame backpacking pack that has plenty of storage and pockets to organize your overnight backpacking gear. It’s durably made and has an adjustable length torso, so you get a more precise fit than most fixed-length backpacks. The Traverse 60 is also available in multiple sizes, including long hip belt lengths which makes it accessible to people of all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking for one pack that can span all four seasons of the year, it’s an excellent candidate.

Disclosure: REI donated this backpack for review

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