REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack

REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack – Great deal for the ladies.
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I’ll be the first to admit that before I actually tried out REI gear I just thought of it as slightly over priced generic outdoor gear. To me it was a step up from the camping gear you could get at Wal-Mart, but no where near as good as the name brand gear. However, once I tried a number of REI brand gear, I quickly changed my outlook on their gear. In fact, I couldn’t have been more wrong about their gear. Their gear is actually extremely low priced outdoor equipment that is just as good as the more expensive name brands, if not better. The REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack is a prime example of this.

Now granted I have never tried out the REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack, I am sure that it is built up to the same standards as all of the other REI gear I have tested out over the last year. This backpack in particular is loaded down with room and features; making it perfect for the outdoor enthusiast who has a problem trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave at home. The REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack is filled with pockets, lash points, and more pockets. You would be hard pressed not to say organized with this pack.

While many womens backpacks on the market are just smaller versions of mens packs, the REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack has been designed for the female form from its conception. This is obvious not only in its narrow width and short pack height, but also in its ergonomic shoulder straps and a hip belt designed just for women.

The quick & dirty:

Where you can get one:
REI: $199

Why they rock:

Enjoy dual access to pack via the top-loading opening and the horseshoe-shaped, zippered front panel opening, which works much like a duffel opening
With a ”rip-and-stick” torso adjustment, shoulder strap system easily slides along pack’s frame to fit torsos of varying lengths
Removable top lid pocket with water repellent zipper lets you stash your essentials to bring into tent, so pack can stay outside or in vestibule
Zippered pocket under lid stores maps and keys, spare batteries and other small essentials
Front panel features a welded, water-repellent zippered pocket for storing often-used gear
Precurved shoulder straps match your anatomy for non-binding comfort on and off the trail
Dual-density foam padded backpanel provides a comfortable and supportive fit when carrying heavy loads
Precurved hipbelt is designed to cradle hip bones for a natural fit and to distribute weight without sagging
Hipbelt webbing system allows you to use a natural forward pulling motion for quick, easy cinching and precise adjustment
Internal sleeping-bag compartment with a zippered divider separates it from gear and clothes in the main compartment
Utilizing four buckles, the pack’s streamlined compression system lets you cinch and strap down loads for jostle-free carrying
Concave head pod at the top of pack gives your head freedom of movement—no more staring at the ground
Two side pockets—one zip and one mesh—hold water bottles, energy bars and other essentials you want close at hand
Hipbelt pocket stores those small essentials you want at your finger tips, such as lip balm and sunscreen
Lash points on the other side of hipbelt let you attach camera and GPA pouches
Lash straps on bottom of pack let you attach sleeping pad

Seat-of-the-pants rating: 9 out of 10

So ladies, I will have to leave it up to you to leave me your thoughts on the REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack, as I can only attest to its technical details and my prior experience with REI gear. That said, if the REI Venus 75 Womens Backpack is as good as the other REI packs I have tested, then this is an awesome deal for under $200.

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REI: $199