North St. Clinton Backpack

From time to time I get the opportunity to field test outdoor gear.  Over the first weekend in July I traveled to Sedona, Arizona for a long short visit.  On this trip North St. Bags provided me with one of their “Clinton” backpacks to test.  Along with the backpack I received a set of three nylon travel pouches and a sleeve that would hold a full size IPad.  I found that the “Clinton” backpack performed as designed. 

With all the baggage restrictions the airlines place on airline travelers one has to choose the right travel bags to maximize all the clothing and gear you take on trips.  The North St. “Clinton” backpack is a good pick as carry-on luggage because when fully packed to its maximum size of 7" x 11" x 16"it fits easily in the overhead or under one’s seat.

When you arrive at your destination the “Clinton” backpack is rugged enough to take it into the great outdoors.  It has a water proof lining, an internal laptop sleeve pocket and a unique roll down top closure. The shoulder straps are constructed of vented foam making it comfortable to carry. The backpack is handmade from made in the USA materials.  The backpack has an easy access external pockets and internal Velcro rows enable adding or swapping out pockets as needed.  All and all it is a great travel backpack.  If you want to expand the “Clinton” backpack capability, you can purchase a Shockproof, Waterproof, Partitioned, and Padded Camera Insert for your camera equipment that will easily slip into the “Clinton” backpack. F-Stop Gear sells a very nice Internal Camera Unit. Click HERE for their website

I started using a backpack back in the 1970s.  Over the years past 30 plus years, I have to be honest, my weight and size are not the same as when I was in my 20s.  With all the different body types, it has to be difficult to design outdoor gear to fit everyone. For outdoor gear designers that is just not possible.  As I aged and my body type changes, packs I could once use we too small for me. Because the typical design of day packs, hiking and mountaineering backpacks are designed for the 50% Human Factors Percentile, they do not fit very small and very large individuals. In the case of the “Clinton” backpack, because I have an endomorphic body type with very wide shoulders and a big chest, the “Clinton” backpack does not ride very well on my frame because the shoulder straps are too short.  But the backpack fit perfectly on my wife and my son who tried it out on the Sedona trip.

Today the designs of backpacks have changed as new materials have become available to designers and manufacturers. Some brands today have adjustable shoulder and waist straps. What this means is that when you are purchasing a backpack you need to try it on to be sure it fits your body type and torso length.  Keep in mind that when you purchase online you take a risk that the day pack or backpack that will not fit. Click HERE for a link on how to pick the right size day pack or backpack.

So if you are in the market for a new backpack, check out the “Clinton” backpack.   You will not be disappointed.

Click HERE for the North St. web page.