The Hybrid review-SoCalBowhunter

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Product Review: Badlands Hybrid Pack

The Outdoor Blogger Networkturned one back in October and as part of the celebration they, along with the sponsors, had abundant giveaways. One of the highly sought after items was a Badlands Hybrid Pack. Now imagine sitting in a treestand during the slow part of a hunt and getting an email (via cell phone) informing you that you won said giveaway. When I opened the email informing me that The SoCal Bowhunter was the winner of the pack I about dropped the phone in my excitement!As soon as I could, I looked up the Hybrid specs on the Badlands website:

WEIGHT : 4 lbs 2 oz
DIMENSIONS : 20″ x 12″ x 11″
CAPACITY : 1980 ci
COMPARTMENTS : Infinite plus 1
POCKETS : Too Many
RIFLE : YES
BOW : YES
CAMO : Max-1 & AP

The Badlands Hybrid pack is built for a day hunt or even two days if you plan carefully. I tested mine out in different ways. I took it out scouting and I took it to Disneyland. Yepper. D-land, with a capital D. Why? It’s a great testing ground. I pack plenty of clothes and snacks for the family and I am always on the hunt for the big animals that roam the park. You know, the ones with giant ears.

If you are obsessive about what goes in your pack and wanting to keep it organized, then this is the pack for you. The Hybrid has numerous pockets to store your gear. How many? Let’s just say I lost count. I like the fact that you can keep everything very organized and this pack is great for that. The pack also has a mesh pocket for a hydration bladder, which I utilized. It functions very well and it was very easy to place the bladder inside and also remove.

When I completed my initial once-over, I thought my pack had been sewn incorrectly because I couldn’t get the front pocket open. Come to find out, it’s magnetic! I am not a big fan of magnets on my gear, but it’s better than Velcro. I packed up the amenities for the day trip to Disneyland and hit the road with the family. The pack felt great on my back! I was able to lug everything with ease, but that pocket kept popping open. Yes, the one with the magnet to keep it closed. I just had too much stuff in the pack or it was in a pocket that wouldn’t hold it well. After moving some stuff around, I quickly realized that this pack is not meant to be crammed with gear like a Badlands 2200 is. This one is definitely designed for shorter day trips and that front pocket is meant to hold small items, such as a map, or items you need quickly. While I may not be a total fan of the magnetic pocket, it functions well and is a good feature…. (Read the rest of the blog here)