Packs fit for women

One of the best trends in the outdoor industry shows no sign of letting up.

Gear makers continue to roll out products designed specifically for women, which makes perfect sense since women's participation in outdoor sports continues to grow as well.

To check the current crop of packs, we sent a few out with female hikers, climbers and even skiers. They trekked along the Wonderland Trail, climbed Mount Adams and skied on the glaciers of Mount Hood. What we found were a couple outstanding packs, one designed for backpacking, and one that fit the active "day use" crowd.

The Gregory Deva 60 has been offered for several seasons but was redesigned for 2008 with a new suspension. While carrying the pack through the Cascades, our testers praised the fit. The anatomically contoured straps hold the load on the female back comfortably, without slicing into the torso. The 60-liter capacity is plenty voluminous to hold all the gear — and more — that you'll need for a week on the trail. At 5 pounds, 6 ounces, the Deva weighs considerably more than some of its competitors, so it's not a pack for ultralight hikers. But for traditional backpackers who carry 30-plus pounds on a backpacking trip, this pack is a great option. The Deva 60 is available in three sizes to fit torso lengths from 14 to 20 inches and sells for $249. See www.gregorypacks.com.

When you're heading out just for a day, though, the Deva is a bit big. For single-day adventures, our team favored the Deuter Cruise 26SL. Created specifically for snow sports, the Cruise's suspension system pulls the pack into the small of the back to keep your center of gravity forward. That means that even with 15 or 20 pounds of gear on your back, you maintain a more natural balance point so when you are skiing or snowboarding, you don't have to alter your normal stance. The Cruise also proved popular with climbers since, like skiers and snowboarders, they tend to move more dynamically than trail walkers.

The Cruise 26 sports a full U-shaped zipper around the back panel, so you can lay the pack face down in the snow and still get into the interior. There are sling loops on the pack sides for attaching skis and deep stretch sidepockets to keep on-trail essentials close at hand but also secure. The Cruise 26 sells for $125. See www.deuterusa.com.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers, and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Dan with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.