With our boys getting older and able to handle more mileage, this year is the year of family hiking in our house and the Mystery Ranch Women’s Coulee 30L is going to be on a lot of them!
The most noticeable design detail of the Coulee is the narrow frame of the pack. Specifically made for the female form, the Coulee has an adjustable and removable hip belt with two zippered pockets for your lip balm, snacks or tissues. The pockets are a little undersized for my cellphone to fit but you could use the Nite Ize Squeeze Clippable Phone Holder for the shoulder strap.
The Coulee features the Mystery Ranch signature 3-ZIP design that allows the bag to be splayed open for easy access to all your gear. Back pockets allow for storage of light layers, a beach towel or additional gear. Two water bottle pockets stretch to allow for all water bottle types, unlike the cup holders in your personal vehicle. If you have a travel chair, the pockets are generous enough to accommodate one. If you are interested in one, I suggest the BTR Ultralight Backpacking Stool 17 inch.
The top zipper pocket is generous for the size of the bag. Hats, sunglasses, phones, etc can be stored in this pocket. YKK zippers are used throughout the bag. They are smooth and come with zipper pulls that are large enough to use with gloves on during the cold and rainy weather.
Adjustable loops at the top and straps at the bottom of the Coulee make attaching trekking poles or a hatchet a breeze. Inside, the pack is set to use the Mystery Ranch 3.1L Hydrapak OHY Reservoir. The Hydrapak retails for $45.00. There are additional attachment points that look like orange construction safety vests. These allow the user to attach additional gear bags to the inside. For instance, if you are using the Coulee as a travel bag, you can store chargers, pens and a wallet in a Zoid Bag.
I really like this daypack from Mystery Ranch for it’s beautiful color, cleaver design and ease of use. This would be a great pack for a beginner up to an experienced hiker due to the available features and ability to customize. Mystery Ranch has over 20 accessories that can be used to really trick out this day back.
The Coulee 30L is made from 100% recycled high tenacity nylon and is water resistant. This material will help make the bag look newer longer. The 30L daypack from Mystery Ranch weighs in at 2.7 lbs, comes in two colors and is available in a 20L, 40L and 50L size. The 30L retails for $189.00 and can be found on the Mystery Ranch website.