REI Co-op Trailmade 60 Review

The REI Co-op Trailmade 60 is one of our favorite packs for easy adjustability and inclusive sizing, but it's also just a great pack overall. This pack has one of the largest main compartments of any pack west tested, and it carries a heavy load well. It's a great backpack for everything from long multi-day trips to short overnighters. Plus, it's one of the more affordable packs we've tested that is truly trail ready.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Trailmade 60 is one of the most comfortable packs we tested. It has ultra-cushioned shoulder straps that wrap around your shoulders and extend down onto your back. It has a super comfortable hip belt with a well-padded lumbar region that employs the same breathable 3D mesh face material as the hip belt and shoulder straps.

An external aluminum frame works effectively to transfer the weight of the pack to the hip belt. This frame design functions capably to load the weight onto your hips, where it's easier to carry. The way the shoulder straps wrap around your back, combined with this frame design, makes the pack comfortable to wear all day on the trail. It disperses enough weight onto the hips so your shoulders don't have to do all the work. However, the shoulder straps are actually comfortable enough that even if your shoulders were doing all the work, it wouldn't be that bad.

The waist belt uses the same design as the shoulder straps as well. The cushioning on this hip belt wraps around to line the lumber area of the pack — a key area for comfort under heavy loads. The same material that keeps these straps comfortable also rides against your back. This helps to cushion your back from heavy and awkwardly shaped items that you may have packed.

The back panel has an air channel running the length of your spine. This keeps your back cooler since it lets air flow behind the back panel. In our experience, the less sweaty your back gets, the happier your back feels.

While we'll discuss adjustability more below, it's worth mentioning here that the most comfortable packs are the ones that fit best. This pack's adjustable torso makes dialing in a comfortable fit a breeze.

Ease of Use

The Trailmade 60 has a lot of pockets, but not any more than average. This pack has enough pockets to be convenient but not so many that you are overwhelmed with options that leave you wondering "Where did I put that water filter?"

The Trailmade features a bottom zipper pocket to access the sleeping bag compartment without opening the lid. If you don't like to store your sleeping bag separately, you can remove the divider and use the pack as one giant compartment.

You can reach your water bottles in the side pockets without taking off the pack, too. The pockets are tilted slightly towards you to make it easier to access whatever you store in them. If you're into hydration reservoirs, the pack has an internal hydration sleeve that's compatible with most water bladders.

The hip belt pockets are large enough to fit a full-sized smartphone. Each pocket zips shut and is made of durable ripstop nylon. The lid of the Trailmade 60 has a large zippered pocket, aka the brain. This pocket is big enough for an insulated jacket, maps, and other small-ish miscellaneous items. The lid is sewn directly onto the pack, however, so when the pack is very full, the lid will sit at an angle atop the main compartment.

The Trailmade also has an exterior front pocket that's made of the same material as the pack body. Though we prefer these front pockets made of stretch mesh for convenience, this material is more durable than stretch fabric.

Weight-to-Volume Ratio

The Trailmade 60 weighs 3 pounds, 6 ounces. This isn't the lightest pack we tested, but it's certainly not the heaviest, either. And with a fairly high overall capacity of 60 liters, this pack also has one of the lower weight-to-volume ratios of any model we tested.

The pack body is made of recycled nylon material. While this isn't the lightest fabric out there, it's more durable than some fabrics used on lighter packs. So even though this pack isn't the lightest, it will stand up to abrasions from rocks and sharp thorns better than some packs.

Adjustability

The Trailmade 60 is one of the most adjustable packs we tested for this review. It features an easy-to-use moveable shoulder harness that velcros in place to fit torso sizes from 17 to 21 inches. This torso adjustment system makes dialing in the perfect fit a breeze. This pack is available in two sizes: Regular and Extended. These packs have the same torso adjustment range but have different strap lengths for the shoulder straps and hip belt to fit wider or narrower people. The Regular size hip belt fits hip circumferences from 30-42 inches. The Extended size fits hip circumferences from 42 to 58 inches.

The Trailmade 60 is also compatible with REI's Packmod Hipbelt Extender to help the hip belt lengthen even further. If you're on the cusp between pack sizes, it's nice to know you still have options to make your pack work for your body rather than the other way around. We appreciate the ability to simply purchase a belt extension rather than buy a whole new pack.

Should You Buy the REI Co-op Trailmade 60?

The Trailmade 60 is a great value overall. It's inexpensive, highly adjustable, and quite comfortable. It's also one of the highest-volume packs we tested. If you're concerned about getting a pack that fits you properly or planning to share it with a friend, this pack is a great option. It's also a good choice for an older kid's pack since the torso can be adjusted as they grow. This back is extremely affordable and performs nearly as well as many more expensive packs, so we think it's a great choice.

What Other Budget Backpacking Packs Should You Consider?