Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack, Lightweight Camping Daypack with Rain Cover

I was very excited about this backpack as I needed a reasonably priced back pack sized between 2 of my hydration day packs and my full sized metal frame 65 liter backpack. I was looking for something that would easily carry a days load for camping (or long overnight hikes) and this fit the bill in terms of price and size (about 22 by 14 by 10 inches packed) . I was very impressed upon opening the package by the light weight yet durable fabric. It’s not ultra thick which saves weight but yet is perfect for the loads I’m carrying, which would typically be a full days change, a sleeping bag, battery pack, flashlights, some food, snacks and a hydration pack. You can easily secure hiking poles to this pack as well. A hydration pack is not included, but is not expected at this price point, I plan on using 1 or 2 from my other packs, depending on the trip. A zipped water resistant toiletry sized pack is included and is a nice touch. The backpack has 2 large zipped compartments, with the rear, larger compartment having the most padding and a large interior pocket. As a storage test, I packed 2 sleeping bags in this compartment (pictured). You could add some padded cargo (e.g. clothing, towel) to the front most pocket if carrying a laptop or tablet (which I don’t plan on for this pack) in the thinner front zipped pocket. The rear zipped compartment has separate holes for headphones or a charging cable and one for the tube of a hydration bladder. There is also a small zipped pocket on the top and one on the bottom containing the rain cover (which can also be used for storage). There are lots of straps and pockets on this pack, including one on each of the hip belts (which I love for phones, wallets and keys). There are also lots of loops, both plastic and fabric for carabiners and attachments. There are 2 large side pockets that would comfortably fit very large water bottles, both come with straps for securing the cargo in those pockets. There are 2 cargo loops which can be used for securing a jacket or smaller sleeping bag as pictured, I would opt for this to save interior space for clothing and other items. Overall, I think this backpack is an excellent value and looks like it will last me on the trail and at the campsite, I look forward to taking this out with me soon and will update once it’s been field tested.

This backpack is an EXCELLENT value! I wish they came in a 30 or 35L option! The pocket configuration is better than any of the expensive name-brand backpacks I tried out! I used this bag for airplane travel, small hikes, and as a purse/diaper bag combo for daily life with kids for a a year, and then purchased a replacement! It fits fine under major airline seats, but on Southwest it was a stretch and it counted as an overhead item on small budget airlines like Avelo. I’m 5’2” and am able to get it to fit comfortably after wearing for a bit. The hip belt is so comfortable and the hip pockets ACTUALLY fit my iPhone 13 Pro in an Otterbox Defender case, and keep it easy to access without turning the pack around! 🙌🏻 I can’t quite reach the water bottle pockets to get them in and out while wearing, which is disappointing (but comparable to all the other brands I tried). The rain cover works great, and the bag was reasonably waterproof at first, but after about 6 months of frequent use, the waterproof membrane began peeling off inside. Another issue I had with the bag is that the Velcro strap designed to hold a hydration pack was catching on the hem around the zipper (which I didn’t realize), and tore the zipper. There was also some stitching on one of the shoulder straps that was beginning to come undone (I’ve probably been way overloading it). At first I was going to repair it, but then I accidentally left a banana peel in the pocket we use for trash and it got moldy. 🤢 So I just purchased my second backpack! First thing I did this time around was connect that Velcro strap to itself so it won’t tear the zipper again!

Love this backpack , has so many pockets and is beautiful easy on the back and holds a lot . Gear that is a must

Bought this for my Alaskan cruise-tour. Very comfortable, holds a lot, has an adequate amount of smaller/interior pockets. I found it easy to adjust the fit, and when I did get rained on a little, the water beaded and did not soak in. I had no cause to try out the rainfly, but waterproof was one of my main criteria for this pack, on this trip. Warning: if you have this pack pretty full, it can be challenging to get it under the seat in front of you. My two dislikes: 1) the zippers seem to catch fabric and stick fairly often; 2) my 32-oz metal water bottle, whose bottom is about the same area as my palm, is virtually impossible to return to the side pocket without removing my pack (or asking my husband to do it). I still give 4 stars due to the numerous ways to adjust straps and belt, roominess, and overall comfort of the pack.

Its a great back pack. Very good for stage hikes. It has a lot of inside pockets and options. Rain cover is a plus. Weak zippers so open/close carefully

I carried this backpack loaded with drinks and rain gear weighing about 25 lbs through all 4 Disney parks. This back pack held up great! The waist belt and chest clip helped to distribute the weight and keep it comfortable! The side pockets are deep enough the the heavier water bottles did not fall out. I loved it and will be purchasing it again for my friends!!

The backpack is great with multiple layers and good upper and lower back support. Travel-friendly, ease of use.

I was pleasantly surprised with these backpacks (I got 3 total, 2 of the 40L for my 12yo and 14yo boys, and 1 50L for myself). We did a 5-day backpacking trip to Big Bend NP and these bags did a TON of work for us and we had zero failures. As you can see in the picture, it easily handles a sleeping pad (with included snap straps at the bottom) which was able to handle the sleeping pad & 2-man tents no problem. Then, using additional snap straps (not included with backpack) I was able to attach sleeping bags to the top, then on my 50L bag, I was able to attach additional supplies with straps. The most stress we put them through was a 2-day excursion up to Emory Peak where we spent the night at an elevated primitive camp, so we had to pack-in our water for 2 full days of hiking; the two 40L packs handled the 25 or so lb of additional water, plus all camp gear great - weight was probably between 40-50lb total for the boys. My 50L bag had over 30lb of water, plus general camp stuff like stove, camp shovel, hatchet, First-Aid kit, etc. (guessing it was around 70lb) Even though the pack was SUPER heavy, the backpack performed great, no seam issues, no zipper issues, all straps and buckles functioned great. The backpacks also have a "Camelback" type water bladder hose hole built into the top corner, so you can feed any number of brands of bladders through there and they work fine. I fit my 3L camelback pack into the 50L bag (so I could just use the camelback pack during the following day of hiking) and just fit the hose up through the provided hole for easy access to water. Backpack also comes with a rain-proof cover for the backpack, which resides in a zip pocket on the base of the backpack (We didn't need it, but seems to be robust and would work well if needed). HIGHLY recommend this pack, especially at the price point we got them at. Comes in lots of colors, which is nice - My youngest son had the red (pictured), older son the black/tan, and I used the all-black for the 50L.

Muy recomendable, buen material y de buen diseño se ve pequeña pero tiene la capacidad para llevar muchas cosas.

Bag is as pictured, quality seems good ( hav not packed the bag but have tested all the zips clips etc). Good amount of features at this price point, very happy with the purchase and delivery so far.

It feels different immediately compared to my other travel backpack which does not have the waist strap and no padding. I give 5 start considering the price and quality. Still I need to see how it holds up over longer time.

Auf den ersten Blick (Hersteller-Foto) ein guter Rucksack. Das war’s aber auch schon. Trotz der vielen Verstau- und Verschlussmöglichkeiten knickt das Rückenteil ein, da es mit nichts verstärkt wurde. Egal, ob leer oder gefüllt; das Rückenteil berührt nicht mal den Rücken. So schlampert das Ganze um Bauch, Rücken und Schultern. Keine Kaufempfehlung.