The Kelty Asher 85 Backpack offers lots of volume for long outdoor trips, an adjustable torso length, plenty of pockets to stay organized on the tour, and this all at a very reasonable price.
Key features & benefits
- 3 Access points.
- Adjustable torso length.
- Lots of volume.
- Many pockets.
- Very light for its size.
- Very good price.
What this Kelty Asher 85 pack is about
This is the largest pack from the Asher series which Kelty launched recently. You can see its smaller cousin the Kelty Asher 55 Backpack in my separate text.
So you have a classic top loading pack with a floating lid and a collar underneath it. But the pack has the usual bottom compartment for a sleeping bag and with an inner divider, the picture shows how it looks.
They have also added a J-shaped side zipper as the third access point to the main compartment, you can see it in the picture:
The suspension
Here you have an internal peripheral frame combined with a supplemental center stay for heavy loads. The back panel shown below is with cut-outs for ventilation, and covered with a breathable mesh.
They call this the AMP-Flow ventilated back panel, but this is a design where the pack is close to the body for a better stability in case of heavy loads, so do not expect much of ventilation.
You have all the usual elements in the suspension, and this means load lifters, an adjustable sliding sternum strap, and a padded hip belt. All of them are visible above. The lumbar area is also generously padded.
Note that the torso length is adjustable, and you have Velcro connection behind the pack panel, so this is easy to use and quite a standard design.
Pockets, attachment options & straps
- The hip belt is with asymmetric pockets, on one side you have a stretch mesh pocket and on the other side a zippered pocket. They are visible in the picture above. I must say, I am not very much impressed with the stretch pocket on the right.
- On the top you have a large zippered pocket in the lid. See how it looks:
- One large zippered pocket is on the front, and it has inner organization pockets. This feature they used to have in many of their packs, you can see it also in the Kelty Red Cloud 110.
- On the top of that front pocket you have a stretch mesh pocket equipped with a buckle, see the picture above. This is useful to put stuff that you need on the go.
- There are also two stretch mesh pockets on the sides.
The attachment elements and straps include:
- Dual upper and lower side compression straps.
- Dual straps are on the bottom for a sleeping pad or anything similar.
- There is also a pair of loops on the bottom for trekking poles.
Please see more in this short video:
Who is this Kelty Asher 85 pack for
Regarding the capacity, here you have a pack with lots of volume, more precisely 5187 in³ (85 L), so if you know you will be carrying bulky stuff, this is a pack to consider.
Regarding the weight, the volume to weight ratio is around 38 liters/kg, so although the pack may look heavy with its 4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg), this is a very light pack for its size.
You can compare this with the Mystery Ranch Terraframe 80 Backpack where the volume/weight ratio is 28 liters/kg.
Regarding the price, it is more than fair such a great pack, so Kelty has done it again, a great value for the money.
Specifications
- Type: internal frame pack.
- Volume: 5187 in³ (85 L).
- Weight: 4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg).
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 19.5 x 14.5 x 30.5 in (50 x 37 x 78 cm).
- Torso fit: 15.5 – 21 in (39 – 53 cm).
- Optimal max carry weight: 60 lb (27 kg).
Final thoughts & rating
In summary, if you need a very affordable pack for lots of stuff and heavy loads, this Kelty Asher 85 Backpack is the one to consider. There are no bells and whistles here, but this is a pack that will do the job. They claim it is made of an environmentally-friendly and PFC-free fabric with a DWR water-repellent treatments. Fully recommended.
Below you can see how I rate it against my usual rating criteria so that you can easily compare it with other items of this type:
Kelty Asher 85 Backpack
Pros
- Adjustable torso length.
- Lots of volume.
- Reasonable price.
- Very light for its size.
Cons
- No rain cover.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY
It is not surprising that many sellers offer this pack, here are some of them:
For more options, please check under the category Large Packs. Check in particular their Kelty Glendale Backpack which is with a huge load capacity.
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