High Sierra Sentinel 65 Backpack - New Gear

High Sierra has been making backpacks, luggage duffels and ski bags for a long time. As the official ski bag of the U.S. Ski Team, they make some of the most durable luggage on the market to carry your gear... and protect your valuables from the heavy-hands of the TSA. At Outdoor Retailer, I checked out several new products in the High Sierra spring lineup. One of them was the new High Sierra Sentinel 65 backpack. Suitable for extended trips, this marks High Sierra's solid entry into the technical backpacking market that's long been dominated by the likes of Gregory, Osprey, Arc'Teryx and The North Face. Looking over the new Sentinel 65, it's evident that High Sierra is making a bold entry into this market with a solid backcountry pack that will haul plenty of gear for an extended backpacking trip. Standard features of this 3970 cu. in. pack include everything that should be found on a pack of this size. The fabric is solid and durable with all the right features. More Features of the High Sierra Sentinel 65 Backpack: Inner hydration sleeve to keep the liquid flowing Dual side mesh pockets holds water bottles Dual ice-axe or trekking pole loops Built-in tuck away rain cover Dual daisy chain loops Hinged front pocket expands to hold jackets, ropes, etc. Airflow channels to keep your back cool and dry ERGO-FIT shoulder harness with near-infinite adjustments for a comfortable fit Colors: Black, Orange, Blue Size: 32.0 x 14.25 x 8.75 inches Weight: 4.8 lbs MSRP: $220 It's great to see High Sierra stepping it up with this type of quality and features. Just a few quirks that I've seen on this pack thus far include: waistbelt straps that are long enough to wrap around me and 3 other people and a couple of unnecessary extra vinyl sections on the waistbelt and shoulder straps. Looks like a quick snip will fix the extra-long straps. Everything else (including the lifetime warranty) points towards a solid backpack for 2-4 day backpacking trips. And, at a street price of $69-$99, this is one of the best deals I've found on a 65 liter pack. It's time to take another look at High Sierra and consider this solid entry into the technical backpacking market. Visit HighSierraSport.com to learn more. Buy Now: Get the Sentinel 65 at REI.com