The Banchee features comfortable padding and is one of our favorite pack designs. It's a little funny looking at the outset but don't let that fool you. This pack comes to play.
Excellent features, adjustability, and decent comfort keep this pack in the middle of the pack.
The Banchee 65 offers above-average comfort and excellent ergonomics. We love the shoulder straps, which contour nicely and work for a wide variety of body types. The straps are moderately wide, use supportive foam where you need it, and use cozier, softer foam where you don't. We enjoyed this attention to detail on long days.
The exterior fabric is also pleasant. Both the shoulder straps and back panel feel nice, even against bare skin. They rate above-average among the packs in our review. Overall this model is surprisingly comfortable, particularly considering its weight.
For a pack that sits below four pounds, the Banchee 65 offers a decent suspension. We tested this pack on several trips that totaled over three weeks of regular use, including a long mountaineer traverse through Washington's North Cascades. We left the parking lot with around 45 to 50 lbs of gear, and its performance exceeded our expectations. It does get dicey for loads exceeding 50 pounds. Bottom line — this pack does well when the load stays below 45 pounds.
At 3 pounds, 9 ounces, the Banchee 65 is on the lighter end of the spectrum. Overall, we are pleased with how well this pack caries weight for how much it weighs. There are better packs for carrying 45 pounds or more, but this holds its own with more moderate loads.
The Banchee 65 is very easy to pack and use. It is one of the most natural packs to organize that we've reviewed. It features eight total pockets, but it's not just the number that matters. We also care about their location, design, and ease of access. We love the dual vertical zippered pockets and used them regularly. Even when the pack is full, these dual pockets are super easy to access. The large beavertail pocket behind the dual pockets is particularly useful for oddly shaped and hard to pack items like camp flip flops and fuel bottles.
The lid pocket is spacious, and its long zipper helps you find items quickly, but it could be better. Smaller stuff drifts towards the rear of the pocket. Some of our favorite top-lid designs have zippers that are located on the top and are easier to search through. It has a zippered pocket within the lid that is perfect for items you don't want to lose — like your wallet, keys, or cell phone.
The large, dual-zippered hip belt pockets are also among our testers' favorites. They easily fit most point-and-shoot cameras, smartphones, a few protein bars, sunscreen, or other items that you would want easily accessible.
The Banchee 65 is available in two sizes — S/M and L/XL. It also offers a host of adjustments to help dial in the fit for a wide range of users. While it is only available in two sizes, it offers around 5 inches of vertical height adjustment on the torso. This range not only lets you dial in the yoke to your specified height, but it also makes this pack a great option for growing teens.
You adjust the pack's torso length by pulling off a large Velcro patch in the back panel and modifying the shoulder strap height. While Velcro doesn't sound very secure, we have never experienced a problem with a pack using this design, and we've spent hundreds of days with them strapped to our backs.
While many packs include torso adjustments, the adjustable hip pads on the Banchee 65 are a less common feature. They allow you to position padding over the boniest part of your hips. Our review team likes this feature.
For the price, this pack is an excellent value. Its great features and usability make it a solid investment for anyone who regularly carries their life on their back on the trail or across the world.
