"This is a very generic external frame pack. I am 6'2" tall and carry about 35 pounds. I have the tall version of the pack. At 5200 cu in - it is alittle large - but at times I do fill it - it has lots of pockets for organizing gear, it is easily adjusted to the user and it is very easy to pack. I an happy with the quality of materials and workmanship.
I prefer it over my internal pack unless I am on skis or snowshoes.
I payed about $110 a year ago. I highly recommend it to beginners as well"
"Its hard to find a pack as simple and
lightweight with such a large capacity
like this. It doesnt have a fancy
suspension or lots of other bells and
whistles, however it only is 4 pounds.
If you dont bring heavy gear along, you
should be fine. Dont go over 40 pounds
with it, but under that you wont even
know its on your back. I plan
on doing the pacific crest trail with
it, with a pack weight of 30 pounds and
plenty of extra space for food and water.
The best thing about it is that it costs
only $80. (it doesnt have a detachable
fanny pack or any crap like that.)"
"My Jansport has served me very well over the past year and a half. It's a nice, big pack that holds plenty of gear and sits in the corner of my living room collecting dust. It's a great conversation piece, especially when trying to impress the ladies with stories of journeys I've never been on. Man, I need to get off my butt."
"I agree with all of the reviews listed here on this page. This pack is extremely comfortable (except its upper frame can knock against the back of your skull unless you take care to position it just right), rather light, and can carry a herd of llamas, practically. My main criticism, though, is a big one, and I am extremely surprised that no one else here has listed it: the frame on the pack SQUEAKS like a wild banshee. With every step for 70 miles through the Grand Canyon, the pack would proclaim "wee, oo, wee, oo" and so on, for hours. Not only did it really bother me, but it was annoying to the folks in my group. I tried oiling up the frame to reduce the squeaking, but to no avail. It's just in the nature of the way the joints in the frame are designed that they will squeak forever with any amount of weight in the pack.
Buyer beware!"
"I've done some camping with this pack, and took it on a 75 mile trip to philmont. I don't have a lot of experience with other packs, but I have very few complaints about this one. It's extremely light, and I didn't have any problems with it, even loaded up to 60 lbs. It's one downside is that it squeaks a little."
"I have had my Ranier for about 5 years now with more than 200 miles and it has held up with out needing repair. It has the capacity to carry anything you could ever want so it makes a great family camping pack. The top shelf works well for oversized tents. With heavy loads it does squeak and digs in to the back of my broad shoulders but my friends dont have problems with the shoulders. I use a smaller internal frame pack for long hikes but still pull out the rainier for short trips with a heavy load."
"My wife and I have two between us. I've used Jansport external frame packs for 10 years. They all squeak a bit and with some wax can be made to be quiet. They are light, easy to oraganise stuff in, and wear like iron. The belts and stuff make for a comfortable trip. I highly recommend them."
"This pack is great. It is lightweight and weight is distributed evenly with heavy loads. I put all of my gear in stuff sacks and it is easy to organize the gear with the huge compartments. The water bottle holder is hard to reach when your hiking but I have a second pouch that slips on the waist strap. The shelf on top is perfect for a tent and the poles fit along the side of the pack along with a fishing pole. The Jansport Ranier pack is a great pack for the money but be careful, more room means more stuff which means more weight (I learned the hard way)."
"For the money, this is a good solid pack. We have 3 (Mine and 2 sons). They have been more than 400 total miles without a failure. We have carried heavy loads, in excess of 60 pounds on a few hikes. I find my pack only squeaks when I don't have the straps adjusted quite right. I am short (5'8") but still bought the "Tall", it was a better fit. You do have room for adjustment. Buy a rain cover. All the zippers have storm flaps but there are many sewn thru seams. I could pack for 11 days on the trail, with all my gear, including tent on the INSIDE."
"Ive only packed once, but it was the John Muir Trail, and this pack seemed to work like a beauty. I did not have the squeaking problems many that many others had. It is no doubt a light back, esp. when compared to heavy duty internal frames that so many people are convinced on. The external frame allows several items to be easily attached."
"I've had this pack for 6 or 7 years now. Would buy it again in a hearbeat. Used mostly for 15-20 mile overnighters on the A.T..Extremely roomy, lightweight and easy to pack. Pole sleeve is a nice feature and you can reach the water bottle in the holder while hiking with a little practice. I wore out the shoulder straps but the replacements I purchased through Jansport were even better padded and included a sternum strap. As others have mentioned, it does squeak but not all the time (you get used to it)."
"Squeak...Squeak...Squeak... Every step you take this noise will accompany you on th trail. I could not find a fix for this while i used the pack.
This pack held up well and even after a couple years of hard hiking, it is still in good shape. There is plenty of room in the pack and worked well for me on a 10 day sierra trek. Bear canisters attach to the top, but the black ones sit semi-precariously because of the ridge along the center. The pod that sits on the center in the back is removable and can be used to add extra space, or for easy access items. The water bottle holder is hard to access if you have a nalgene in it, but works well for storing fuel bottles.
I eventually outgrew this pack (some may call me tall), and bought a Gregory Lassen. The Rainier is a good pack and you will be satisfied if you are a beginner, but if you are an advanced backpacker, ditch the internal and get a nice internal."
"I also have a Rainier Tall. I believe it's one of the best values out there. the Tall weighs about 5.5 lbs empty. It's well built, lifetime warranty, two integrated squeak generators, plenty of pockets that are easy to get to. The tall has ample room for 2 campers if you're not using heavyweight gear, or if you're only out for a short trip.
We have found a remedy to the squeaks, so we hope that can help others also. If it weren't for the squeaking, it would be a solid 5."
"I have been using mine for 4 years. The big plus is the ability to strap on large tents and foam pads on the top. The two large compartments in the main pack plus two large side compartments allow for an organized pack. The hip and holder strap padding is a bit thin, and the frame will twist abit causing the sweak. The Mesh pockets on the sides are a waste. All in all, I am always questioning if my new 5000 cubic inch internal is better.
For long treks with a lot of group gear, on good trails, the
Rainier works best for me. I wish there was an internal that
was organized like a Rainier."
"By the way, the way you stop the squeeking is very simple: Get some teflon plumbers tape, and wrap the metal cross brace on both sides where the shoulder strap connects into the cross brace. This has worked great for me. Try to find the thicker tape, and make many wraps.
It's unfortunate that Jansport didn't recognize this and solve the problem early on."
"myself, I have never been more satisfied with a pack than my rainier. The only reason that I give this pack a 4, and not a 5 is for the lack of padding present in the hips. the metal bars on the hips of the pack really make up for this, though. the only other issue that I have with this pack is the fact that it is hard to find a rain cover that fits! I took this pack to Philmont last year, and was very satisfied. this is a great pack, and it's a shame that jansport stopped making it."
"Bought this in '97 when a local dealer closed out. It took the place of my vintage Jansport Cascade 2 that I'd abused for about 20 years. Am giving this one to my son having upgraded to a Carson to handle the loads of winter camping for 2.
As another writer noted, the straps are cheesy, but replaceable from JS customer service, and the mesh pockets will give up the ghost after a shortwhile (lost a valuable flask of tequila from mine). Every other feature though is great - three pockets, traditional strap points, the great JS top bar, adjustable frame (which weighs next to nothing, but will hold up and never crack). As with many companies, JS has experimented with fabrics - and they use cheaper cloth to keep costs down - so expect some stretching at seams.
So - give it a 4-plus for concept and 3-minus for execution!"
"I have hiked thousands of miles over the years with several other packs including a kelty internal and nothing compares to the quality design and super lightweight construction of this jansport external frame pack. Ugh. . . if only I'd had it all that time! As a beginner I fell prey to the internal frame pack hype and suffered needlessly. External frame packs can carry versatile loads, are easy to organize, and blissfully cool and breezy on the back. The straight vertical bars provide support and rigidity without the often mis-fitting curves and sweaty padding of an internal pack. I LOVE THIS PACK. Take it from me, you dont need to spend a fortune to hike comfortably.
Happy Trails,
Madeleine"
"i bought the Rainier at a store for around $80 i believe. used it on my AT thru hike in 2003 and it made it the whole way. i did have some problems with it, but i called JanSport and they sent me the things to fix it for free. i wish they still made this pack, as i want another one for the PCT thru hike im doing in 2008. problem 1-the outer, vertical tubing frame where it joins that horizontal frame tubing just above the hip belt separated. its not one continuous tube as i thought it was. i repaired it with some hose clamps and clothes hanger wire. problem 2-also the tops of the shoulder straps, the ends that are made of rubber (for some ungodly reason) broke and i had to cut them off and use a grommet kit to fix it. put the grommets trhough the webbing and then attached it to the cross bar.problem 3-eventually from the 2200 miles of hiking, some of the pins sheared off down where the shoulder strap joins at the bottom.
but i do love this pack still. its front loading main compartment is something the internal frame pack people should use on their packs. i hate having basically a big bag that i have to dig through every time i want something out of it."
