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10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 A Cheap Pack. You get what you pay for. Jun 28, 2011
By Dewey
I purchased the Outdoor Products Firefly backpack from another website after they ran a sale that beat the Amazon price (unusual, but it happens). I am getting into the bivouac and backpacking experience and needed a starter pack to begin doing some preliminary treks to familiar places. For a 3,500+ cubic inch pack, I expect it to carry enough supplies for a 2-4 day trip (about 50-60 lbs. at least). I packed it with spare clothes for support and some free weights interspersed to simulate a full pack (app. 43 lbs.) and took it on a 3 mile test hike at a local greenway. A review of the features and my experience is below (YMMV):
Pack - 3.5 stars
The pack is made of fairly thick material; more than I expected from a lower-end pack. The seams look good, but I didn't have time to thoroughly test them. It does have a sleeping bag compartment with an unremovable divider, but this seems unnecessary to me as I would just lash the bag to the frame on a hike. The overall design of the pack is adequate and typical of an external frame with the exception of two items: the cup holders and a way to store oversized items (machete, rifle, etc.). The cup holders are darn-near horizontal on the pack. This makes it easy to get to without taking the pack off, but if you bend over (or walk at all bent over, i.e. when using trekking poles), any bottles in those holders are coming out. If you use the hydration sleeve (which will hold about a 1L hydro pack handily IMO), the design of these pockets is unnecessary. The pack also does not have a convenient way to store long items. The "sleeping bag" divider is open on the sides which would allow you to put some of the longer items inside (using the full length of the pack, but I want to have easy access to a machete for bushwacking and a rifle for hunting, and breaking open the pack to get these tools (or others) just doesn't do it for me. Overall, the pack is good, but I would need to use some creativity to make it work for my preferences.
Frame - 1 star
The frame is an "Enduroflex" frame, which is basically code for hollow plastic. It does not provide much rigidity to the pack for the weight you will be carrying. The flexing that it does also makes it difficult to sinch down as it will bend to your body instead of providing support. Unlike a "true" external frame pack where you can lash to any exposed frame area, this pack only has a few "lash slots" dotted around the frame, which don't provide nearly the versatility as an aluminum frame. The frame also does not extend far enough above the pack to allow you to lash items to the top of the frame (where they carry better). Another downside to the frame design is that it does not extend far enough down to allow the pack to rest when you sit. When you sit down with an aluminum frame, the legs will usually be far enough down to allow the pack to rest on whatever object you are sitting on. This pack was about 2-3 inches short of coming to rest when I sat down in it, but different body types might allow it to come all the way down. The real flaw in the frame is the quality of the materials. When I got back from my test hike, the frame would not rest vertically when leaned against the wall. It wanted to slump to one side. Upon inspection, the frame HAD BENT ABOUT 4 INCHES OUT OF PLACE on one side of the lower section. Even if I could put that aside, I can't trust the rest of the frame to hold up on a longer trek (not with the weight of my gear), so I will be returning the pack ASAP because of this. If you are an ultralight backpacker or are only using this for day hikes, this may not be much of a concern for you, though.
Comfort - 4 stars
The pack did carry well and was able to situate easily on my back. You can't tighten the straps too tight or else the frame will "flex" (pun intended). Otherwise, it was easy to adjust the shoulder and belt straps for fit. You can also adjust how the straps harness to the frame based on body type. When it arrived, it was fitted to the "large" slots, so I didn't have to adjust it (I'm a big guy), but I did try to move some of the points for shiggles and they were easy to adjust.
Company - 1 star
Outdoor Products' customer service is TERRIBLE, so you will be stuck with the pack once you buy it unless you have a good retailer (which I do thankfully). I sent them an email via their website 2 days ago and still have yet to receive even an acknowledgement that they received it, much less a response. They also don't answer phone calls (only require you leave a message or send an email), so don't expect to get any help from them after the sale if you have an experience like mine.
Summary - 2 stars
Because of the design flaws in the frame, I am returning my pack. There are not enough redeeming qualities to warrant me keeping it after the frame failure. As previously mentioned, if you are using it in an ultralight or brief hiking situation (one, maybe two days), you may not have to worry about the items I was concerned about. For a 3+ day bivouac pack, this thing is AWEFULL. My recommendation is to save up a little extra money and buy the Jansport Carson or Kelty Trekker which have much better constructed (aluminum) frames and packs and their customer service is outstanding. If this review helped you, please indicate so for others.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Good pack Dec 13, 2009
By J. Ditter
I have had no problems with this pack. I have loaded this with 60 pounds before, and it held up very well. I have used it around 10 times, averaging 45 pounds loaded in. If you use bungy cords, you can attach so many things to the pack.My only complaint is that the side pockets are kinda small. If the side pockets were longer, I would have no complaint whatsoever. The lower part is great for strapping on heavy objects like sleeping bags or whatever. Look around hard for lower prices on the pack, I got mine for $40 from [...].
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Great Backpack Aug 29, 2008
By Mark Goding
The Outdoor, Firefly backpack, is great pack to take on overnights. It has good storage compartments, and a very comfortable support frame on it. The shoulder and waist belts were padded well. My friends pack didnt even have that much padding. The tilted bottle holder worked well for reaching your water without taking the pack off.I also liked the way you could separate your clothing from your food and cooking goods. overall it worked just the way I wanted it to.
Mark
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Good, sturdy youth backpack Aug 19, 2007
By Edda Kuhlmann
My 10-year-old is small and skinny, finding a backpack with a fitting hip belt was a nightmare. Found the Firefly at the local scout shop, but had to return it as the hip belt was too big. However, saw it again at another local store, for some reason, that hip belt was smaller and this bag is perfect for his size and frame. Sidepockets come in very handy and it did survive a week of being tossed around in Boy Scout Camp. It is true that it is difficult to attach sleeping bag, mat and tent, although a mat can be strapped at the bottom, a non-bulky sleeping bag fits into the bag itself, tent on top. Not ideal, but than, if you want a sturdy backpack that is smaller than your kid yet surprisingly roomy, I can definitely recommend it.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great Value Oct 15, 2008
By J. Teague
This pack offers so much at such a great price. It is perfect for a young Boy Scout as it is adjustable and will grow with them.
See all 13 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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