This has been an awesome pre-season so far. My average days adventure has been anywhere from 15-20 miles in Washington’s most rugged high country which has really tested my body as well as my gear. On the top of my gear list you will find my pack.
The R7 Solution by Blacks Creek has been amazing. The first thing I would like to address is the weight. Yes, it is 9lbs. Take a break from reading this review and go grab your pack board, daypack, gear bag, and your sleeping bag cover. I can guarantee all of those combined will far exceed 9lbs. This pack does it all. The “Grip” frame is amazing with the adjustable suspension to fit ANY torso. With two fiberglass stays running the length of the frame and two the width, I can honestly say the frame will haul more than I can carry. The 4800 cu inches of storage really comes in handy with a week worth of gear to pack in. There is a main compartment that is accessible from the main opening in the top and also a full-length center zipper on the front, (extremely handy for grabbing something in the bottom of your pack). There’s no need to be meticulous in how you organize your pack because it is all so easy to get to. The hydration pocket fits my three-liter bladder with ease and it stays put with the hose having a hole to come through in the top of the pack it runs down your shoulder strap and is held secure with a sleeve. The sleeping bag compartment is honestly one of my favorite parts. I can fit a Big Agnes XL down bag in the compartment and compress it with the draw cord and sack they put in the compartment. This to me was genius. How many packs have a compartment specifically for a sleeping bag? The two pockets on the side each have two full-length zippers, which compress the pockets fully or open them big enough to fit my tent in one side and spotter in the other. Military grade buckles keep every strap fastened and will not break under huge loads. Peace of mind in the backcounty is essential to me and this pack provides it all.
The “Grip” frame has not been fed its portion of meat yet. However, my 4 year old rides in it on every scouting trip. I like to get him out as much as possible and my Solution makes that possible. 20+ lbs of gear I take scouting combined with my son weighs in at around 60lbs. Only an extremely well designed pack made with the best components right here in the red, white, and blue will keep a load like that comfortable ALL DAY LONG.
I can’t wait to pack meat out with it because I have 110% confidence that it will get the job done with comfort and ease. I am looking forward to the upcoming products and seeing how they will do in the field. This pack is honestly the “Solution” to all my research, and troubles in a pack. Great job to the designers and everyone behind the making of this pack!
Nick Schmit
