I don't want to hijack this thread, but my Ribz pack showed up today. Had to work late so I haven't had a chance to really look it over but I will tomorrow.

Finally found the time to load up the Ribz and compare it to what I had been carrying for just day walks, which was a Camelbak with cargo room.

These first two pics are what I carried in the Camelbak. The small items get put into the blue pouches. The big items, like the GPS, flashlight, poncho and flask end up in pockets of their own on the Ribz. I admit the gear selection needs some work so bear with me.

FAK stuff


General items


All packed in the Ribz except for flashlight which is attached to a strap on the front for easy access.


The Ribz and a new 2L hydration pack with no real cargo room


replace this.


and on me looks like this (oy, sorry about that)


Pro's:
Holds a lot of stuff, internal and external pockets so everything has its place and it is easy to find individual items. The blue pouches are about 6x10" and fit nicely.

Straps are not uncomfortable at this load and are soft and flexible.

Con's:
The straps are thin and flexible which means they tend to twist easily and can get turned around, expecially on your back.

Putting the darn thing on is not intuitive for me but I'm just clumsy.

It is warm, I was feeling the heat just standing in my office. Might not use this in really warm weather.

One tip, do as the website says and load it up before you fit the straps. Adding stuff really does change the way it feels and rides. Once I get a chance to take out in the field I'll let you know if it was worth the $40. My hope is that makes it easier to get things when I need them (just reach into the pockets instead of taking off the camelbak and rummaging around). Also I usually have my dog on leash so being able to get to things without letting go of the leash should be helpful.

Andy

Cool. Thanks, Andy. Keep us posted.

HJ

I'll admit, not a fan, but have these questions.

1. What happens when you fall forward onto the RIBZ?
Both to your stuff and you. It looks like it would be painful.

2. Is there backing on the pockets to allow for airflow?

Looks to me like you are replacing one item (Camelback daypack) with two items, the Ribz and the Camelback w/o storage.

I think I'll stick with my C'back daypack.

If you had sharp objects, they'd probably poke you, same as if you had a knife strapped to the front of your backpack's shoulder strap or any other piece of gear. Nothing unique here.

No.

HJ

Izzy, I have been playing around with it and haven't quite found the ideal placement. I tried it higher but as a 'rounder' guy it seems to fit better under my arms a little lower down. As the French say "a chacun son gout".

Unfortunately not, during warm days, hard working getting up a sweat then even the backpack such as the ones shown on the link become very worthwhile such as the Berghaus Freeflow light 32. (the link below shows some nice packs which take the concept even further such as with the new Berghaus FreeFlow Pro)

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gear-features/ventilated-packs/6328.html?print=true

The Ribz material is also quite unforgiving being a non permeable barrier layer as well, which wraps all the way around the front lower torso. If there is anything worse than a sweaty back it has to be a sweaty stomach.

I was able to field test my Ribz over the weekend. Overall not a bad product and after a bit of tinkering with the traps, the pack actually fits me pretty good. I found the pockets are generous in size and allowed me to carry a variety of kit, maps, etc including a DSL camera and an extra lens along with the bear spray canister clipped to the back right strap.

Wearing the Ribz along with a 25 L backpack or a 12 L single shoulder sling pack did not present any fit or rub problems. After testing, I can see where the combination of the Ribz pack and the single shoulder sling pack will pay off on single day hikes as between the two, I can carry a good variety of gear that is easily accessible and not have to stop then remove a traditional backpack for gear access.

My SO also tried the Ribz, however the placement of the front straps rubbed and started to chaff her chest area even after multiple adjustments were made. With a bit of custom work on the straps though, this rubbing would probably be rectified. See below for design enhancements.

Review Summary

Good:
- Generous sized pockets and easy access.

- Easy to adjust front straps (more on this below though)

- Front zipper allows for easy removal and to also unzip slightly to allow some air circulation.


Negatives:
- Straps are flimsy and could be made of higher quality and slightly heavier webbing.

- The pack could use a sternum strap much like the sternum strap in the picture (person in bright orange jacket) that Hikin_Jim posted. This would also help with the chaffing that my SO experienced.

- Waist strap is not easy to adjust (tighten/loosen) once the pack is on and could probably benefit from further thought and design.


Design Enhancement Requests:
- Add a key ring clip to at least one of the inside pockets. I am fanatical about securing my keys in any pack and having the keys just sit in a pocket waiting for a chance to fall out is not conducive to peace of mind.

- Water bottle accessible storage where the waist and back straps attach to the pack pockets would be a good place to have a sleeve for a 750 ML size water bottle. In fact this is one of the first customizations I will be doing my pack in the next week or so.

- Add velcro or zippers to smaller inside pockets. This may be more personal preference, however I like to see any interior or exterior pockets secured in some manner.


Overall the Ribz pack is a good product that I can foresee utilizing on a regular basis and was worth the chance on money spent. With some work and design changes, I would most certainly consider purchasing another pack for my SO.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Ribz. I haven't had a chance to test mine yet.

I'd love to see your customizations after your finished with them.

HJ

I just got back from a weekend outing last night. I didn't have time to set the Ribz pack up to take along, either. Maybe I'll have a chance to try mine this week.