Part of their (re)purpose collection, the tarak is a lightweight hiking backpack made from the remnants of other companies product runs, giving new life to fabrics that would otherwise be tossed away.
As mentioned above, the tarak backpack is part of cotapaxi’s del dia line and produced almost entirely of leftover material from other products’ production runs. What would normally be sadly wasted, is now transformed into a carefully crafted and individually unique backpack. No two backpacks are exactly the same as the colors vary completely from one to the next and each pack is individually selectable. The tarak holds two liters worth of equipment inside the main compartment, has a zippered mesh interior pocket complete with a key clip, and has a zippered pocket on the lid. It is also adorned with an exterior zippered pocket on the back of the pack, and compression straps to cinch the pack down into a tighter, more stable state. It includes a removable foam back panel, adjustable padded chest straps, two basic but adjustable hip straps, and it only weighs 1.24 lbs. It retails for $100 bucks and comes in an ever changing combination of colors, selectable on their website.
O.K. Let’s start out with the obvious thing. I love the very idea and good nature of a backpack that is built from upcycled materials. Not only does it take some strain off the environment, it provides additional jobs and even results in a pack that aesthetically very unique and interesting. The colors really stand out on the trail, and the best part is each combination is unique to that specific pack. No two are exactly alike, except for the actual specifications. It is this kind of earth friendly philosophy that i can really get behind, given the fact that getting into nature is one of my favorite pass times. This idea of re-using leftover materials provides more visual variety, more products, and comes across as nothing but positive from my perspective.
Comfort wise, i was really surprised with this pack. It looks fairly minimalist, which often times means a bit of discomfort is sewn into its very fiber. Yet, this isn’t the case at all. I really loved how the slim and narrow shape paired with the lightly padded back panel. It sits so gently against the spine that is almost becomes unnoticeable most of the time given a fairly light pack load. The shoulder straps are also foam padded and even formed to fit the curves and angles of the collar bone and chest, which does a great job of removing pressure points. The chest and hip straps are also both adjustable for a custom tuned fit. The hip straps are fairly basic, but do a great job of keeping everything in place and stable on rougher terrain. The pack just seems to hug the body and feels more worn than carried. I’m yet to feel any discomfort while wearing it, even when stuffing it to the literal brim. I would rate the pack carrying capacity at just over 20 lbs.
Comfort wise, i was really surprised with this pack. It looks fairly minimalist, which often times means a bit of discomfort is sewn into its very fiber. Yet, this isn’t the case at all. I really loved how the slim and narrow shape paired with the lightly padded back panel. It sits so gently against the spine that is almost becomes unnoticeable most of the time given a fairly light pack load. The shoulder straps are also foam padded and even formed to fit the curves and angles of the collar bone and chest, which does a great job of removing pressure points. The chest and hip straps are also both adjustable for a custom tuned fit. The hip straps are fairly basic, but do a great job of keeping everything in place and stable on rougher terrain. The pack just seems to hug the body and feels more worn than carried. I’m yet to feel any discomfort while wearing it, even when stuffing it to the literal brim. I would rate the pack carrying capacity at just over 20 lbs.
Highly Recommended
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