Patagonia Refugio

8.9
8.9 score
[Editors rating (8.9)] = (TheGearHunt) score (8.9)/10


0
Editor rating: 8.9 / 10
User's rating: based on 0 user ratings
1 star
0%
2 star
0%
3 star
0%
4 star
0%
5 star
0%
Add your Rating
Patagonia Refugio Review Facts

Travelling can be a lot of fun, whether its a quick hike up a mountain or traveling on an all-exclusive to another country. Traveling allows us to leave our home base, and our comfort zone, and experience new parts of the world in exciting ways. Traveling can be difficult, however, without the right gear. This includes things like safety equipment, proper clothing, and luggage. When traveling is always important to consider the terrain that will be traveled on, who we are traveling with and what the weather will be like or else the exciting times can quickly turn into stressful ones sullying the trip entirely and essentially defeating its purpose.

This domain offers consumer reviews for the purpose of helping new buyers understand what they are purchasing. We reviewed consumer notes in order to see what the appreciated and disliked about particular products. It offers buying guides with 10 top items and also individual reviews in order to really break down one product. This article is a single product review on the Patagonia Refugio. This is a traveling backpack with interesting features to keep the hiker cool, supported and comfortable. Here is our in-depth review of the Patagonia Refugio. We hope it helps with your next backpack purchase.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

- Attractive and stylish design

- Lots of great organizational pockets

- Tons of space considering its size

- Durable design for outdoor adventures

Cons

- Rough mesh outer lining seems to cause some damage to clothing

- Straps close together, not great for broader individuals

FEATURES

This product offers interesting features made to help with an easier traveling experience. This includes features like lined pockets for more expensive technology like tablets and phones. The lined pocket can also hold up to a 15" inch laptop as well if required. The main compartment is cavernous meaning that it offers a smaller opening but opens up as it goes down for a sleeker look with more room within the bag.

The front pocket is small enough to store different products like laptop cables, charging cords and random accessories for quick access. The other front "stash" pocket (as called on the manufacturer's website offers easier access for those wearing the backpack to hold items that are required more regularly liked phones, chapstick, and snacks.

There are also water-bottle pockets for easier and more accessible hydration on longer hikes. The back panel of this product is made of breathable and well-ventilated mesh material for comfort. The shoulder straps are padded for comfort and the backpack also offers an adjustable and entirely removable sternum strap for additional support and stability when in motion. For the most part, this bag is ready for a physical adventure and also durable enough for being thrown around a little which is ideal.

MATERIALS

The body of this product is made of a 7.4 ounce 630 denier material. Denier is the measurement of the fiber thickness of individual threads to make a material. Typically, when in the 600 range, this is classified as a polyester material. When you get closer to the 1000 denier range you're looking at nylon. The website does note that this material is nylon which is a stronger hold than polyester. The nylon is also 50% recycled material which helps with the preservation of our environment and eco-system.

The other 50% of the material is a high-tenacity fabric making the fabric quite durable in design for those rugged outdoor types. The lining is made of a 3.3 ounce 200-denier polyester material and the exterior of this bag is coated with a polyurethane coating and a durable water repellent (DWR) finish in order to offer some protection from water and help with cleaning the product. Overall, reviewers appreciate the durability and look of this bag above all else and the materials used certain help with those two areas.

COMFORT

The arm straps of this bag offer padding along the inside. This helps when wearing the backpack for extended periods of time. The back panel of this bag also offers a highly breathable mesh material that allows for the wearer to experience ventilation when in hotter areas or when building up a sweat. The backpack also offers an adjustable and removable sternum strap which clips around the chest for better stability and better weight distribution when traveling.

Those who bought this product appreciated the padding along the shoulder straps noting that this really helped with the comfort of this bag. One reviewer did mention that the shoulder straps of this bag are pretty close together which for average-sized frames, this is not an issue but for those what are a little broader in the shoulders, this bag becomes quite uncomfortable quite quickly. The way they are set up, as well, cannot be adjusted so wearing this backpack became impossible for some reviewers. This should be noted before purchasing this bag.

DURABILITY

As mentioned earlier, the denier count of this bag is pretty impressive. The external material used is a 630-denier count and the interior lining of this bag is a 200-denier count making this bag quite durable and protective of the items within it. The exterior of the bag is coated with a durable water repellent finish which helps water roll off the bag when caught out in a thunderstorm rather than soaking into the bag, potentially getting the contents of the bag wet.

Those who bought this bag found the bag to be quite durable. They appreciated the materials used for this bag (outside of the mesh, this is discussed later). They found that this bag not only looks visually appealing but also stay aesthetically pleasing over extended periods due to the bags superior durability which is really positive. This bag is a little on the higher end in price so this is important due to the cost of replacing it being higher than cheaper, less attractive alternatives.

CAPACITY

This bag is 666 grams in weight which equates to about 1 pound and 7 ounces. The bag itself is 19 inches by 12 inches. The cubic inch measurement is about 1709 cubic inches. The pockets are cavernous meaning that even though the opening is small the pocket itself is quite large and really opens up at the bottom. There are also a ton of storage components like lined pockets, small pockets for smaller items, easily accessible pockets for quick removal of more popular items and water bottle pockets.

Those who bought this backpack were happy with the amount of storage offered by this backpack. They said that this was not their primary motivation for buying this backpack (but rather the fashionable look of the backpack) and were pleasantly surprised by the actual capacity of it. This is handy. And the supportive straps in conjunction with the sternum strap allows consumers to really fill up the bag and still have a decent amount of stability and weight distribution to do so without hurting themselves which is really positive as well.

USE

This backpack is a multi-purpose backpack. It is durable enough to be used as an outdoor adventure backpack, like hiking and mountain climbing, but is also attractive enough to use as a daily backpack. It also offers a ton of storage and organizational pockets to make the trip convenient and easy which as we mentioned above, helps offer a more enjoyable trip rather than a more stressful one.

Those who bought this backpack seemed to use it for lighter activities because most of those who bought this backpack bought if because it's attractive in design. It is usually used as a commuter or a school bag. Though this is the case, the bag is built for much more and with its excelling durability, it should be!

STYLE

As previously mentioned, this bag is pretty impressive in design. It offers a single-colored exterior and is offered in numerous color options. The zippers are hidden and the pockets are tight to the bag giving it a sleeker and more modern look. The straps are on the thinner side which makes the bag more of an accessory rather than an all-encompassing unit on the wearers back. The color choices available are nice, more modern colors and aren't too bright to avoid drawing too much attention. Overall this bag is modern, new and attractive in design with all the ergonomics of the bag impressive and desired by consumers.

Also as previously mentioned, the majority of users bought this bag for the look alone. They were impressed with the additional features after the fact. And because the exterior shell is protected by DWR, this bag will continue to look nice even after being caught in the rain. The bag is also quite durable, helping the general and attractive aesthetic in the long run.

SUPPORT

This bag offers both padded shoulder straps and a sternum strap for support when carrying heavy loads. This also helps with proper weight distribution when traveling with heavier loads. The sternum strap is also removable in order to help with the general aesthetic of the bag. The strap can be easier and conveniently stored in one of the smaller organizational pockets in order to keep it close by in a situation where the bag gets heavier throughout the day or when using this bag to get to a hike.

Those who bought this backpack appreciated the support offered by the backpack. Though there were some issues with the close togetherness of the straps, those who were average-sized did find that this bag offered great support and stability when doing more aggressive activities which is positive.

ORGANIZATION

The importance of organization within backpacks may not always be the primary concern of consumers. Though this is the case, the organization is paramount when considering a backpack. This is because the item is carried on the back making the items within the backpack out of reach until the backpack is removed. This is why many of the higher quality bags offer easy access compartments so that the wearer doesn't always have to take the backpack off when needing quick items like a phone or keys.

This product offers a main pocket for bigger items like blankets and clothes, a medium pocket that offers a lined pocket within it for larger technology (like tablets and laptops), smaller pockets along the side for smaller items like keys and cords, and two water bottle holders for easier access to hydration.

The two water bottle holder add-on is nice for couples or fellow travelers where only one person is carrying the backpack. This way two bottles can be carried within one device. This also helps with longer trips that require more than one bottle of water and it can offer some better weight distribution on each side. The capacity and the organizational abilities of this bag are quite impressive and were a really nice feature for reviewers.

KEY FEATURES

- Made of durable, high denier fabrics
- Offers a water-resistant finish to the exterior of the bag
- Attractive, sleek design and numerous color options for personal preferences
- Several organizational pockets for more efficiency
- Durable design for those outdoorsy-types
- Made by a reputable company
- Huge capacity for bigger loads
- Proper support through padded shoulders and sternum strap

BOTTOM LINE

Overall this product is pretty impressive. The primary issue with this bag is the mesh used for the back panel. This material seems to be so rough that it ruins fabrics and not just one or two types of fabrics but nearly all of them. It causes piling which ends up ruining shirts and coats. This seemed to be the biggest issue with this backpack. Outside of this, though, reviewers really appreciated the design of this backpack (both ergonomically and aesthetically). They appreciated the name behind the product and they also liked the durability of it. This backpack is ideal for commuter travel and outdoor adventures.

The price is slightly on the higher side but this makes sense considering its attractive design and its durability. Overall, it is a great backpack for a variety of people.