You haven’t truly lived until you’ve owned a Kelty Eagle backpack. At 128.7 liters, this pack will take you anywhere you want to go and it will do so with more than enough room for all of your belongings. When the Kelty Eagle backpack first arrived I immediately noticed just how gigantic it was.
I’ve owned my fair share of large technical packs from backpacking to hunting, tactical and beyond, but this one takes the cake. With 7860 in3/ 128.7 L volume to store all your gear, your literally only limited by the amount of weight your body can physically carry.
If you think you can pack the Kelty Eagle all the way up, I have two words for you: Good luck! The amount of storage it has to offers just goes on and on. From bulky winter gear to extended trips beyond a week, it will fit with ease.
While the storage capacity is certainly impressive, how Kelty organizes each compartment on the Eagle backpack is truly admirable. Personally, I really like the layout of this backpack and the high number of pockets. It’s set up in a way where I can rapidly access essential cargo on the fly while still making the larger, less used item storage space neatly separated.
Below, you’ll find my Kelty Eagle Backpack review, featuring details on comfort, load capacity, cool features like the lid that converts into a fanny pack, durability and much more.
Quick Highlights:
- Length 44 in / 112 cm, width 29 in / 74 cm, height 17.5 in / 44 cm
- Volume 7850 in3 / 128.7 L (6285 in3 / 103.0 L using low-profile hood without side pockets)
- Weight 11 lb 2 oz / 5.0 kg (9 lb 4 oz / 4.0 kg using low-profile hood without side pockets)
- 16 – 22 in / 41 – 56 cm torso fit range
- 500D nylon kodra, 1000D nylon kodra body fabric
- Compatible with separate Kelty satellite Radio Holder and Battery Holder
- Top-load and front-panel access
- Lid converts into fanny pack or shoulder-strap pack organizer
- Lid has two U-shaped zippers and one map pocket
- Internal divider unzips into single main compartment
- Key clip
- Zippered stash pocket inside lid
- Large zippered mesh pocket on the bottom side of lid
- Secondary low-profile hood stows in storm collar pocket
- Dual hydration ports and reservoir sleeves for hydration bladders
- Daisy-chain loops
- MOLLE along sides
- 2 generously sized front compartment pockets
- 2 large removable side compartment pockets
- Dedicated sleeping bag compartment with zippered partition
- Sleeping pad compression straps
- Zippered interior mesh retaining wall prevents gear from spilling out
- 3 interior zippered mesh pockets
- Double haul loops on back panel
- Side compression straps
- Mesh water-bottle pockets
- Spindrift collars
- Rain/sand pack fly cover stows away in bottom zippered pocket
- Removable pack cover is two tone
- Coyote Brown pack has desert tan and white raincover
- Adjustable suspension with aluminum stays
- HDPE frame sheet
- Padded, breathable backpanel with Spacermesh
- 2-layer padded waistbelt with Scherer Cinch adjustment
- Quick-release, padded shoulder straps
- Load-lifter straps
- Adjustable sternum strap
- Belt stabilizers
- Levitator belt supports
Pack Details
Large Front Pockets
Lid Details
Main Compartment
Bottom Sleeping Bag Compartment
Bottom Rain/Sand Fly Compartment
Side Pocket Compartments
Back Frame Details
Belt, Straps And Handles
Kelty Eagle Backpack Review
At a little over 60 pounds pack weight, the Kelty Eagle remained quite comfortable on my back for the entire trip duration. The adjustable suspension, aluminum stays, breathable and padded back panel, etc. all worked their magic together for excellent support. Adjustable features like the Scherer Cinch waistbelt, sternum-strap, load-lifter straps, etc. made getting that perfect fit so the above was possible, just right.
For trips or missions where lighter and more compact loads are required, the side cinches and low profile top are fantastic features of the Kelty Eagle backpack. Of course, being able to remove the side MOLLE compartments on both sides is a nice touch too if you demand a smaller profile.
For heavier loads, I greatly appreciated how Kelty went about organizing each compartment of the Eagle pack. Take, for instance, the mesh wall on the main compartment which makes grabbing gear fast and easy. The days are having to dig through your pack and grab gear blindly are gone!
While the two main front pockets and two top lid pockets, alongside the single map pocket make getting gear super simple, I’ve also come to appreciate how Kelty has made the traditionally larger, and less-convenient compartments, an absolute breeze to access. The main compartment can easily be opened by undoing the lid or by unzipping the entire front panel. Best of all, there’s a mesh divider just below so a full pack won’t gush out gear everywhere once you open it. The divided sleeping bag compartment and zippered wall are plenty spacious and well thought out.
In terms of durability, this is one tough pack! You’ll find a 500D nylon kodra and 1000D nylon kodra construction. After field-testing countless packs and taking note of the usual weak points, I’m happy to see I’ve yet to find any on the Kelty Eagle. The build quality is ruggedly rock-solid and should offer plenty of use for years to come.
