THE DEAN™ 55 Hiking Backpack - 2nd Generation

Nice pack so far. I like how it’s layed out to have some organization. Really helps with setup and put away. Took it on a 3 day hike in the woods and mud. Was able to carry 3 days of food and then some if I needed. Ontop of all my gear. Lots of pouch with zipper. Love that. The frame it’s attached to feels very strong and didn’t bend a bit. I was using the pack as a seat sometimes. I’m about 240lbs. It held me. Every thing held up for the most part. Had so fraying on the stitches on the mesh pockets on the lower sides. Where you might put a bottle. Or in my case snacks and gloves. Garbage bag. I might be able to stitch it back up and add some fabric glue to keep it from doing that.All the straps and zippers held up good. No rain to test the cover. But it does cover the whole pack nicely even if over packed some. All in all I’ll be using it multiple times. I’m carrying around 35lbs full with water weight. It feels good on the body. I’d like some more padding for the hips and lower back. But it’s not to bad. Cool pack.

The material is very high quality when I carry that the first time, I thought it's going to break down at some point because it's too light, I didn't trust the material but in fact it's not it's very light but it's rigid and have a lot of space and pockets everywhere and the cool thing how organized it is and how you can access anywhere in the bag easily, beside a lot of features and extras on it Love it.l!!

I volunteer with Scouts in Canada and work for Outward Bound. I’ve been searching for a lightweight bag that could still hold everything I need on a backpacking trip. The ‘Dean’ certainly comes close to greatness. It’s comfortable, compact and organized. The couple of complaints I had seem to be dealt with in version 2.0! A few more litres of space and a rain cover! Wish I’d waited a couple of weeks before ordering my ‘Dean Classic’…. But I still love it! Thanks for a great pack…
Scouter Sean, camping in Toronto

This backpack is great for 2-3 day camping trips. The frame really helps with the weight, but one of the straps holding the frame broke right away, making the backpack a little lopsided.

Love this backpack!

I pick up the Dean 55 And I love this pack easy to load easy to find things Best pack I ever got very happy and I think you will be to I am going to buy one more and put it away as a back up this is the last pack I will ever need

Have had this backpack all last summer and so far one backpacking trip this season and I love it! So comfy and spacious! Perfect pack!

Just finished my first overnighter with the Dean 55 2nd generation. Pack performed flawlessly and was extremely comfortable. I have several other top brand packs but none as comfortable as this. I did remove all dividers with exception of sleeping bag divider as they were constricting. The best feature other than the comfort is the front loading design. I tend to fold my clothing, tent, sleep pad flat in the order in which they will be needed so the dividers did not work for me but to be able to peel back to cover and view all my gear at once was amazing. My tent fit nicely on the bottom straps and my food and the dogs food fit great in the main compartment lid. All my other gear fit nicely in the top lid compartment with my tent poles and water on the sides pockets and my phone, headlamp and pocket knife on the hip pockets. I am 5’6” and 150 lbs and had to adjust the torso to the lowest setting for optimal fit. All in all, I am very happy with this pack and will try the dividers again in the future. Based on this purchase, I will definitely consider NearZero gear for any future gear needs. Thanks for a great product

I purchased the Dean 55L package with tent, sleeping bag, etc. for my AT trip across MD. (bag also saw the top of Mt Washington)Bag was awesome, fit everything I needed for a 4 day 3 night trip. Was caught in some rain and only down fall was the rain fly didn't quite fit over my filled bag. Had to rig up some straps. But all in all TWO THUMBS UP!!

I have been backpacking for years and recently my pack was showing signs of needing replaced. Looking around found Near Zero. Fast order fulfillment, upon arrival and inspection the pack is well made. Going back in the trail in a few weeks, I have no doubt this pack is up to the task.

Being able to zip open the bag and have everything organized has been super nice for backpacking. It's nice being able to grab one item out of my bag without having to take everything out like I do with my other top-loading bags. The bag is super light and comfortable. The hip straps are super comfortable and supportive which makes my packed bag feel extra light. Highly recommend this bag to everyone whether you're just getting into backpacking or are a more experienced backpacker.

I love that everything in my bag has a place, and that it is lightweight

Spot on near zero to the back pain .

I picked the Dean 55L because I liked the concept of the way you open and pack. I did an overnight with some friends on the Appalachian Trail this weekend with the Dean. I am concerned that it just is not enough space for a 2-3 day hike. I ran out of space quickly once I put in the essentials. Also, the shoulder straps are really stiff and became a bit uncomfortable. Maybe used will loosen them up. I don't want to say I regret it, but when I do a multiple night trip, I may.

Love it! Perfect!