The Teton Sports Escape 4300 Backpack holds 70 liters, which is enough to hike in the wilderness for a week!
 
Compartments
While the main compartment is a top-loading,large opening with a divider for putting smaller items, there are lots of smaller storage areas throughout.  It has 2 long, zippered side storage areas where I put my collapsible fishing pole and tackle. I use the large bottom-access storage area for my sleeping bag and a jacket in case the weather changes. In one compartment on the top hood, I keep my toiletries, and in the other I keep my whistle, headlamp, matches, and first aid kit. My favorite compartment is a small zippered pocket in the waist belt because I can have easy access to a granola bar or trail mix while hiking without taking the pack off.  Just be sure to empty all these compartments when you come home, or you might think you lost your knife while it is just hiding in your backpack.  It has happened to me.
 
Wearability
The Teton Escape 4300 backpack is designed long and narrow, just like me.  This isn’t a youth backpack, and would be too big for many younger hikers.  But I’m very tall for my age, and the torso adjusts from 17-21 inches, so it fits well now, and I should be able to continue to wear it as I grow.  I found this pack very comfortable to hike in as I could maneuver around tight spaces without getting hung-up by a bulky backpack.  When our scouting group went through a short, very narrow cave, my backpack fit just fine while friends with wider, smaller-volume packs were scraping and pulling their packs to get them through.
 
Backpacking for Kids
I strongly encourage parents to take older kids backpacking. When backpacking, always carry a water filter and plenty of easy-to-prepare food and don’t sweat the rest.  I like short, hard trails, ending at a fun destination like a waterfall or swimming hole. Be sure to fish for a few minutes in ponds, climb to the top of every rock, cut vines to swing, and catch crawfish in the creeks.
 
Advantages
Room for anything you want to take with you backpacking for several days      
Relatively lightweight for a large pack (4.75 pounds)
Comfortable
A snack pocket on the waist belt
It is green, my favorite color!
 
Disadvantages
The only potential problem with this pack is that there are so many pockets that you can easily forget where you put something.  Be organized, and have a plan for where you put each item when you pack!

Keep Hiking Forward!

​Trent

Join the me and the rest of the Teton Sports Mountain Adventurers in Giving back to the outdoor community. By using the code ScottGauvin when you purchase anything at Teton Sports you'll get a 5 percent discount off your order and a portion of your purchase will go to fund Boys & Girls Clubs of America and help give boys and girl a safe place to learn and grow. Click here to see my Mountain Adventurer Profile page. 

Each of the Mountain Adventurers were asked to select a outdoor themed charity or one that impacted a considerable amount of people directly. I thought long and hard about this and initially came up with some great and worthy causes that protect animals, conserve our natural resources and serve as stewards of our natural places. This decision quite frankly seemed to quick and not well thought out on my part. As someone who Hikes Forward, and promotes the ideal of always looking down the path of the trail and your trail of life, I took pause. Where did I come from? Who helped me to get to where I am and who I have become today especially with my love for the outdoor experience? And secondly, who really needed the money from this effort?

A good sleep solves it all. I awake and had made up my mind, The long list of other very worthy and honorable causes that I already personally contribute to was pushed away. I made up my mind that I would support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. A huge organization that helps kids from all works of life and backgrounds by providing a safe experience both at their clubs and outdoors. I am a product of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and I am proud of it. As a youngster I had the privilege to attend both a summer day camp (Camp Ramsbottom) and also be a member of local Boys & Girls Club in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

While the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is not saving forests, the polar bear or building parks, they are saving our youth. As a product of the Boys & Girls Club I have fond memories of swimming, archery, canoeing, rope courses and my favorite at the time rocketry. Without this outlet and available resource, honestly I am unsure what me and my friends would have done during those summers. Because of this camp and overall experience I spent more time outside versus inside. Spent more time honing my outdoor skills and exercising. 

When summer was done, the club offered a refuge after school to play basketball, pool or to swim. A safe place for kids to group up is needed in every city in the United States. A regular occurrence in my city of Springfield, Illinois and in places just like it around the country are articles asking for significant donates being needed to keep clubs like the one I attended open. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America fit the Giveback Endeavor program to a tee. Not only do I want to giveback for all the Boys & Girls Club gave me, they surely need the donations and they proudly serve over 25,000 youngsters yearly. I am proud to have the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as my chosen charity for this initiative. 

To assist me in helping the Boys & Girls Clubs of America simply:

Go to tetonsports.com 

During Checkout use the code: ScottGauvin

You will get 5% off your purchase! These funds will go to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of America continue to help America's youth. 


Keep Hiking Forward 

Scott

Teton Sports is a outdoor gear company located in Utah, that I have admired for quite sometime. They along with American Backcountry (another great and innovative outdoor retailer - might I add!) co-founded the weekly twitter chat for hikers (#hikerchat) on Fridays at 12pm ET. Engaging in #hikerchat has afforded me a wider understanding of new and evolving hiker and outdoor issues and programs as well as making a ton of hiker friends around the country. Teton is on the brink or releasing some amazing new gear that I can't wait to try and share. Getting outdoors is something that has become something of a motto and a calling for Teton. Teton wants us all to get outdoors and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer. To promote this mindset Teton and other brand ambassadors will be using the #getoutdoors hash-tag to promote ways we call all get outdoors.

Potable Aqua, based out of Wisconsin, does what you would expect. They give you clean, pure and drinkable water. A steadfast solution for hikers and for those in need of water in emergency situations for years.Potable Aqua is currently in the process of bringing a new filter to market. Their new Potable Aqua PURE™ Electrolytic Water Purifier was recently named by Outside Magazine's as one of the top seven water filtration systems on the market (was listed as #3). Being from the midwest myself, I am pleased to represent a company from just down the road (a ways). 

So, in short, please stay tuned here to Hiking Forward for information about these innovative companies and the wonderful products that they make. 

Keep Hiking Forward

Scott