GEAR REVIEW: MHM Fifty-Two 80 backpack
Manufacturer: MHM
Capacity: 80L
Weight: 2.7 kg (5.9 lbs)
Gender: unisex
Price: $299.00-399.00 USD
Availability: For our international readers, this pack can be shipped over the big pond. However, it is a small Denver, CO based company, with only one small flagship store in their hometown.
Pros: It has all the bells and whistles!, durability, comfort
Cons: weight, removable top lid doesn't function well as a day pack, only one in store retailer
I should mention that some of the features on the pack have changed since I bought it in 2013, I have not mentioned any of those features in this article, but the color of the product has changed
If you've seen pictures from our Gröna Bandet hike then you've seen this backpack. I've said that this backpack and I are one, as he has spent many kilometers strapped to my back. I love this guy. Because we have spent so much time together I feel that I can make a well informed review of Henry (from here on out I will refer to my backpack as Henry).
My knowledge of the world of outdoor gear has developed quite a bit since I bought this pack. At the time I would do some research, but ultimately just pick something I thought was cool. Well I thought this pack was cool. A friend had it, I tried his on once, and I was sold. Since then Henry has travelled the world with me, and we have had some crazy adventures. During my three week solo hike on New Zealand's South Island he gave me comfort as I used him as a braced to get myself down an extremely steep face that I wasn't prepared for. During our 1400km hike on Gröna Bandet, Jeremias and I figured out how to use our packs and poles as make shift chairs. It was during this hike that I learned more about gear than I ever had. We spent a lot of our time talking about gear; what we like, ideas to improve things, and even designing our own pieces of equipment in our journals. Here is my review of Henry the backpack, he has served me well.
Comfort and durability
This pack, if anything is very comfortable. The padding on the shoulders and hip belt are super thick. I've seen friends compare scars on their hips from hiking trips, mine are scar free. I am not a very heavy packer, but I can say that this pack was still comfortable at it's heaviest which was 19 kg (40 lbs) total weight. I can be quite stubborn when hiking (ok more like all of the time), and I hate taking my pack off unnecessarily. This pack's shoulder straps are so comfortable, that I can unbuckle the hip belt and pee with the pack on.
As far as durability is concerned, I have not been kind to this guy. Between dragging the bottom along the ground as I slid down mountain sides and flipping the back over and sitting on it with all my weight, Henry has very few scars to show for himself.
Features
In the list of pros I stated that this pack has all the bells and whistles, but I'm going to digress a little here to talk about personal needs.
As said before, when I bought this pack I just picked something that I thought was cool, but since then I've learned a lot about gear and more importantly a lot more about my needs in the outdoors. Many of the features that this pack has are quite useless for me because of the way I pack, but if you are new to hiking it can be extremely difficult to know what it is that you want or need. In general when it comes to this dilemma I would recommend to do some research, but then just pick something. You may want to sell it in the future, but having a hands on experience is the best way to learn about this stuff. Alternatively, you could ask around and borrow gear to try and find the right fit. So, now that I've given you all that information let's go through some of the packs features.
Clamshell front-panel zipper opens entire front of pack
I use a pack liner to protect my gear from the rain, making this feature relatively useless
VariCantâ„¢ dual - pivoting hip-belt
You can really feel the rotation in the hip belt, it makes it super comfy when you need to do some scrambling, or anything that requires some agility
Slide n' lockâ„¢ adjustable harness
I wear the pack at the smallest possible size, but I will say that it is easy to adjust.
QuickStuff DrySackâ„¢ built-in, seam-sealed waterproof stuff sack for your sleeping bag, tent or clothing
This is probably one of the cooler features, but unfortunately I have not found it to be useful. In order to get my gear down to a manageable size I use compression sacks, and this section of the pack just can't do the job.
Large external stuff-it pocket
I love this pocket because it's so stretchy. I can shove a bunch of different kinds of things in there, most of the time it holds onto my insulated layer when not in use
Large J-zip front pocket with internal mesh divider
I hate trying to get into my pack during the day, so it's very convenient to have extra pockets on the front that are easily accessible.
Hydration reservoir compatible
I've never been into camelbacks, so I can't comment on this particular feature, but it seems that most packs come standard with reservoir compatibility.
2 deployable trekking pole/ice axe loops
I haven't used these features so much, but it's nice to be able to stash them away.
2 deployable bottom straps
I don't use these at all. I have found that the way the straps fasten to the pack are unreliable. I try to keep as much of my gear inside my pack anyway.
2 Dual-access hip-belt pockets (1 zippered, 1 stretch mesh)
These are nice pockets, and relatively big. I can just about fit my iPhone 5 with a case on it, inside the pocket. The pockets are in a good place, I don't have to reach at all.
Dual-access zippered top lid
This is a nice feature because it's such a huge top lid that something inside might not be reachable from one side, so accessing the other side makes it easy to find things.
Detachable top lid converts into a small day pack
I thought this would be a cool feature, but the design is rather flawed. The compression straps for the top lid are meant to be used as the shoulder straps for the day pack. Not comfortable at all, even when empty. I think a better option would be to make it into a hip pack.
Water-resistant clear coated mesh "dry pocket" inside top lid
This has been a great place to store things away from rain. I usually keep my phone and passport in there during rain showers.
12 pockets + main compartment
Pockets galore! I really don't know how useful this has been for me. I like to use dry bags and stuff sacks to organize my things more than pockets.
Summary
Henry has been a great pack, but the more I use him the more I realise that many of his features aren't necessary for me. The pack itself is very heavy, so if you use all of the features then it might be worth it, but for my current needs it is too heavy. However, I do not want to get rid of it! It's the most comfortable pack I've ever worn, so I've decided to use my craft skills to 'frankenstein'* the pack. I'm going to attempt to shed weight off the pack my removing features that I don't use, hopefully leaving me with a high volume, comfortable pack with a more manageable weight.
MHM is a small company that only makes outdoor packs. These guys know backpacks, and they strive to create great products for their customers. They do not sell a lot of different products, but rather focus their energy, and dive deep into their designs to create innovative packs.
* check back in the future for an article on Henry, when I attempt to 'frankenstein' him
