REI Trailmade 60 Backpack Review

Bottom Line

The REI Trailmade 60 is one of the cheapest packs on our list, so we were skeptical it would provide a good experience. However, we came away pleasantly surprised. It’s not the most premium backpack, but it focuses on a few things and executes them well.

Starting with the positives, the overall quality and durability is excellent. This is a pack that we would easily give to a beginner backpacker without fear that they would rip a it. But despite the durability, it’s not a terribly heavy pack.

This budget-oriented backback does sacrifice a bit in the way of comfort. The foam is supportive enough and we really liked the hip belt, but you’re getting a very basic comfort experience here.

It does get overshadowed a bit by some other backpacking backpacks we recommend, but that doesn’t detract from how much we enjoyed the REI Trailmade. Even though we’re experienced backpackers, we would gladly take this on our next adventure.

How We Tested

We took the REI Trailmade on some local trails in our native Minnesota for preliminary testing while we overhauled our entire backpacking review portfolio during winter.

Comfort

The Trailmade offers average comfort for its category, not doing anything outstanding but also not making any major stumbles. The support here is simple and straightforward, with large pieces of foam on the back panel, a big hipbelt, and reasonably thick shoulder straps. Unlike many packs in this class of pack, the Trailmade isn’t trying to increase ventilation with a suspended mesh panel or cutouts in the hip belt padding, but for this price we think those were smart design tradeoffs.

When we loaded up the Trailmade with 30 pounds, we found it carried decently well. The frame didn’t feel like it was on the edge of support, and the hip belt felt really good, tightening and supporting the weight on our hips with ease. The lumbar padding tries to promote a bit of airflow with a gap between the two pads, but this is one area we’re a little concerned might generate a sore spot if that lumbar area doesn’t sit right on your body.

Features

Unlike many budget packs, the Trailmade doesn’t cut corners in durability, delivering a solid experience with great fabrics that should last to some good use on trail. We pulled and tugged on the seams to see if we could get the pack to show weakness and it held up against our tests just fine. The seams were tight and well constructed.

The fabric feels tough as well. This is one of the only packs we looked at that completely forgoes mesh of any type. Although we think that careful use of mesh has its place on packs, we think that the removal of it in this model is smart. It eliminates a weak spot on many packs, and for beginners who might abuse a pack a bit more than experienced backpackers, this will help the pack last much longer. It’s also excellent to see 100% recycled fabrics, and Bluesign certification.

Durability

Unlike many budget packs, the Trailmade doesn’t cut corners in durability, delivering a solid experience with great fabrics that should last to some good use on trail. We pulled and tugged on the seams to see if we could get the pack to show weakness and it held up against our tests just fine. The seams were tight and well constructed.

The fabric feels tough as well. This is one of the only packs we looked at that completely forgoes mesh of any type. Although we think that careful use of mesh has its place on packs, we think that the removal of it in this model is smart. It eliminates a weak spot on many packs, and for beginners who might abuse a pack a bit more than experienced backpackers, this will help the pack last much longer. It’s also excellent to see 100% recycled fabrics, and Bluesign certification.

Ease of Use

This is such a wonderfully straightforward pack to use. Nothing about its construction or design is confusing or obfuscated. All the straps connect and cinch as expected, the hip belt isn’t frustrating to tighten, and thankfully, the water bottles are easy to access.

Even though the Trailmade isn’t the most premium or comfortable of packs, it delivered such a solid and consistent experience that we found ourselves idly dreaming about taking it on our next adventure, even above more expensive options. And that’s a good lesson about outdoors gear that sometimes is easy to miss when buried in spreadsheets, sometimes the best gear for you personally is the one that you just feel good using. And the overall experience of the Trailmade is just quietly delightful that we can imagine many people falling in love with this pack.

Should You Buy the REI Trailmade 60 Backpack?

The Trailmade is a good pack. We really enjoyed using it. But that positivity is unfortunately overshadowed by the fact that REI is its own worst competitor. For a little bit more, the REI Flash 55 offers a lighter, and arguably more versatile and complete experience. For most people, it will be worth it to save up that extra bit to spend on the Flash which makes the Trailmade hard to recommend.

However, backpacks are very subjective, and if the Flash doesn’t feel that great, the Trailmade is an excellent alternative. We want to be clear, this is definitely a pack aimed at beginners. Experienced backpackers will probably want something lighter or more feature rich that supports their use case a bit better. But for someone getting into the hobby, we think the Trailmade will offer a nice experience that will allow people to enjoy the beautiful outdoors without getting distracted by a cheaply made pack.

What Other Backpacking Packs Should You Consider?

If you’re looking for something different, please see our  full lineup of backpacking backpacks.

REI Flash 55 Review – The Flash is only a little bit more expensive, and it’s lighter with better ventilation, a versatile attachment system, and a roll top, and more.

Granite Gear Crown 3 Review – If you like the classic stylings of the Trailmade but want something that’s a bit more versatile, the Crown 3 is worth a look.

Gregory Paragon 58 Review – If you’re not price constrained and aren’t as concerned about weight, the Paragon is a great pack that climbed to the top of our rankings.