3F Trajectory 55L Pack reviews?

I thought There were a couple reviews of the 3FUL packs on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVSRGmN1aiU

maybe these are for older packs (looks like it) but could be a good reference for things to look out for. I found a video showing the one you are interested in – I am not familiar with the reviewer, but he seems to like it well enough and it might answer some questions.

I like 3F UL and have a couple shelters and some accessories by them. But I’d not buy their packs because of how important/fickle pack fit is and  how difficult it would be to return.

Stumphges:  Could not agree more.  But how are small gearmakers going to sell their products.  Was amazed when EMS started stocking Granite Gear, but now EMS has shrunk.  Sites like BPL are helpful, but how does one tell for sure if the info is from the product’s promoter, or from a truly independent and knowledgeable source.  Of course some promoters are open about it, and there are what poker players call “tells” if they are not.  But I think that is one of the main things that drove me to MYOG.  But while a nice hobby, it is still an awful lot of work.

Before the pandemic, there were the gear shows.  But prefer to use my vacations for hiking, not going to gear shows.  Bottom line:  MYOG served me best.

Nothing against 3F UL. I got a poncho and rain kilt from them. They are well made. Reviews of their products seem typically good. For as someone mentioned earlier, for a pack or shelter, I rather look around and get something else. This pack is $169 at the link at the moment, MSRP is said to be $241.. There are other packs in that price range or a little more that are well received. Personally, looking at the specs, about 2 lbs and $200 these would be my quick pics:

For example, the Granite Gear Crown is about $200 before the occasional coupon and about $100 for the MassDrop version with free returns. Although 33 lbs may push it. I think the most I carried was 30 lbs on the original Crown and it was comfortable. But that pack fit me like a glove. I don’t have experience with the current gen. It’s all about fit and probably propper loading.

The SWD Long Haul 50 is about $265. Yes, you are spending more money. And you will probably have to wait a bit. But you have a quality pack that you will be able to resell in the future if for whatever reason you are not happy and recoup a good amount of money from you investment relative to use.

Also, there is ULA Circuit for about $255 with free shipping and bomber fabric, albeit a bit heavier. The XPac version would run you significantly more. Again, it’s a pack you could resell and recoup a good chunk of your investment based on use.

I don’t have the SWD or ULA. Looking at reviews, either should be able to carry the 33 lbs mentioned. I realize that $100 is a considerable amount of money that can be invested in something else, but if you are going to give this pack a significant amount of use, it may be money well spent. The are probably more options that folks may suggest if you decide to look at other alternatives. If you decide to consider other packs, perhaps start a new thread describing the use you expect to give to the pack, area where you treck (abrasion to be expected on the fabric, rain, etc), preferred features (pockets, material, frame, etc) and price range. And I know, if you say $250 folks are going to recommend packs in the $350 ;)

Going back to the money concern, you could also look for a ULA, SWD or some other pack used…

Best of luck!

Sam, I think 3F UL is probably having more fun building an UL market in their native China than trying to gain market share in foreign UL markets. 3 billion customers (for a fascinating historical look at the reverse dynamic in the previous century: https://www.amazon.com/400-Million-Customers-Carl-Crow/dp/0968045901 ).

I think packs would be the last punt I’d take on an unproven product made in a foreign land with tenuous product return routes between that country and my own. But I have taken punts on products made in that same country in other product categories, including shelters. Granted, I bought a 3F UL clone of the old Shangri-La 3, so that risk was mitigated by knowledge of the original. The big risk was in the quality of the reproduction and materials, and given that 3F UL has been making tents for something like 11 years, I trusted small numbers of reviews on this side of the world claiming that their cutting and sewing is good stuff – and it is! That experience gave me the confidence to buy some inner tents and a variety of accessories from them. I haven’t been disappointed by anything from that company.

As far as smaller niche and newer companies in today’s market, my sense is that if the product is innovative or in some other way particularly attractive, it will find a small number of buyers willing to take early risk. That number will then, hopefully, provide trustworthy feedback and reviews to other potential buyers and, if quality and service are there, will allow the cottage to establish itself through sales partially or mostly to foreign shores.

For example, I recently bought an 8-sided DCF pyramid tent for man+dog use from an innovative cottage manufacturer in Xian, China. Jumperhome Studios only does business through a Facebook portal. I’m not even on facebook, but I like octagonal mids so much that I ordered one based on the strength of a small number of reviews posted on the UK UL backpacker forum (trek-like.com). The cutting and bonding appears immaculate. I admire the proprietor’s innovative spirit greatly, and feel satisfaction in supporting his nascent business, so value added there. So, so far this has been a risk worth taking, although there is still hidden risk that won’t be resolved until durability and reliability reveal themselves over time.

He also makes a very cool-looking pack that I’ve been tempted to buy, but having bought 12 packs and returned 9 over the past several years, the odds of that pack suiting me out of the box seem to me pretty slim.