u/chefwilbrod

Recently camped at Balsam Lake Eco-Sites and wanted to provide a trip report. The 6 eco-sites are walk-in only and various distances from the parking lot, but all within a 5 min walk. The sites themselves are very private. E4 was my site and I didn’t hear or see anybody the entire time. You definitely get the backcountry feel but with your vehicle/other amenities close by if needed.

Each site has a tent pad, fire pit and picnic table. The tent pads are a bit small and didn’t fit my 3 person, so I ended up pitching my tent on the ground away from the pad. There are also food lockers, garbage bins and a water tap in the area.

The trails in the park are well maintained but were quite mucky after some rainy days. Definitely check for ticks after hitting the trail. Mosquitoes were pretty bad in some sections of the park too.

All-in-all a great experience for anyone trying Backcountry style camping without wanting to jump into a longer distance hike

Today is a good day. PSA that the KAKWA 55 is back in-stock for Canada warehouse. Not sure if email notifications are working because I never received one.

Just snagged the M torso S/M belt and I’m already waiting for the post man. Cheers Dan.

EDIT: Notification came in minutes after posting

I’ve had my eye on the Kakwa 55 for quite a while now and am patiently awaiting the June restock. One question I continue to ponder is if the Kakwa is fit for someone who isn’t truly Ultralight and is more of a weekend warrior when it comes to backpacking trips.

For reference, I typically do 1-3 night backcountry camping trips in Ontario. I don’t take minimizing my base weight too seriously. Usually 21-25lbs with shoulder season being closer to 25-28lbs. With that being said it’s not unreasonable for my total pack weight to push mid-30lbs.

For the sake of conversation, I’ve looked into various Osprey and Gregory packs in the 55L neighbourhood. I love the features they come with but I still keep coming back to the Kakwa. Supporting Canadian is of some importance to me and I do love the customer service and communication I’ve seen coming from Dan and the Durston crew.

TL;DR - looking to hear about experiences using the Kakwa 55 as a more traditional backcountry camping backpack.