Jansport Carson 90 External Frame Backpack Review

"Good pack for the money. Lots of room and comfortable. The hydration pouch is inconvenient and I don't use it. However, the pack has held up well over many trips. I heard the snaps broke often on early versions, but Jansport seems to have that fixed now."

"Good pack for the money-$75. Held up as well if not better than my son's Kelty.

Positives:
Plenty of storage
Great accessability
Adjustable frame

Negatives:
Need load lifter straps

I purchased this for a BSA Philmont trip. It survived 4 long weekend shakedowns on the AT and a 2 week 65 mile journey in NM. 3 other guys in the crew had this pack and the only issue was losse stiching on a shoulder strap. We stitched it back together on the trail-no worries. It handled weight up to 60 lbs with some sqeeking but if you adjust the frame properly, you can fix that.

Recommendations: Add load lifters to the straps, enlarge the hydration sleve, and create a removal lid that doubles as a waistpack.

If you can get it on the cheap, go for it."

"when i got the pack in the mail i thought it would be great, well at least it looked great. (just goes to show that looks aren't everything). but me and two friends were hiking part of the AT on a 4th of July trip and about eight miles or so into the trip both of my straps snapped at the seams under the enormous weight of approximently 35lbs. So if at all possible avoid buying this pack."

"I bought this pack because it had the features of an internal pack and the frame to attach stuff (I do most of my hiking with my son's Scout troop). The shoulder strap system is very poor on this pack. I've had them break, pop off and just about every other thing imaginable. Its a big pack (5200 cu in), but I've never carried more than 45 pounds, though its rated for more. The I've returned it again."

"My experience was similar to the other reviewers. On my second trip the seams on one shoulder strap broke. I was able to rig it up to work, then the other strap started ripping.

I liked the fit and features of the pack, though.

Avoid this pack unless you're planning on carrying less than 25 pounds."

"I had a similar experience while on a trip to the Teton National Forest this summer. I just got off of the telephone with Jansport's warranty center. They are replacing the shoulder straps free of charge. Hopefully, this will solve the problem. I liked the pack very much otherwise."

"I snapped mine also...but I had a huge load on...around 60 pounds. Jansport replaced them within a few day so cuddos for the excellent service. Now the pack just rocks....it holds over 60 lbs with no problems and is very comfortable. It's huge also."

"After I bought this pack I read the reviews and realized the straps were a problem. I contacted Jansport and they replaced the original straps with re-enforced straps. Jansport did this as a preventative measure. Hats off to Jansports customer service.

I used the pack on a 70 mile hike at Philmont Scount Ranch. The pack performed very well. It was very comfortable, the large frame allowed me to carry a lot of extra gear. No problems with loads in the 50 -60 lb range. I really liked that the main cargo area can be accessed through the back of the pack. This allowed me to reach stuff on the bottom with out unloading the pack.

Great backpack for the price, just make sure you get the re-enforced straps from Jansport."

"I bought the pack after talking to Jansport. All of the new packs are shipped with the revised straps. Jansport says if your pack/ or the one you are buying has metal grommets at the strap connection then you have the new-improved edition. I am very impressed with the features and upgrades provided in this pack. Best pack I could find for me under $100. The hip belt is particularly easy to adjust, especially with the feature for transferring the pack weight to your hips. I\'d buy this pack again."

"I have what must be the anscestor of this pack, made in 1991. One of the staps finally broke (maybe the plastic they used to use broke down slower?). Even after 15 years, the company tells me they will replace the straps under warranty. That's customer service! I still like this pack after all these years because it gives you a lot of freedom in how you pack and tie stuff on."

"Easy to pack with a zip down front panel and two side compartments. Extenal pocket for hydration bladder will keep gear dry if you spring a leak. Waist belt curls, folds and hangs-up in the adjusting clips making it difficult to adjust on the trail. No problem with straps tearing as reported by others,even under a 60# load. Shoulder straps lack stabilizers to adjust tension. Not a bad pack with over 5500 cu.in. and only 5lbs.6oz."

"This is my first "serious" backpack, but I feel I've used it enough and observed others with various backpacks to fairly say this is a really nice backpack.

I really like the large storage space coupled with the ability to unzip the front panel all the way to the bottom. This nice little feature makes getting to anything in your pack a snap. I also like all of the pockets and the pocket for a bladder. I don't know if I would want a pack that wasn't hydration capable after owning this one. There's also a nice space at the bottom of the frame for lashing on a tent or sleeping bag. You've also got a little room at the top if you don't over stuff. The compression straps are a great feature as well. They really do come in handy.The pack is comfortable, lightweight and proved to be pretty stable over tough terrain.

The only thing I've observed in other packs that I wished this one had is load lifter straps (straps that run from the pack to the top of the shoulder). They seem to be pretty handy, but I wouldn't call them a deal breaker. If you've read other reviews you've probably came up on complaints about the shoulder straps breaking. This seems to be an issue on earlier packs but has now been resolved. I bought my pack mid 2004 and it already had the improved straps with metal grommets. If you do happen to come up on a pack with the old rubber, Jansport will replace them for free, so that's not too bad a deal. My pack also squeaks a little, but it's not so bad as to be a nuisance.

Overall I'm very please with this pack and don't regret buying it at all. There are certainly more expensive packs out there, and maybe many that people would consider nicer, but if you're just an average hiker/camper like me, this pack will more than serve your needs. It's been loaded down, tossed around and dunked in the river a couple of times with no real signs of wear yet. I think this pack will probably be with me for a pretty long time.

Buy the Carson and spend that extra money on more gear!"

"I love this bag and all of its packing potential. The front access panel allows me to pack stuff any way i want because I don't have to dig in from the top. The only negative thing about this pack is the that it only has two exterior pockets and if you don't clip them together the flap around while your hiking. I have hiked several trails and I can also say that the built in hydration pack holder has done wonders for me when I was on the trail. It was nice to not have to reach back and try to wrestle with the pack to get my water bottles. All in all though I think this bag is a great investment."

"I bought this pack when I was a dumb and poor 12-year-old with a summer's worth of lawn mowing when it was on sale for $100. All I saw was the price tag and the sheer packing potential of the thing--I didn't know anything else about backpacks.

I am now 16, (I may be young, but I have hiked over 300 miles on the AT and am on the JV basketball and varsity football team--I can hike with the best of them).
I have had this pack for almost 4 years and I am finally fed up with it to the point that I'm buying a different pack.

Although I have to discuss its good points first. The packing potential of this pack is incredible! I've lashed sleeping bags, poles, 8-man tents, and huge rocks in this thing (I didn't pack the last one, my buddies packed it for me while I wasn't looking--it was one of those things where you laugh LATER). Man, you just can't max this thing out. The hipbelt is nice and puffy and comfy and I must say, were there not so many bad points to this, I would have rated it highly.

Unfortunately, there is a dark side to this pack. It is very heavy and very clunky. No matter how tight you trap it to you, you can just feel the pack swaying as you hike. Bending over or going over fallen trees is out of the question, and it so tall that you often catch overhanging branches. There is a bar in the top lip that is way more trouble than its worth. My Camelbak Unbottle bladder doesn't even fit in the hydration bladder sleeve. The front panel access is poorly designed and is more trouble than its worth, and is the stupid little peace of fabric dividing the inside compartment (supposedly a sleeping bag compartment, but why would you include on in an external frame when there is a space to lash a sleeping bag?).

Overall, its just more trouble than its worth. I tried out my friend's internal frame two hikes in a row, and I was instantly converted. They're just so much more comfortable. I would recommend a Marmot Terraplane or Marmot Glacier for those of you with thicker wallets, but for those of you like me (a poor teenager working at MickeyD's) who have to shop around, I would recommend the North Face Crestone 75 (4600 cu in), $160 @ EMS; the Gregory Shasta, $150 @ TravelCountry, or the REI Mars, $195 @ REI.

Whatever you do, do not waste your money on this pack or any other external frame! The trouble is just not worth the money you save, and the extra money to spring for an internal frame is worth every penny in comfort and ease!"

"I bought this pack over three years ago and it has served me well on all kinds of trips.

Some of the knocks on it are true. It does sway quite a bit and it can be unwieldy on tight-quartered trails, but I believe the good outweighs the bad. I took this pack on a two week Alaska trip with loads exceeding 40lbs and it performed like a champ, with more than enough space for all my gear and food.

For the average hiker, I would highly recommend this product"

"I am 6'-4" Tall and carried this pack over 100 miles with a 55 lb. load all over Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. This pack had ample room for all of the required supplies and food. The added benefit of the external frame with some of the features of comparable internal frame packs made this the perfect choice. I would highly recommend this pack to anyone with a similar trek in mind. The pack survived the Amtrak Baggage Handlers like a champ! A member of our Crew had a Kelty External Frame Pack with a Thicker tube bend during the return trip...
Jansport hit the nail on the head with this one!!!"

"This is the fourth backpack I have owned, and by far the best. There are several versions of the Carson pack out there, and it has been on the market for at least 15 years. As pointed out by others, the previous problems with the straps have been fixed, and your straps can in most cases be replaced by the company. (How many do that any more?)

Mine is the Jansport Carson Tall. I chose this great pack after looking at many others, and am very pleased with its excellent construction. Plus I was blessed to find it on close-out sale at a store in Colorado for less than $70! Mine has the metallic grommets on the straps.

I really the light weight of this backpack, and at the same time the cargo space and the quick access to anything inside, in either upper or lower compartments. Having suffered back problems and surgery, I appreciate the comfortable waist support strap (relieves the weight from my back) and the shoulder straps. Also the hydration pack and side pockets are nice.

I give it a hearty "thumbs up"�!

Steve, central old Mexico"

"Most of my backpacking is in Missouri, as a Boy Scout leader, and I bought this back with Philmont in mind.

I love this pack. It's large enough to pack your tent, bag, and pad on the inside most of the time, but if you need some extra room, putting all that on the outside gives me more space that I could fill with gear and still carry. My biggest complaint is that it's just too big for an overnight trip.

I bought mine online, having never seen one in person, and was surprised by a few things:
1) the lid isn't designed to be removable and used a daypack, but you can take it off. It wouldn't be hard to add a couple of buckles to make it removable.
2) The two upper side pockets are not sewn onto the side of the pack -- the back edge is sewn onto the back of the pack, and the upper two cinch straps across the front of the pack also connect the side pockets to each other. It's not a bad design, just not what I got from the picture.

It really is like an internal frame pack sewn onto a frame, giving you the best of both worlds (accessibility and cinchibility or an internal, volume and coolest of the external).

I was disappointed in the hydration bladder sleeve. It's just a fabric pocket with no support for the bladder, and there's not quite enough room between the frame and your back for most bladders. Instead, I use it store my maps (keeps them flat!), and am able to reach one of the side pockets with my pack on to get my water (but I'm flexible).

Overall, I'm very pleased with the pack, and have recommended it to other scout leaders."