Review: Granite Rocx "The Tahoe" Backpack

Last week I was sent "The Tahoe" backpack from Granite Rocx. It's a Backpack Cooler.

The Tahoe with a chair strapped to it.


This is where the chair goes in The Tahoe - it's padded between you and your stuff!


Room for more below The Tahoe (in my case, a tripod!).


Here's the kicker: there's a cooler attached to it that can hold a 12 pack. Fantastic.
And it's detachable with 3 quick buckles.

This would have been a nice-sized backpack with good features for when Pharmie and I went running / hiking at the Superstition Mountains a few years ago. Here's a shot of me wearing a cruddy backpack on that hike:

Click here for the rest of that post.

And it would have been perfect for our run to Hoover Dam when we went to Vegas in January:

Both of us along Lake Mead on the trail to Hoover Dam with my cruddy backpack on.
Click here for a lot of fun photos from that post.

Here I am wearing The Tahoe this morning:

With the 2 front straps buckled. (And you can see my sweet "No Shave November" beard.)

And here's my 2-year-old wearing it as he played with his tractors:

You can see how nicely the detachable cooler sits on the backpack.

I found 2 reviews on Amazon (it's a newer product), and here are parts of them that I found helpful:

It easily fits all that fun stuff along with, including my all-important beer stash. And the chair to sit and drink it in. Used refrigerator ice at first in the cooler and it leaked a bit. Ice in a Ziploc was an easy fix. Finally upgraded to store bought ice packs. I most def plan on using it on the mountain this year to carry my gear, as well as beers for the lift :) Very pleased with this backpack and the use I'm getting out if it.

Here's part of another one that's helpful:

Pros:
-Offers everything you find in a name brand pack at a cheaper price.
-Pack is a comfortable fit on shoulders.
-Cooler is detachable. Which is nice for long hikes where weight is important.
-Plenty of pockets to carry other items then a chair.
-Cooler keeps beer really cold on fishing trips.
-When chair is in pack you don't even feel the weight of it.
-Like having options for attaching a cylinder chair or tent to bottom of pack.
-Built to last.

Cons:
-Shoulder straps can start to hurt on longer hikes. As the straps do not have thick padding like an overnight pack.
-Zippers occasionally get stuck on fabric.

So here's my own PRO and CON list:

PRO:
• Detachable cooler. Need I say more?
• Room for rolled-up gear on the bottom.
• Good shoulder padding.
• A waist strap AND chest strap to keep the pack against you when doing more strenuous hiking, etc.
• There's a nice bit of extra padding right above the ass area - helpful when REALLY packed up.
• Did I mention a detachable cooler? I'll just throw that in again...

CON:
• It's heavier for a "little" backpack. (But you can store a lot in it.)

I'd say this would be good for hiking and taking a day trip. It'd be too small as your ONLY pack for camping unless you were a very efficient packer. I'd LOVE to use it on easy runs / hikes / outings like our trip to the Superstition Mountains and our run along Lake Mead on the Historic Railroad Trail. So if you're interested, check out "The Tahoe" backpack from Granite Rocx.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received "The Tahoe" backpack for free from Granite Rocx as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations in consideration for review publication. But they didn't ask me / tell me to say any of this - all of these thoughts are my own.