Customer Reviews Mystery Ranch Coulee 50

Flaw: I have 25l, 60l, and 100l packs by different manufacturers as well. I expect the bottom cinch straps to function as attachment for a tent or bedroll beneath the pack. This is inexplicably impossible on the coulee 50 due to short straps. My 2-person backpacking tent minus poles is too fat to be attached this way. They could have just used a tiny bit more cheap 3/4" strap to allow this, or omitted the straps as they serve no function as-is. The straps are long enough to go around a skinny tent pole bag at most. Very weird oversight. Fixed this by adding 3/4" D-rings to the straps so I can attach a tent or bedroll with cordage.

I have been using Mystery Ranch for over a decade when I got the first one issued to me in the Navy. I got this Coulee 50 bag to use for week long work trips and have only used it one time to the Middle East. It was super comfortable to wear through the airports and out in the field. I love the hip straps and pockets. The hip pockets weee Super convenient to hold my passports and all my snacks. Side and back pockets held everything from water bottles, headphone cases and sandals as well as wet and dirty cloths. My favorite feature is the Y zip for east access to the internal compartments. Even east when going through TSA checks for random searches.

My wife bought the woman's Coulee 50 about a month ago. I liked it so much that I also got one. We recently used our Coulee packs on a backpacking trip in the Sierras (John Muir Wilderness). They are without a doubt the most comfortable, well-designed and executed backpacks either of us has ever used. They are easy to open for easy access to the contents. The belt pockets are immense, easily holding a small camera and other gear needed during the day. Dialing in a perfect fit is easy and quick. We did not use the interior hydration sleeve because a 2-liter hydration bladder fits perfectly in either of the side pockets. I used it instead for stowing my wallet and book. I was able to get an incredible amount of gear inside my pack, including a 2-person tent, 20-degree sleeping bag, Therma Rest inflatable mattress, Bear Vault BV 475, microspikes, and extra clothing. That's incredible for a 50-liter pack. Super happy we both got this wonderful pack.

Suspension feels fantastic. Best hip belt in the business. Seems like it could carry a pretty heavy load out although at 50L I'm not sure how to get that heavy unless you're carrying rocks. Perfect amount of pockets for my needs. Great size for 3 season weekenders as long as you can split the load with someone else. (Or if you have tiny solo gear I suppose.) If I had to carry a lot of water this might not work but I can get a 1 liter Nalgene in each side pocket - plenty for Colorado hiking. Nice durable material but not overboard so it's still pretty light. I sometimes wish the brain and body were a touch bigger, but this forces me to not overpack and that's a good thing. It also makes a perfect summit pack for mid-trip ascents. Still - fingers crossed for a 60 liter version someday.

I purchased the Coulee 50 to replace a '90s Dana Designs Terraplane. That pack is still going strong, but it cannot compete with the weight of the new packs. I just returned from a trip in the Tetons after a bunch of training done with the Coulee. The adjustable yoke allowed for a great fit, is very comfortable and the pack really hugs my back. I love the simplicity of the pack with the pockets on the back to stuff a jacket and side pockets to store an umbrella. The waist belt pockets are big enough for a phone, snacks, sunscreen or whatever small items I wanted to stuff in them. I put a 2.5l bladder in the sleeve. I also purchased the wingman hydro to carry a Katydyn Befree bottle. The sleeping bag compartment easily handled my bag with a little stuffing and created a nice base for the pack. The sage color looks really good as well. I did a few long days with the Coulee carrying about 30 lbs and had no issues with it. Would recommend to anyone looking for a simple pack capable of carrying gear for a multi day mission comfortably. Only cons are that a few straps are a bit long, particularly the waist. I am 5'10 and 145 lbs. I have the S/M. 19" torso and 33" at the hips.

I bought this pack about a month ago for Search and Rescue. My team responds to both urban and wilderness rescues and I needed a big enough bag to carry my personal gear along with extra team gear that we may need for a rope rescue. At the same time I need a pack that I can fill with extra clothes to keep subjects warm in an urban setting without having an expedition sized pack. The Coulee 50 is the perfect pack. It easily handles bigger, bulkier items that don't seem to fit in other teammates' packs and because it's so easy to customize the fit of the Coulee, I can make small adjustments on the fly as necessary. My only regret is that I waited this long to buy my first Mystery Ranch pack; it definitely won't be my last.

excellent pack; extremely easy to get into it! I replaced a 15 yr old Gregory pack of similar size with a Coulee 50; I have not had a chance to do much hiking with it, but it feels very comfortable, and fits perfectly into the overhead bin on planes. Just need to find a water bladder for it

Mystery Ranch makes the most amazing products. I had initially bought an older Coulee 40 from another site but after one trip I realized I needed something with a bit more space and more features for lashing things on the outside. Boy did they do an upgrade. The added sleeping bag section is awesome (though I would love if they upgraded even further to one of their buckled expanding zippers I've seen on some of their larger packs). While I have only used this backpack in two trips so far, I am excited to see where it takes me. I have a good feeling this will be the last backpack I purchase for a while. Thank you Mystery Ranch!

This bag is amazing for hiking. I use it currently as a rope and medical bag for the fire department for long distance rescue can't say enough how amazing this brand is.

I've had the scree for a few years and it's been great for everything from camping, hiking and traveling! (Fits perfectly under the seat in front of you). Now I have a trip to the Grand canyon and needed a bitore space. I've already tried it on and it feels marvelous. I expect it will be just as awesome as the scree but more capacious.

This is a really great pack! It is a great quality, and I expect it will be the last pack I will ever need to buy. It will probably last a lifetime. It is also a really good design. The hip-belts are very easily removed, which is really nice when packing light. And the pack's ability to adjust in any way to fit perfectly is also wonderful. I only have one very slight complaint. There are two fiberglass rods in the pack that give rigidity for more weight, but they can be removed if you want less rigidity for a lighter load. The smaller models I have seen had Velcro at one end of the rods for easy removal and reinsertion. In this model, while they can still be removed, there is no Velcro, so you need to use a little bit of strength to remove and reinsert them. While this is not a big problem, it would be nice if it were easier to remove and reinsert those rods. Aside from that, this is an absolutely amazing pack! Mystery Ranch also had an incredible customer service and super fast shipping. I am thoroughly impressed with the company and their products.

Best review will be after 2150 Appalachian Trail thru-hike

The Coulee 50 is a great pack. Good size, rides well, lots of adjustment points for how it carries and how it packs. But a few cons : - The carry system is very comfortable but it gets really hot, especially on the mid-back and hips. - the bottom zipper pocket is pretty tight so it's a bit hard to get things in and out. - the two long pockets along the main zip taper as it's goes down so not really usable for water bottles, more for tent poles or other long, narrow items. That said, some great pros : - Again, carry system is very comfortable, sits well on the shoulders and the hip pockets are actually usable when carried. - the triple zip design is still a fantastic feature, can get full access to the whole pack or specific sections with ease. - compresses very well and holds pretty good amount of equipment/weight

The overall construction of the bag is second to none. The removable waist strap is a great feature and is easy to use. My favorite part of the coulee 50 is the number and size variety of pockets. Despite not having a chance to rigorously test the pack, I know mystery ranch provides a quality product that will withstand the toughest conditions.