Patagonia Refugio Review

Features
The Patagonia Refugio is tailor-made for handy travel organization. It has a sleeve that will hold a hydration bladder, with a unique hose port in the center of the pack rather than on the side, or this same padded sleeve will perfectly hold a 15-17 inch laptop. It has a microfiber pocket on the top especially to keep sunglasses from getting crunched or scratched, and in the front compartment there is a pocket perfectly sized for an iPhone and other organizational pockets to hold pens, headphone, keys, etc. It has a really easy to access and stash front pocket that is ideal for items like tickets or wallets, and two stretchy water bottle pockets on the sides.

Though this pack is perfect for bringing to school or work, it will also work well for hiking, and its size is perfect for bringing along the ten essentials. The main downside is that it does not have a waist belt. It does have a sternum strap with an included whistle, but if you load up the pack, the lack of waist belt makes it less stable and more uncomfortable for hiking.

Weight
At 1 lb 11 oz., the Refugio weighs almost the same as the Osprey Talon 22 and the REI Trail 25, yet is has a slightly larger volume of 28 liters. For a pack loaded with features, this seems reasonable.

Comfort
The back panel of the Refugio is padded and slightly meshy, so it breathes decently well, and is cushioned on your spine. It is not nearly as breathable as the packs with innovative panel designs such as the Osprey Talon, Osprey Stratos, or Gregory Z30. The lack of waist belt makes it less comfortable when loaded heavy.

Versatility
The Patagonia Refugio is a very versatile pack, being useful for sporting activities or as a briefcase or school bag. This pack transitions into around town use better than the other more sport-specific featured packs in this review such as the Deuter Speed Lite and Osprey Stratos, and transitions to hiking use better than the slightly heavier and more expensive North Face Recon.

Durability
With a padded base and 840-denier 100 percent ballistics nylon, this pack is ultra durable. Everything on this pack is solidly stitched and put together, so it will hold up to extended hard use, plus it comes with Patagonia's amazing guarantee.

Ease of Use
Our editors love that this pack fits a laptop, and love that in the middle compartment there is another phone-specific pocket for the iPhone. These easy to use features make this pack ideal for traveling when you need to carry all your important items at once.

In our packing test, this pack fit everything easily with some extra space. The Refugio has the most clever organizational pockets, which made stowing the small, important items easier and more intuitive than in the other packs.

Best Application
Though the Patagonia Refugio would work well for hiking and other sports, it seems tailored to travel and around town use. Laptop compatibility, special pockets for pens, an iPhone, and even a microfiber pocket for sunglasses, and the lack of a waist belt all seem to add up to being the perfect pack to bring with you while flying or on a trip.

Value
At around $85, the Refugio is slightly cheaper than the Osprey packs, and a little more expensive than the deal on the REI Trail 25. If you are on a budget but want a little more organization or sturdiness, this pack would be the next step up from the REI pack.