Water Absorption Test - Kolob Pack (2023?)

May 22, 2023. Mount Carmel UTAH

A query on the Interwebs prompted me to run an experiment to see how much water a well-used Imlay Kolob Pack absorbs in use. Why well-used? - A. I have several laying about; B. New packs, new fabric, has a DWR coating that minimizes water absorption, but which wears off fairly quickly with use - thus the more-fair test is with a well-used pack; C. If I used a new pack, that pack would no longer be new and saleable as such. So I used a pack from a couple years ago that is well-broken-in.

PROCEDURE

  1. Weigh the pack dry.

  2. Soak the pack in water for at least an hour. I use an old cooler filled with water, and weight the pack down so it is almost entirely underwater - a small part of the shoulder straps and of the hipbelt were breaking the surface.

  3. Pull the pack out and hang it up to drain surface water for 5 to 6 minutes.

  4. Weigh the pack wet.

RESULTS

Dry pack weight was 3 lb 10 oz. The pack did not have a frame so the real, complete dry weight = 4 lb 1 oz

Wet pack weight was 5 lb 10 oz. Add the frame and the weight would be 6 lb 1 oz.

Water absorbed by the pack in this test is 2 lb 0 oz - to the nearest oz.

COMMENT

The current USA sewn 2023 Kolob is a little bit lighter at 3 lb 14 oz with frame.


Tom Jones