The Camelbak Portola: For the Woman on the Move

Camelbak may be better known for its high performance hydration packs, but it has also developed a number of alternative products which are more specialized. These range from water bottles to day packs and various models and lines are designed to be used in different conditions, from the winter to swimming in the water. The Camelbak Portola falls into the classification of a specific niche pack; specifically it is designed in all respects to serve as an effective day pack for women whether hiking in the hills or walking across town.

Of course the first question that most people ask is ‘What makes this backpack different from any other?’ and/or ‘What makes this backpack specifically designed for women?’ The answer to both of these questions relate to the basic design of the pack, its harness, and the straps. The basic harness – of moulded foam – is designed to curve with a woman’s body as opposed to the very different curves found on a man’s back. Further, the basic straps – and especially the sternum strap – are set at different levels, which makes it much more practical for women to wear since the chests of men and women differ significantly. Finally, the pack is designed to have less vertical height in favour of increased horizontal space, which works well with shorter or smaller torsos.

The end result is a product that works much better for women than for men and is considerably more comfortable, allowing a woman to carry more cargo – and heavier cargo – considerably easier than is the case with a non-specific basic back pack. The reviews available indicate that most women that have used the Camelbak Portola agree that the pack is considerably more comfortable, thereby validating Camelbak’s reputation for successfully developing niche products for very specialized markets. Needless to say, the Camelbak Portola is just one of a wide range of products that Camelbak has designed specifically for women. The chief complaint seems to be that the pack is only available in a floral pattern or a black/burgundy colour scheme as opposed to other options.

Initially the goal was create an outdoor pack, designed more for hiking than serving as an around-the-town day pack, but this soon changed. A number of customers that initially bought the packs designed for hiking – which came with its own dedicated water bottle system – began using the Camelbak Portola as a regular day-to-day pack. This led to a redesign of the Camelbak Portola with more of an emphasis on around town applications. In particular this meant converting a portion of the bag into a laptop bag. Most of the Camelbak Portola versions available on the market today reflect this change and have a large padded compartment designed specifically for laptops as well as other pockets designed for power cable and other accessories. 

With about twenty-nine litres of storage space, a number of well organized and reinforced compartments as well as oversized pocks and sleeves meant for larger gear; the Camelbak Portola is an excellent bag for the modern woman on the move.  Further, Camelbak has replaced the Portola with a number of other bags designed specifically for women, so as a discontinued product the Camelbak Portola is considerably more affordable than some of the successor packs being sold actively by Camelbak.