Campground Review

The area near Woods Canyon Lake has multiple campgrounds and is a very popular summer getaway because of the cooler weather, lake access, beautiful views, and hiking trails. Because of this, the campgrounds are usually full on the weekends and I highly suggest reservations on recreation.gov. Aspen in particular has 148 campsites of which only 27 are first come first served. The closer sites in Aspen are about half a mile walk from the boat dock and store while the farthest are around a mile walk. There is parking at the lake but it is always packed so plan to walk or use the overflow parking lot, which is about a quarter mile away. The roads and the driveways are paved which makes parking, driving, and walking through the campground very easy.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that even with 148 sites most of them had a decent amount of space in between. We camped with friends and reserved two spaces hoping to have some space for the kids to play without disturbing the neighbors and we could have easily only reserved one. We found very little trash on the ground from the previous occupants and the sites seemed to have fairly level clearings for tents. Each site had a metal fire pit with a fold over adjustable grill grate. There was also a standalone BBQ and a picnic table. Most of the driveways were surrounded by large boulders so depending on the length of your RV or trailer you should pay attention to the length of the driveway when you make reservations as you may not have room to hang over the end or bring an extra vehicle.

There were bathroom buildings and water faucets throughout the facility and there was hardly ever a line. The bathrooms have both a men’s and women’s side and were always stocked with toilet paper and relatively clean. Aspen has a weird design and there is only one single lane to exit the campground. This is also where the dumpsters are located so on our way out on Sunday morning there was a line of cars parked in the road blocking traffic while they threw out their trash.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this trip, I tested the Matador Beast28 Packable Technical Backpack. Matador has put some nice features on the backpack but has left a few things to be improved on. I am going to start with some of the pros:

• Lightweight – This backpack weighs 1.14lbs which is very light! The material is very thin but seems to be resistant to wear and tear. They have also cut the weight and bulk by making the straps out of a lightweight breathable mesh.
• Pockets – The backpack has a lid pocket and a bottom pocket can hold some of your favorite small items to keep them from getting lost in main area. The bottom pocket claims to be a storage space for the compression sack but I have been using it for a beanie or other small items. There is a front stash pocket with expandable compression straps and two smaller side pockets.
• Daisy Chains – When space is at a premium, it is nice to be able to clip some extra gear on the outside of the pack. I have been using a carabineer to hang the compression sack from the daisy chains giving me a little extra storage space. There are two gear loops towards the top of the backpack that work perfect for hanging a solar panel when you are out. This is where the expandable compression straps come in handy. They hold some of the weight of the gear you loop on the daisy chains and keep the extra pressure off the zipper.
• Main Compartment Access – The main storage area on the backpack has a clamshell design so it opens down both sides and the top giving you easy access to the entire compartment.
• Hydration Compatible – I am a big fan of being able to carry a hydration bladder instead of just water bottles that tend to sweat all over everything. The backpack has easy to use generic clips that should allow you to use any brand bladder without issues.
• Compression Sack – So many times, you buy something with a compression bag and you cannot ever get it back in. This backpack actually rolls down really well and can be put back in the back for easy travel or storage. The sack also double as extra storage space when hung from the daisy chains on the front.

With all that being said here are some areas I think Matador could have improved the Beast28:

• Pockets – The side pockets on the backpack are great for smaller items like a map or a cell phone but are very small and won’t hold a water bottle any larger than a disposable plastic bottle (even then it was a tight fit). They have a bit of stretch to them but not a lot. The other pocket that I felt could be improved is the external stash on the front. The pocket is not stretchy at all and that seems to limit it to a small book, map, or GPS.
• Compression Straps – The compression straps go more to the side than to the top so it’s a little awkward to try to roll up a jacket or blanket to put in that area. I have done it but it would have made more sense to put them closer to the top. Especially since they are already kind of the way when you want to try to access the main storage area. In addition, if you choose not to utilize that area or the daisy chains then they do not serve much functional purpose but cannot be left undone otherwise you have extra material loose and swinging around.
• Capacity Rating – I am not sure if this backpack is too small or my other backpack is too big but my other pack is rated at 18 liters and hold easily 1.3 times what the Beast28 (with a 28 liter capacity) holds.

Overall, I am happy with the Beast28. It is working well as a more capable day pack than what I have been using and allows me to carry a full hydration bladder, lunch, snacks, and a few layers of clothing for the varying weather conditions. It is super light and compresses down so it’s easy to throw in my bag for longer trips but still capable of being used for more technical outings. I have highlighted a few things that I think Matador could improve on but none of them are notable enough to keep me away from using this as my primary day pack moving forward.