Review of Women's LLBean Celia Daypack

I bought a ladies Celia daypack by LLBean in Spring 2006. I had been looking for something to replace my Marmot Diva daypack. It was at that point I was going back to water bottles and leaving my hydration bladders behind. I needed a pack that fit well, could haul gear round, fit snowshoes on the back, and had pockets for bottles. And yes, I did get it in Powder Blue:

When the Celia had come out not long before that, I was interested in it. It was an all ladies pack, with no male version. It had much to offer:

An excellent price of $59. Yes, $59!

The small is 1700 ci, perfect for long trips.
Excellent bungie cording on the back.
Deep mesh water bottle pockets (with keepers, and easy to access bottles).
Built in pack cover (which works well!).
Good suspension.
A good amount of useful pockets.
Hybrid loading (top and side access).
Built in whistle.
Generous hip belt.
Hip belt pocket.
Choice of torso sizes (3 sizes! From 15" to 21").
Choice of color.

When I dayhike, it is often long days, with good miles. In winter we snowshoe, where at times we need to be able to strap our snowshoes on the packs. In summer I carry extra gear when in alpine, in case of storms. So often I am carrying 15-20 lbs of weight. I may backpack UL, but dayhiking rarely is!

It has now been a year and a quarter since that shiny good smelling pack arrived at my house. After many miles, many trips and a 5 day backpacking trip on the PCT, I can say this: It is a great pack. Well made, designed to take a beating and to handle being abused.

On the PCT, carrying a UL pack load of 22 lbs for 5 days:

The pack is very dirty, covered in ground in mud, grass, and sweat. Yet, the pack itself has a long life ahead.

Downsides?
The hipbelt pocket is black material, so in summer you will get melted snack items.  If you do carry more than 15 lbs, you will feel the weight a bit. Over 20 lbs, your neck will twinge. But, I'll say this: it is a daypack, not a pack donkey pack. I am sure most ladies don't use it for a backpacking pack like I did! For normal trips this pack is very comfortable and rides perfectly. I often don't feel like I am wearing a pack.