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* New lightweight bags for protecting your pack during air travel that tuck into their own pocket for compact storage.

Color: Grey

Fabric 210D ripstop nylon

"A prudent person foresees danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. - Proverbs 27:12"

— CHARLES, SRO FOUNDER & FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT.

210D Ripstop Nylon

Lightweight and durable air-travel protection

Self-Stuffing Design

Tucks into its own pocket for compact storage

Pack Protection

Shields backpacks from baggage-handling damage on flights

The numbers, flat and honest.

Color Grey
Fabric 210D ripstop nylon
Storage Design Tuck into their own integrated pocket for compact carry
Primary Use Protect your pack during air travel
⸻ The SRO Standard

WHY YOU’RE BUYING FROM STAY READY.

We aren’t the Amazon of survival. We’re a small, opinionated shop that carries gear we’d stake our own lives on — and we back every piece with real support.

01

Curated

Every brand we carry has been vetted in the field by our team. If it doesn’t pass our 30-day use test, we don’t stock it.

02

Authenticated

Factory-direct from authorized dealers. No grey-market, no refurb, no knockoffs. Your warranty is real.

03

Supported

Real humans on phone, text, and email — seven days a week. We carry this gear ourselves and we stand behind it.

04

American

HQ in California. Orders ship from our US warehouse. US-based customer care.

BALANCE PACKS & ULTRALIGHT GEAR

Explore more. Carry less. Ergonomic balance packs from Whidbey Island.

Light Hiking Gear is run by Rich and Genie Murphy out of Whidbey Island, Washington — devoted users of lightweight, comfortable packs who built a business around the gear they'd want on their own trails. They carry Aarn balance packs, Couloir ski and alpine packs, and Conifer trekking packs, all built around scientific load distribution and unisex sizing by body measurement rather than gender. The North American operation started in late 2016 (originally as Aarn-USA) and rebranded to Light Hiking Gear in late 2022.

  • Run by Rich and Genie Murphy on Whidbey Island, Washington
  • North American operations since late 2016
  • Aarn balance packs, Couloir ski packs, Conifer trekking packs
  • Scientifically-balanced load distribution design
  • Unisex sizing based on individual body measurements

Answers, straight up.

Product-specific questions on the left. Shopping with SRO on the right. Both open-ended — hit us if we missed one.

Shopping with SRO
How long does shipping take?

Most orders process within 1–3 business days from our warehouse. From there: 5–7 business days economy, 2–3 business days expedited, or overnight if you need it fast. Free economy shipping on orders over $150 (contiguous US). Alaska, Hawaii, and Pro Eagle / freight items are quoted at checkout. You’ll get a tracking number and link the moment your order ships.

What’s your return policy?

30 days from the day your order arrives. Gear has to come back unused, with all original tags, stickers, and packaging intact. For standard items we’ll send a prepaid return label and deduct return shipping from your refund. Oversized or freight returns are on you, unless the item showed up damaged, defective, or wrong — in which case we cover it.

Refunds hit your original payment method within 10 business days of approval.

What can’t I return?

Final-sale items, gift cards, food and drink products, personal-care items, anything customized or engraved, briefs (hygiene), and hazardous materials. If you’re not sure whether something qualifies, email us before you order — we’ll tell you straight.

Do you ship outside the contiguous US?

Yes. Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories ship on freight-quoted rates calculated after checkout. International orders are available worldwide at variable rates; duties and import fees are the customer’s responsibility. EU customers get a 14-day cancellation window per EU consumer law, on top of our standard return policy.

My package arrived damaged — what now?

Email info@stayreadyoutdoors.com within 7 days of delivery with your order number and clear photos of the damage (product + packaging). We’ll replace, refund, or ship a return label on us — no back-and-forth. Damaged, defective, or wrong-item claims never cost you shipping.

Can I talk to a human before buying?

Yes. Email info@stayreadyoutdoors.com — we answer every message ourselves, usually within a few hours during business days. We carry this gear, we use this gear, and we’d rather talk you out of a kit that doesn’t fit your mission than sell you the wrong one.

Do you offer a military/first-responder discount?

Yes. Active-duty and veteran military, police, fire, EMS, and medical first responders get 10% off every order. Verify through GovX at checkout — one-time, secure, and reusable across thousands of brands. Discount applies automatically once you’re verified.