Arete 14 Pack vs Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L: which is safer?
REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
CamelBak
Arete 14 Pack
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleCoating degradation and microplastic shedding
Our pick
REI Co-op
Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleUV degradation and additive leaching
PossibleMicroplastics from mechanical wear
PossibleOdor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Coating degradation and microplastic shedding on the CamelBak and not on the REI Co-op.
- We flag UV degradation and additive leaching, Microplastics from mechanical wear and Odor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing on the REI Co-op and not on the CamelBak.
- The CamelBak is Nylon pack with durable water-repellent (DWR) coating where the REI Co-op is Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the REI Co-op is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the CamelBak grade, at 35% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More waterproof outdoor gear storage bags: see the full ranking