My Fisher Trekker Space Pen has been a permanent fixture on my key chain for years now and I love it, but when I saw the new Fisher Space Pen Backpacker (via JetPens) I thought that maybe it might be time for an upgrade. If nothing else I just liked the visual of the blue with black accents, so into my cart it went, without much worry knowing how much I loved my other one.
My only real concern when I purchased my new Fisher Space Pen Backpacker was that the length might be longer than the Fisher Trekker Space Pen that I’ve been hauling around. With that said, I was relieved to see that when it arrived the size looked VERY similar. The reality is that if you stand these two pens side by side, the Fisher Space Pen Backpacker is slightly longer, but so slight that I don’t even have a good way to measure. According to the Fisher Space Pen website, the Backpacker measures 3.92″ and the Fisher Trekker measures 3.875″ meaning that the Backpacker is 0.045″ longer. These measurements are as pictured above, with the pens closed and how you would keep them on a key chain or elsewhere.
There are two major differences between the Fisher Space Pen Backpacker and the Fisher Trekker Space Pen. Fist is the size and functionality of the cap. On the Backpacker, the cap is almost twice as long, which results in a more comfortable pen to hold and write with. Its also worth noting that on the backpacker the cap also posts, unlike the Trekker. Now if you keep this mounted to a key chain then you most likely aren’t going to be writing with the cap posted so it may be a moot point. The other major difference is the grip. On the Trekker its a blocky rubber grip while on the Backpacker its a smooth metal (the JetPens website says rubber but I disagree) surface with a curved shape to it. The grip is also just a hair longer on the Backpacker too.
If you do like to write with the cap posted and want to keep this on a key chain, you can do what I’ve done, which is to attach the pen to your key ring with these awesome little Nite Ize Key Rak S Biners (via Amazon) that come in handy for many uses.
Here is a quick look at the Fisher Space Pen Backpacker with the cap posted. In this mode, the Backpacker measures 5 and 7/16″ long. If you don’t include the key ring, the full tip to tip measurement is 6 and 1/16″.
When I pulled the Fisher Space Pen Backpacker out of the box, I immediately noticed that it felt like it weighed significantly less than the Trekker, so I had to break out the scale. With the refill inserted in the pen, it weighs in at 5.21 oz.
With the refill inserted, the Fisher Space Pen Backpacker weighs only 0.395 oz. Maybe I was onto something about it feeling so much lighter than the Fisher Trekker Space pen, so lets take a look and compare.
So here is the weight of the Fisher Trekker Space Pen, and sure enough, at 0.710 oz, its 0.189 oz lighter than the Trekker when both have an ink cartridge inserted. It might sound crazy, but that 0.189 oz is very noticeable when you pick them up, and if you are carrying this around every day its something to take into consideration.
If you take out the refill, the Fisher Trekker Space Pen comes in at .601 oz as you can see above. Probably not realistic that you would be carrying it around with no ink in it, but I wanted to share so there was a baseline and apples to apples comparison for each.
Everyone probably has had their own experiences with the durability and great writing experience with the Fisher Space Pen, so if you like them, this new Backpacker version is definitely worth it if you are looking for a key chain, back pack, or purse option. I’m curious to see how it holds up to a few years of being banged around in my pocket with my car keys and every day use. The Trekker held up well, but took a couple dents and scratches as you can see, so I’ll have to revisit this pen sometime in…2020? I would highly recommend grabbing a Fisher Space Pen Backpacker (via JetPens) but the only problem is they seem to be sold out in every color right now, but don’t fret, JetPens has a link on each one where you can sign up to be emailed as soon as they are back in stock. Thanks to JetPens for sponsoring the blog here, and for providing this pen for review as part of their sponsorship. Obviously the sponsorship has no impact on my providing my honest feelings about the pen so far.
©2017, Brian Greene. All rights reserved.
