I've had one of these for a while now and here's what I think about it.
First off, this pack will not suit everyone. It is short and there is not much adjustment in the main straps. That said, if you are 5' 10", 44" chest and big shoulders (me) then it fits just fine.
It's narrow too. Narrow enough for me to put both elbows straight back and not touch the pack. I also like that. I find that it sits best with the bottom of the pack sitting in the small of my back. My last pack was a Golite Breeze so minimalist is something I like. (The Breeze was a bit to minimalist!)
I've done a few mods to it to make it better. After one walk with the "hip" belt, out came the knife. The hip belt rides around navel height and just didn't do it for me. I felt there was no benefit in keeping it. The pack doesn't move around much anyway so I very carefully cut the hip belt where the padded section joins the main bag. A couple of passes with a Clipper lighter and the nylon was sealed. I kept the buckle and the retainer loops. The loops I fitted onto the main closure straps to stop them flapping about in the wind. Initially they were a bit too loose but a couple of stitches closed them down a bit and bingo, job done.
Next was the axe retainer. I'm not a lover of elastic so off they came and on went some paracord Reeves knots.
I don't go anywhere that needs an ice axe any more so I designed them to hold my hatchet and they do that well. The bottom of the hatchet handle pokes through the bottom loop which has been shortened. That's one of the nice things on this pack. The loops are part of the main closure straps and are fully adjustable. They will take my fly rod tube no problem at all.
I removed the elastic shockcord from the top of the lid too and made up some paracord lengths that can be added if I need to tie anything on the lid. Shockcord and low branches don't always get on! Been there, remember the bruise!
The lid pocket is huge. It swallows my bird book, monocular, camera, hat, gloves and ditty bag without batting an eye. The zip got a paracord puller as the one that came was not to my taste. There is a key clip sewn in to the lid pocket and I clip the ditty bag closure cord to this so the bag can never be lost
The main bag section is a joy. The new model of this pack comes with all the holes and gubbins for a hydration system. (I never liked this type of arrangement for drinking so off came the drinking tube clip) The main bag has a sleeve for a water bag. This is ace! It lets me put my laplander saw, fire starter kit, FAK in a separate area. On day walks I can also get a bottle of Bud, sandwiches and dog treats in there so they are easily accessible. The rest of the main bag swallows all my gear nicely. I can get a hell of a lot of stuff in there. the side compression straps work well when going from a day pack to an overnighter pack. The top compression strap has a buckle which allows me to fit my tarp easier. I fold it up long ways and it tuck into the outside bottom pockets and stays out of the way. If it's wet, it doesn't soak everything else in the pack. These pockets also hold lengths of paracord, dog treats, empty crisp bags etc
When loaded fully the pack hangs nicely off one shoulder as well as fitted properly. I find it very comfortable once I get the strap length right. It came with a thick removable foam pad which I removed (you seeing a pattern here?). It was too thick and the external padding is more that enough. The empty sleeve now holds my small ground sheet for lunch stops on damp grass.
I love this pack. It does everything I need and does it well. It is really well made, reinforced in all the right places and should last a long time. Anyone who wants a day pack should look at one of these, but I will say this: try before you buy. It will not suit everyone and the belts a laugh, but if it fits then grab one. At£60 it's worth every penny.
First off, this pack will not suit everyone. It is short and there is not much adjustment in the main straps. That said, if you are 5' 10", 44" chest and big shoulders (me) then it fits just fine.
It's narrow too. Narrow enough for me to put both elbows straight back and not touch the pack. I also like that. I find that it sits best with the bottom of the pack sitting in the small of my back. My last pack was a Golite Breeze so minimalist is something I like. (The Breeze was a bit to minimalist!)
I've done a few mods to it to make it better. After one walk with the "hip" belt, out came the knife. The hip belt rides around navel height and just didn't do it for me. I felt there was no benefit in keeping it. The pack doesn't move around much anyway so I very carefully cut the hip belt where the padded section joins the main bag. A couple of passes with a Clipper lighter and the nylon was sealed. I kept the buckle and the retainer loops. The loops I fitted onto the main closure straps to stop them flapping about in the wind. Initially they were a bit too loose but a couple of stitches closed them down a bit and bingo, job done.
Next was the axe retainer. I'm not a lover of elastic so off they came and on went some paracord Reeves knots.
I don't go anywhere that needs an ice axe any more so I designed them to hold my hatchet and they do that well. The bottom of the hatchet handle pokes through the bottom loop which has been shortened. That's one of the nice things on this pack. The loops are part of the main closure straps and are fully adjustable. They will take my fly rod tube no problem at all.
I removed the elastic shockcord from the top of the lid too and made up some paracord lengths that can be added if I need to tie anything on the lid. Shockcord and low branches don't always get on! Been there, remember the bruise!
The lid pocket is huge. It swallows my bird book, monocular, camera, hat, gloves and ditty bag without batting an eye. The zip got a paracord puller as the one that came was not to my taste. There is a key clip sewn in to the lid pocket and I clip the ditty bag closure cord to this so the bag can never be lost
The main bag section is a joy. The new model of this pack comes with all the holes and gubbins for a hydration system. (I never liked this type of arrangement for drinking so off came the drinking tube clip) The main bag has a sleeve for a water bag. This is ace! It lets me put my laplander saw, fire starter kit, FAK in a separate area. On day walks I can also get a bottle of Bud, sandwiches and dog treats in there so they are easily accessible. The rest of the main bag swallows all my gear nicely. I can get a hell of a lot of stuff in there. the side compression straps work well when going from a day pack to an overnighter pack. The top compression strap has a buckle which allows me to fit my tarp easier. I fold it up long ways and it tuck into the outside bottom pockets and stays out of the way. If it's wet, it doesn't soak everything else in the pack. These pockets also hold lengths of paracord, dog treats, empty crisp bags etc
When loaded fully the pack hangs nicely off one shoulder as well as fitted properly. I find it very comfortable once I get the strap length right. It came with a thick removable foam pad which I removed (you seeing a pattern here?). It was too thick and the external padding is more that enough. The empty sleeve now holds my small ground sheet for lunch stops on damp grass.
I love this pack. It does everything I need and does it well. It is really well made, reinforced in all the right places and should last a long time. Anyone who wants a day pack should look at one of these, but I will say this: try before you buy. It will not suit everyone and the belts a laugh, but if it fits then grab one. At£60 it's worth every penny.
