+ ADD REPLY! mighty_misguided says: Oh my Lowe Alpine 55 10 and I have a love-hate relationship! Let me start by saying simply, I\'ve loved this pack aesthetically from the first moment I started researching for a new extended trip pack. Another fabulous plus about this pack is that its incredibly comfortable, even completely loaded down with about 50lbs. I\'ve never had more of an issue about comfort than adjusting a couple straps easily cured. The materials are of Lowe Alpine standards of course, being highly durable and lightweight. Truly everything is great about this pack.....except two things: 1) Top Loaders. I hate them. My first pack was an internal framed panel loader and wow it lasted me such a long time, but I SAW this back, and it was a bit bigger so I bought it and sold the REI pack for nearly 75% of what I paid for it new. Man, that is a decision I regretted the first time I had to sort through my things 50,000 times while on a 10 day trip. What a pain in the ass! It\'s a live and learn situation. Being that I\'ve been backcountry packing for close to 20 years, I know we learn from these experiences and I tell you now, that after buying this beautiful pack, I will never purchase another top loader again. 2) Toooo-ooo-ooo-oo small. Great fit, but if you\'re a solo packer like me, you know you are carrying all the gear and you can\'t depend on someone else to carry the tent. This pack is reason numero uno why I switch over to sleeping in a hammock rather than inside a tent....you simply can\'t fit the bloody thing into your pack, including a sleeping bag, mess kit, food, clothes, etc, etc.....you can\'t...I\'ve tried, multiple times. Even if you\'re going without the tent and only packing a hammock, you will be tight on space trips extending beyond 4 days. I\'ve done it bare minimums, fuel, food, clothing, gear....it\'s always tight. Just came back from Europe after traveling for two months and you know....it was okay, meaning it withstood alot of \"urban\" abuses well, but it was JAMMED full, and I could rarely buy souvenirs for my family because simply I hadn\'t the room to fit everything. You can add saddle bags sure, but in general I just feel this pack is a bit small for trips extending longer than 5 days.....you really have to choose what is most important to take, and for me, since I do a lot of solo traveling...I prefer being safe than sorry, so I tend to take a bit more food, and first aid. All in all....this is a great pack for the long weekender and maybe if you plan to travel abroad to one specific country instead of in a region, such as Eastern Europe.
+ ADD REPLY! Bazza says: Brilliant NZ designed pack. Macpac is one of the most trusted NZ outdoor gear makers - makers of robust equipment for serious pursuits in the outdoors. This pack is designed more for what we call \'bush bashing\' than trail walking. No I am not an employee of Macpac but have over 30 years of serious tramping in the rugged places of NZ\'s South Island. My precursor to buying one of these was a 23 year old Torre Macpac pack which only got retired becuase I needed lumbar support because of a herniated disc. I\'d be massively surprised if anyone bought one of these and ever regretted it.
+ ADD REPLY! Massive says: Used it when i was travelling, amazing pack that does everything you need and is incredibly durable!
+ ADD REPLY! Pennine-rambler (Doncaster) says: I took up serious hiking 9 years ago and have had a few 35lt rucksacks of varying types with different amounts of satisfaction. After making the decision to do the Pennine Way, I headed for my local camping superstore to find a 60lt sack. After talking to the shop \"Sack specialist\" who incidentally spent three hours (Great customer service CCC Sheffield, now \"Go outdoors\") with me trying on, loading, unloading of various sacks I settled on the Frontier 65 15 and it\'s been the best buy I have ever made. This sack has the Torso fit system which is adjustable to different back lengths, I am 6\' 3\" with a very long back. I harrdly knew that this sack was on my back because nearly all the weight is transferred to the hip belt if it is loaded correctly. One small niggle (for some people) is that it isn\'t hydration compatible, but the side pouches are ideal for a platypus system, so that\'s not a real problem. Well done Lowe Alpine for a quality sack.
+ ADD REPLY! thomas says: i saw this pack at the shop today, its great, except that it needs to be 5 litres larger, i get home and check the macpac website and bam! they make a 25L version.. ..problem is, NO ONE stocks it!!!! ..i heading backpacking for 6 mths in 1.5 weeks and this backpack will do nicely, now i just gotta find it.
+ ADD REPLY! Harland says: I went to buy another rucksack however the shop I went to (which employs walkers/climbers etc) tried to fit it to me but felt that it didn\'t work for me - I am 6 feet 4 inches tall. He therefore got this one out which was cheaper than the one I had decided to buy - I had never walked long distances before. Having put weights in it and fitted it to me in felt great with the weight on my hips and not on my shoulders which was the last one I had in the Boy Scouts some 40 years before! I have used it since to walk the Pennine Way, Coast to Coast, all the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path (SWCP), West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way carrying all my \"stuff\" including tent etc on the SWCP. It still is great and I intend to use it on Land\'s End to John O\'Groats next year. The only issue I have had is tearing the rain cover on barbed wire, however I have patched that up. Fully recommend but more importantly get it fitted in case it doesn\'t fit your body properly although it has lots of height adjustments that should fit most individuals height.
+ ADD REPLY! Hiker Joe says: An excellent backpack. Light but strong, with useful pockets and capacious enough to swallow a laptop with ease. Also well-ventilated, comfortable to wear and easily washable when it gets grubby. The single ice axe attachment is a neat touch: very handy when you run across a grizzly or get bored with your hiking companions Highly recommended.
+ ADD REPLY! nick says: HI Does anyone know where to put the tubing of the hydration sack in this day pack? You put the sack in the mesh section but you need to open the inside zip pocket and force the tubing through the hole at the back? will this not ruim my tube within days? the storekeeper could not figure it out in this model either so there you go.....................HELP
+ ADD REPLY! mtnmanpat says: this pack has been great! I won mine at a rock climbing competition in nov. \'07 and have used it nearly every day. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of cnostruction, as it had shown no wear through many days spent in the rugged wyoming wilderness. it is a very comfortable pack; great for hauling around climbing gear. I would recommend this pack to anyone looking for a bombproof product to hold up for years to come!
+ ADD REPLY! mtnmanpat says: this pack has been great! I won mine at a rock climbing competition in nov. \'07 and have used it nearly every day. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of cnostruction, as it had shown no wear through many days spent in the rugged wyoming wilderness. it is a very comfortable pack; great for hauling around climbing gear. I would recommend this pack to anyone looking for a bombproof product to hold up for years to come!
+ ADD REPLY! gav says: Love it! Its been round the world, on long jungle treks, soaked in rivers and tossed around by the worst paid baggage handlers imaginable - and it survived. The internal layout is really good, lots of space and packs down nicely when its half empty. Really comfortable too
+ ADD REPLY! Evil Monkey says: Pros: Great build quality and about as indestructible as a pack can get. Sits well on your back with plenty of adjustment allowing for comfort no matter how heavy the load. Twin ice axe loops, crampon pad, effective compression straps, handy loops on hip belt. Massive lid pocket. Useful for storing hat, gloves, wind or waterproof, snacks, .... Big enough to hold gear for up to 4-5 days wild camping. Cons: My only slight gripe is the tapered shape which takes a little getting used to when packing, especially the more bulky items like sleeping bag. But it\'s not a major problem. Overall: It\'s a great mid-sized pack that will last and last so although it\'s not the cheapest on the market it still represents exceptional value for money.
+ ADD REPLY! Phil says: Excellent piece of versatile equipment, made to be bullet proof - hve used these for the past 10 years.
+ ADD REPLY! Dave says: how can this pack not be in expedition cat, its an awesome backpack. this site does seem geared to North Face which is just a high street brand.
+ ADD REPLY! yo says: Best Pack that you could get, very comfy harness, and the material is probably the strongest you could get on a pack. Arcteryx is the best in outdoor gear, they never mention it in country walker magazines cos it would always win the polls. it is expensive but you pay for quality
+ ADD REPLY! CHIRO7125 says: I CANYONEER, BACKPACK, CLIMB, AND AM A AVID ADVENTURE RACES. IVE USED THIS PACK ON MANY OCCASIONS AND MAN YOU CANT BEAT THE DURABILITY OF CORDURA. I WOULD SUGGEST 420D CORDURA JUST BECAUSE IVE THRASHED THE HELL OUT IT AND IT STILL LOOKS LIKE NEW. IVE ALWAYS HAD GREGORY PACKS FOR THEIR FIT AND COMFORT. BUT IF YOUR DOING SOMETHING IN HARSHER AREAS THEN I WOULD DEFINITELY SUGGEST MOUNTAIN HARDWEARS LINE. MOST PEOPLE ASK ABOUT MY PACK MANY SEEM TO LIKE IT BECAUSE ITS SMALL, BT LARGE ENOUGH FOR AN OVERNIGHTER. IT LACKS VENTILATION AND A FEW GEAR LOOPS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE PACKED: THE NORTH FACE SOLO 12 TENT, KELTY LIGHT YEAR 25, PRO LIGHT 4 FROM THERMAREST COOKING STUFF AND EXTRA CLOTHES ABOUT 3-4 DAYS IF YOU PACK LIGHT. CANYONEERING WISE I USE TWO SEA TO SUMMIT DRY SACS ONE 30 LITER ONE 4 LITER THAT HOLDS MY HARNESS ASCENDER, CARIBINERS (12), GLOVES, AND FOOD THE LARGER ONE CAN BE FILLED WITH AIR AND OR A TENT AND A SLEEPING BAG. OVERALL THIS PACK IS REALLY NICE IF YOUR BETWEEN SLOT CANYONS, CAVING, OR DOING A FEW DAYS N THE BACK COUNTRY SEE YA OUT THERE
+ ADD REPLY! MonkerStinker says: Great baby carrier - would definitely recommend this to frequent walkers.
+ ADD REPLY! AmandaB says: I use this pack everyday to carry my many college books as well as for day hikes. There\'s a ton of room in this pack! It\'s held up well, the straps are comfortable on the shoulders and there\'s ample padding to be comfortable on the back. The only downside is that during rain, the water can get inside the front section a bit, but I supposed that\'s with any pack.
+ ADD REPLY! Fearghal says: We used this little baby on our Dry Run Expedition from Aswan to Alexandria. Its the perfect Day Pack for cycling, mountain running etc. Its light and discrete with lots of clever features and pockets. to see photo\'s of my Gulper in action follow this link; http://www.flickr.com/photos/11795120@N06/2040583330/ to view a movie starring the North Face gulper follow this link; http://youtube.com/watch?v=yTQGPIJa7HA To see where we\'ll be taking our Gulper\'s next see www.revolutioncycle.ie
+ ADD REPLY! RGB says: I have the older (all black) model. I love this pack. It\'s fantastic and been everywhere with me. It\'s a racepack, so it\'s not meant to be tough (but light instead), but I do sometimes feel it would be very easy to slit open to steal my camera from it when travelling through a rough town. That said, it\'s not designed to travel - it\'s for racing. Suberb!
+ ADD REPLY! Eoinod says: Bought this bag 2 years ago and it still looks new. It has been on all my trips ever since. It\'s just so durable, never leaks(not actually waterproof, no taped seams) and so easy to find when every one else is searching for their bags. Not too sure what TNF were thinking when they added a white colour to the range this year though!!
+ ADD REPLY! Robin says: I\'ve had this pack for around 4 years now and it\'s really performed well. It\'s very tough material, comfy to wear and very ergonomically sewn to allow you to reach around the sides to release things from wand pockets with ease. My only criticism is that the harness can feel a little small with the fasteners riding a bit high under my arm pits if eased off.
