Gust

I am divided in my opinion of this pack. While it is outstandingly light , and a bargain to boot, there's something about it that seems lacking.

I've carried up to 40 lbs in it with surprising comfort, though it does wear on you toward the end of the day. It could probably stand a slightly better hip belt design that transferred more of the load to your hips than the minimalist belt it comes with now.

The back pocket is reasonably good sized, but I'd like to have more. It seems like they could have added a floating lid to this for just a few ounces more, and made it a more useful pack, and more weatherproof as well (the top simply closes with a drawstring which, if you've filled it nearly to the top, leaves your pack contents vulnerable to the elements).

The lack of a sleeping bag compartment is understandable, since the extra zipper would add more weight. But when I stuff my winter bag, clothes and part of a tent into it, there isn't room for much else, even if I compress the bejeezus out of the bag.

It also lacks much in the way of attachment points for those who want to attach skis or extra pockets. I had to jury-rig ski attachments from the tiny little nylon loops sewn into the side seams.

On the plus side: it light and very affordable. For shorter trips in the summer when you can get away with less gear, I think it would be awesome. Oh, did I forget to mention it's light? Amazing how it's one pound weight redeems pretty much all of its shortcomings. But a 1.5-2.0 pound version with some of the extra features I mentioned would be even better.

I've had this pack for about a year and have had minimal time using it in the backcountry, except for some extended day hiking just to try it out. That said, here are my impressions.

As Steve has noted, the lack of attachment points really limits this pack as far as a mountaineering rig. On the other hand, if you are simply going winter camping and have your weight under 30-35 pounds, this would be a great pack, provided you could fit everything inside. That's the real key with this pack. When you really consider just how enormous this pack is (3600 + 1050 cu in (Med) for 1lb 4oz, it's kind of crazy.

Don't think, however, that just because you fit all your gear inside that you'll be able to haul it in this pack. If you ask most people about what their "minimal" pack weight will be for winter, most people I've talked with would probably say about 40 pounds. In my opinion, and as Steve already stated, I personally wouldn't want to try it. 30 pounds and under would be a safe bet. Maybe 35 pounds if you're bringing 5 pounds of food and plan on eating it!

Anyway, this pack is really impressive. Considering most packs with this amount of cubic inches weigh 3 times as much, it really unique. But to get the most of the pack, I think you really have to be a minimalist winter camper, or use it during the summer when taking less bulky items.