Another Backpack thread (missing reviews)

[Loon]

Yes, I know there are bazillion backpack threads on here but I'm in the market for a new pack and I couldn't find any reviews for a bunch of the new packs so I figured I'd throw this up and see if any mag gear sluts has any input.

Reviewless Packs: Deuter Freeride 35, Ortovox Haute Route 35, Oakley Backcountry Pack, Norrøna Narvik 25L, Millet Big Powder 25, Mountain Hardwear Wayback .

I'm looking to step up in size from my helipro 20L/1200ci. The Deuter Freeride 30 is my front-runner but the Mammut Nirvana, and Ortovox Haute Route 35 and MHW Wayback are all still in the mix. I still need to verify weather or not the Ortovox has back panel access, anyone know?

[SWskier]

No reviews, but I am in the same boat...looking at the same packs. Check out the Marmot Backcountry 30 as well. Has back panel access and looks to be some sort or reincarnation of the La Meije.

[backcountry1pr]

Mystery Ranch packs should be on that list, in front.

[Loon]

Mystery Ranch stuff looks interesting but expensive. So many packs I wanna fondle.

[neck beard]

I have had two of the old Deuter packs with back protector. Seem the Freerider is a later model of them? Based on the old packs: a bit heavy, not bad though. Tough and durable and easy to use with low frills and lots of function.

But these days I always prefer a top load pack with drawstring because if your clamshell zip fails when you are out there, it is a hassle (never happened to me, but I have heard some bad stories).

I do not recommend Osprey, but you didn't mention them anyway.

[That was Pontus]

^^^ Don't know how old your packs are, but I've got a Freerider that is around 6 or 7 years old I figure. Pretty much what you said, super burly, fat zippers that haven't failed once. Neat snap feature on the zipper pulls so they can't work themselves open. Other than that, pretty basic. Toughest vertical snowboard carry I've seen yet, even the new Freeriders don't compare IMO.

Downsides, doesn't carry nearly as well as toploaders (try finding a top loader with a half decent snowboard carry though...), new features such as the insulated H2O sleeves on the shoulder straps are pretty badass.

Seams are finally starting to pull, and a few holes have shown up. Can't blame Deuter for this, as this pack has been used year round for damn near everything since I've owned it.

Also own a Deuter AirContact 45+10. Toured Europe with that thing and done some light duty overnighters. Same story, bombproof construction, not to fancy, but then then price prooves that.

[Horu]

I just picked up the millet big powder 25 from dept.ofgoods.com. It's only been used as a bookbag so far, but it seems well made with nice features. The only gripe I have is that the hipbelt pocket is halfway blocked by the bottom of the shoulder strap when you're wearing the pack. Lame oversight. It's a tad short for my longish torso, but it'll be at it's heaviest in town when I don't care. The shoulder straps and hip pads are comfy- it feels like the pack really hugs onto your body. Either way, I feel like I got a pretty good bang for my buck at 75 bucks plus shipping.

[pfluffenmeister]

i picked up a gregory targhee over the summer (29l small).

i've only used it for short test hikes to see how it carries.
it might not be the lightest but it's super comfortable, has dedicated probe/shovel/skin pockets, is top and side accessible, hydration compatible, but most notably it has an AWESOME SKI CARRY system (it has additional stays at the bottom of the pack that redirect the weight of the skis very effectively to the hip belt).
vertical or diagonal ski carry. rated for 35#.

[marshalolson]

mystery ranch fuze = the best ski pack ever in the history of the world. got it when i retired my 10+ year old bombpack.

they are the best built, longest lasting and best carrying packs on the market bar none. but yeah, if you want to save $50 and replace your pack every couple years, that is cool too

[Hugh Conway]

I had a Mountain Hardwear Wayback last year for a short bit until I returned it. The shovel pocket access is a pain because of the short zipper; the back access was poor. Ski carry was ok, Hydration was ok, all in all unspectacular but not bad for $75 at the end of the season. I switched for a Mountain Hardwear Ropeline because it practically identical except has top access instead of backpanel and was $65, so cheaper..

I really preferred my BD Covert to either of those.

[neck beard]

mystery ranch fuze = the best ski pack ever in the history of the world. got it when i retired my 10+ year old bombpack.

they are the best built, longest lasting and best carrying packs on the market bar none. but yeah, if you want to save $50 and replace your pack every couple years, that is cool too

Checks Marshal's signature links[/check]



(I wouldn't expect you to endorse them if they sucked. And your efforts are worthwhile. I'd never heard of them before)

[geologist]

mystery ranch packs are so nice. whenever my current pack wears out im going straight for one of those. super bomber construction. we have a couple crewcabs for carrying awkward loads for work and they're basically indestructible

[geologist]

also always wanted to get a custom mchale but thats even more pricey it seems

[Daywalker]

mystery ranch fuze = the best ski pack ever in the history of the world. got it when i retired my 10+ year old bombpack.

they are the best built, longest lasting and best carrying packs on the market bar none. but yeah, if you want to save $50 and replace your pack every couple years, that is cool too

Marshal,

Please expound (here or in a different thread) on the Mystery Ranch packs. What would you compare the suspension to? How is it compared to your old Wookey? It looks pretty darn beefy.

Also, per the Mystery Ranch page, all of their small packs are diagonal carry. They say it's quite the bomb diagonal carry... Is it still a big mis-weighted or have they figured a way to balance it on both sides? I'm thinking about long walks where I'm usually going A-frame to balance things out. The pictures of the diagonal carry don't make it look like anything revolutionary (which to some may be good, to me it's a bit concerning).

They look like sweet bomber packs with good suspension, and the company gets praise from everyone who knows about them. What else is there?

I'm just curious, my current pack doesn't seem to be going anywhere for awhile...

[dookeyXXX]

I have gone through 3 packs in the last 4 seasons.

First was the Life-Link Granite.
Got it because it was reviewed here as a great, low-profile in-bounds and side-country pack. I blew it out (it has since been repaired) after 1 summer of patch skiing. It's basically only good as an in-bounds/resort pack.

Second was the Ortovox Ski Plus 23
While this pack was a bit larger than the LL Granite and had a much better suspension and thicker hip-belt, it only carries the skis A-Frame. And it was a wonky A-Frame for my taste (unless you had the skis perfectly lined up they sloshed all over the place and smacked you in the back of the knees. It does have back-panel access.

My current pack is the Deuter Freeride Pro 30
Of the 3 packs I've used, this is the best, but still is lacking in certain areas.
It carries your skis A-Frame and diagonal (but only offers diagonal over the left shoulder...How hard is it to add straps so you can switch between left or right diagonal carry?!?!?!?!?!?).
It does have back-panel access.
The hip-belt is much burlier and much better than the Ortovox SP23.
There's some "bells and whistles" that could be better: there is a snow pad to use to sit on, but it's carried in this tight pocket that's behind where your water bladder goes, so to get it out is a hassle, let alone trying to put it back into the pack, especially on a slope or in the wind. They have locking snaps on one set of zippers, but not on all the zippers (!?!?!?). The pack is a bit bulky and a tad heavy, so not really optimal for in-bounds/resort use.
Still, of the 3 packs, it's been the best I've used and has stood up to 30-odd days of rigorous summer patch skiing (lots of long, dry, hike approachs buffered with rock and boulder scrambling, scree sliding, and f@#ked-up snow, so it had taken a beating and then some) in the Eastern Sierras this season.

So, between the Ortovox and Deuter, I'd go with the Deuter.

That said, a pack that's been on my radar is the Granite Gear Pileus. I've tried this pack on and it's sweet. The design is really good and the suspension and hip-belt are nice and sturdy (more like a traditional backpack). I really liked how the shovel compartment is set up and they have a separate skin pocket on the side, which is nice. http://www.granitegear.com/products/...al/pileus.html

As for what MO talked about, I looked into those Mystery Ranch packs and they are mucho dinero, and given that I can't try one on anywhere around SF or Tahoe, I'm not really willing to shell out that kind of cash for something that might not fit me (while I wasn't able to actually try the Deuter Freeride before I bought it, I was able to try a variety of their other packs, so I at least had a general idea of how the suspension and hip-belt would feel).

I'm also presuming that you searched "backpacks", right?
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...rchid=12780632

I only ask because I got a lot of great beta from that "What fits on the lift" thread included in that search, as well as several of the other threads.

PS
Marshal might be able to offer up some insight on what ever happened with the Flylow Trash Pack they were designing last year. That pack looked interesting.

[marshalolson]

1. the mystery ranch pack will fit. look at the video on their website. literally every thing moves in a very easy way and is super easy to setup. it woul take me less than 5 minutes to adjust my pack that is setup perfectly for me at 6'2'' and have it setup perfectly for my buddies 5'7'' wife with narrom shoulders etc.

2. dana gleason owned "dana design". k2 bought it from him maybe 8-10 years ago. when that happened, the managers of dana design started wookey. dana started mystery ranch once his non-compete w/ k2 expired. k2 promptly ran dana into the ground and once it was wrecked renamed it and merged it with marmot. wookey makes sick stuff. super bomber also. they use the same overall design choices - awesome super durable, packs to use everyday and still last 10 years. their harness design is different a little, less rigid and supportive, and slightly less adjustable if i recall. but they carry weight exceptionally.,

3. the diagonal carry on a mystery ranch is not revolutionary, jsut properly executed, compared to many. the harness keeps the pack from moving around because it is so easy to adjust perfectly, the pack compresses properly so the skis cannot swing, and the ski tie ins are in the right place to pull the ski tight into the pack so they cannot swing either.

4. flylow trash pack had an issue with the manufacturer using the wrong thread, so they had to re-do the packs. not sure 100% on delivery at this point, but the pack is very different than a mystery ranch. aluminum stays, with minimal other support. non-adjustable harness etc. much more along the lines of a rucksack than a highly technical ski pack. certainly a good option, but a totally different category.

5. i do not work for mystery ranch, or receive pay from them or anything. i think they make the best stuff, i have buddies that work there, and i like to recommend them, and have been recommending dana, wookey, and mystery ranch packs since the late 90s.

[dookeyXXX]

I thought Wooky went out of business several years ago...

[marshalolson]

3 years ago i believe.

[el hefe]

I just grabbed a Vaude 38 from tramdock and it seems nice without skiing it. http://www.departmentofgoods.com/vau...ack-2300-cu-in

They mention side access but is only for the smaller "map" pocket in the front. Has some built in back protection and has nice airflow along the back. Good deal at $55 or whatever I paid for it. Easy to adjust the should straps, seems like it will be a good one.

[montanamike]

I have a Fuze and a Big Sky from Mystery Ranch. HUGE thumbs up on both. I was on a Wookey Couloir previously. The MR packs are insanely comfy and built as bomber as you can get. Best product money can buy. Handmade in USA too.

[altasnob]

I picked up the Mammut Nirvana 25, the BCA Squall, and the Gregory Targhee and kept my favorite one, the Mammut Nirvana 25. The Gregory was very comfortable and had every feature you could possibly want in a ski pack, but it was too heavy, bulky, and too many straps for my taste. The BCA Squall seemed like a good idea, but it wasn't all that comfortable and it was a bit awkward and goofy. The Mammut Nirvana 25 is streamlined, light, and has all the essential features I want in a ski pack. I wish there was a dedicated ice axe loop, had an internal hydration sleeve, and was just a tad bigger. The Mammut Nirvana 30 may be the perfect pack but its hard to find and pricey.

[todug27]

a bit of a random question, but I didn't want to start a new thread....

anyway, i've been doing plenty of day tours, but now I'm expanding into short overnight tours and need a bigger pack. If I'm doing 2 nights, absolute max 3 for the time being, what size should I be looking at to accommodate all the things I'm not including for day tours? Would 60L be about right?

[altasnob]

60 L should be good. I use the Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian (60 L, 3800 ci, 3 lbs 8 oz) for anything two nights or longer. Not a ski specific pack but light and comfortable carrying heavy loads. I climbed and skied Rainier with it.

http://www.granitegearstore.com/Nimb...ian-P13C7.aspx

The Alpine Vapor looks like a pretty sweet pack if you want to go a bit more minimalist:

http://www.granitegearstore.com/Alpi...or-P32C10.aspx

I'm a fan of anything made by granite gear.

[todug27]

sounds good, thanks.

[Loon]

Update: I decided on the Fuze, it arrived today and I'm stoked. The thing is fucking bomber. Heavy duty and high quality are the 2 things that sum up this pack. Its like when you get into a high end german sedan and shut the door, it just feels fucking solid. Thanks to Backcountry1pr and Marshal for turning me on to Mystery Ranch. I'll never need to buy another ski pack.