UKC

Look to purchase a pack preferably in the sales , was looking for a bit of advice from the collective wisdom of the UKC.

I'd use it for everything from weekend trips staying in hotels, to camping trips, long days of mountain trad, scrambles, hiking etc. I'm thinking something around 35 litres. Big enough to carry kit for 1 - 2 days but small enough to move in.

I really like the black diamond packs, with the fancy waist belt that moves while you climb....plus they look super cool. However, it seems really hard to find a distributor in the UK where I can actually go get a feel.

Open to any suggestions (mammut and north face seem to do some decent offerings) around £100 to spend.

Any advice is very welcome

In reply to Kemics: Go outdoors had the mutant 38 in the sale for £44 pounds not long ago so might be one at your local one. Not owned one but they seem quite well recieved especially for the stuff you've described and even well under budget! Maybe the crux AK37 or even AK47 at the other end of you're budget. I have there bigger brother the AK57 and rave about it as a simple, comfortable, light and bombproof sack.

In reply to Kemics:

Berghaus Arete 35 or 45 - cheap and pretty much the same as he BD and Osprey offerings.

The 45L version is on sale at theoutdoorshop.co.uk for £45 in the sales - ends at the end of Jan

In reply to Kemics:

The new BD packs really are good. I have the Speed 30 and it's far and away the best pack I've ever used. The suspension system is neat but really it's down to the design - all the features you need, done well, and none you don't. Superb.

In reply to Kemics:

I like my new BD Speed 40 for all sorts of climbing for a few days. The sewings on the straps look a little weak, though. Any experiences?

In reply to Kemics: i bought an Osprey Mutant before Christmas and happily spend £78 on it. I'd be more than happy to pay more than IMO. Definitely a great all round bag. The back is a bit spongy than others but if you pack your bag corrctly you'll have no issues and won't even realise it.

I've used it for bivvys, climbing and normal walking!

I have to admit though, the BD sacks look ace and I've always read good reviews from them, but to me they look like they could only take a few years battering then they'd fall apart.

In reply to Kemics:

Anyone had any experience with the North Face kit. Quite liked the look of the Fulcrum 35 pack?

In reply to Kemics:

Only that they tend to be very heavy for their size so keep an eye on it I seam to remember them doing a 2kg adventure racing pack a few years ago

In reply to Kemics:

Just go and buy a POD Black Ice. It might be a little larger than you wanted but you'll have a sack that'll last for years and it'll cover all your needs.

In reply to Kemics:
Got a new Black Diamond speed 40 which has been brilliant for me so far, would reccomend it. It does look like it might wear out relatively fast but I'm not going to be bashing it around everywhere, just using it for winter + alpine stuff so not the biggest issue for me.
Tried one on at outside in hathersage before buying as there are different back sizes to try.

In reply to Kemics: I've just got a Cirrus from Aiguille Alpine and it is absolutely awesome. It looks like it'll last forever, weighs absolutely nothing, and I'm not going to have to spend time chopping off all the pointless straps and 'features'.

In reply to Kemics:

I like the look of the North Face Fulcrum at the moment. Love the idea of having a zip down the pack so I can open the whole thing up. Plus also i've always liked side pouches for shoving things in quickly (a feature that seems to be missing from loads of pack)

Leading the race at the moment are the:

osprey mutant 38
North Face prophet 40

it's funny, that once i've bought it, i'll probably never think about it again but right now i'm putting in more thought than most people probably do into taking out a mortgage.

In reply to Kemics:

If you like the front zip then the Grivel Alpine 45+10 has a good one. Well-designed and very robust pack. Sadly the 35 doesn't have the front zip but the 45 does compress well.

In reply to Kemics:

I've just bought a Lowe Alpine Peak Attack 45 and it looks and feels great with a rack and rope in to load it up. The headlocker ice axe system works as advertised and it has loads of neat features elsewhere (stowable hip belt in special pockets, floating lid, rope strap, decent compression straps, etc). Could well be the best pack I've bought to date?

http://www.lowealpine.com/eng/prod_app_det.php?catid=9&itemid=925&t...
http://www.lowealpine.com/eng/techroom.php

In reply to Kemics: Haglofs Matrix 40 (or even 50, you won't notice the extra few grammes)

In reply to Kemics:

I HATE the whole zip down the side of the pack thing.
If I wanted that, I'd get a pack with only a zip opening.

I have had and have seen problems with zips down the back, especially when you try to stuff the rucksack full from the top. The zip tends to get pushed down and the bag starts to open - a nuisance if you spot it, a major nuisance if you don't spot it until too late. I have even seen the zip on a rucksack split - seriously bad news.

Also - it adds weight, and makes the sack weaker.





I feel better now. Its been ages since I had a good rant

In reply to Kemics:

On topic, I have a Crux sack, have had it for years. Very tough, but not at all waterproof.

In reply to Kemics: Osprey Variant 37.