UKC

Can anyone help? I'm looking for a durable 50+ litre pack that can take over from where my OMM Villain leaves off.

I'd say my max load on a walk-in would be around 20kg, so I'd like something that would enable me to carry that kind of weight in comfort during a lengthy walk to camp or base, or for multi-day trips with tent etc. Some room to expand on the 50L is important, so a floating lid and extension collar are a must, as is the option for strapping gear on the outside. The pack needs to be strippable and compressible too so that once the tent, food etc are ditched at camp, I can carry just the gear I need on routes, for going on to a summit, or when just going up a hill.
Weight-wise I'd like to keep things light, but not at too much expense in durability.
Versatility is what I'm looking for and so far the Variant 52 and the Black Ice both look excellent, though there are differences.
I'll give them both a try-out, but I'd welcome opinions from users and any suggestions re. other packs I should look at. Thanks!

In reply to Blue Yonder:

I guess something like the Crux 47-x might fit the bill, fairly happy with mine for the described use, maybe not the most comfortable carry after several days.

Have you considered an alternate system of a big rucksack for the approach and a light climbing bag? I think for base camping stuff that may work better - something like an exped cloudburst or alpkit Gordon carried inside your main bag?

In reply to Blue Yonder:

I have had a Black Ice for a few years now. I don't normally carry 20kg, but the sack is comfortable. More so than my Lowe Alpine Attack. You can get a lot of stuff in if you use the collar and floating lid. You can use the side tensioning straps to attach extra stuff like tents. I am pretty sure that you can remove the entire floating lid if you want to make it lighter. If you are climbing, there are gear loops on the hip belt. It is probably heavier than some other comparable packs. However, it's definitely built to last. Hopefully, it will last as long as my 30+ year old Haston Alpiniste.

I also have an OMM Jirishanca, which is the 35l version of the Villain. The sacks are comparable in many ways. I find the Black Ice fits me better when heavily loaded, but YMMV. If I had to choose between a Black Ice and a Villain, I would go for the Black Ice, but it's a close call.

In reply to Blue Yonder:

I've got a black ice (53+12) and it's excellent. (Too!) Frequently carry big loads on long days with it and it's definitely comfortable. It's easily strippable to knock the weight down once you've ditched the camping gear and end up with a lightish pack for climbing. Mine has lasted 5 years so far, and bar faded colours it's in great nick still!

I've used it for Alpine, scottish winter, MR, camping / bothying. Wouldn't switch it for anything else at the minute!

Cheers,

Stu

In reply to Blue Yonder:
I have the Variant and I love it!
Things I like:
Space - I can fit a 70m rope, full rack, harness, shoes, helmet and belay jacket in with space left over without using any of the external spaces
External space - big crampon pocket can fit masses of stuff in it and the ice axe attachment is in my view one of the best.
Osprey - bags have a great guarantee, keep your receipt! I broke two of the buckles when I fell on the bag and they sent me two new ones, no questions asked. The bags are very well made in my experience.
Things I don't like:
No top or bottom attachment straps - minor but I personally like them

Hmmm, that's the trouble when trying to decide between two great packs! Trying them both will clinch it, but it isn't a realistic test of how a pack will be when used in a variety if conditions. Anyone who can offer comparisons between the two, in terms of load carrying, capacity etc?
As for carrying an extra small pack for use when the main gear is dumped, I don't think that would work in my case as often, when departing camp, I'm still carrying quite a bit depending on conditions and what I'm doing - a day on the crags, a summit in the alps or a hill or two in the Highlands in mid-winter.
So being able to carry the main load in and then strip the pack down for a route or to still carry weighty winter gear, axe, crampons etc is really useful. It's that flexibility I'm looking for.