I need a new mid size pad and would be happy for some recommendations.
Must have criteria:
- Taco or at least hybrid fold
- Folds with dirt inside
- Decent carrying system
Organic is ruled out, there is no distributor nearby, shipping plus import taxes is prohibitively expensive. I also dislike the fold around closure and that it folds with mud outside.
The Snap pads are great quality but fail on carrying system. Some of the mid size pads lack the option to add the optional hip belt and none of the pads have a sternum strap. Core doesn’t ship outside the UK unfortunately.
I’ve mostly narrowed it down to the Petzl Alto and the Moon Warrior. I much prefer the carrying system on the Petzl and I don’t mind the zipper faff too much, but prefer the closure system on the Moon and especially how it feels jumping on it.
I recently bought a larger Petzl Cirro that replaced an old Moon Saturn (~10 years old). The carrying system is much better, but the foam is very hard (to the point I’ve had back issues jumping of high boulders). I’m uncertain if this is different on the smaller pad and how much it softens with age. On the other hand, my friends have all dismissed the foam in newer moon pads as not as durable anymore.
Any experiences with either pad or any others I’ve overlooked?
Post edited at 19:27
