Sierra Designs Rohn 15 Backpack

www.sierradesigns.com, one pound, 13 ounces
Backpacks have a simple mission: To carry your stuff, comfortably, in stable fashion, with no more weight than you need. For day packs, that should be easy; but most are heavy on doodads, and too unstable for sports like trail running or skiing.

Not so this deceptively sleek 15-liter panel loader, built atop a plastic back panel covered with large foam and mesh bumps. The back panel, along with a wide, soft waist belt, makes the Rohn very stable, even on bouncy trail runs with a partial load and a full 100-ounce bladder. It hugged our backs without getting super sweaty, even with southwest monsoon humidity on 100-degree day hikes, thanks to huge air channels. “The die-cut shoulder straps were wide enough to be comfortable even when I was hauling 20 pounds of water, ropes, and carabiners into tight slot canyons,” one tester noted.

Useful features included mesh bottle-wand pockets; internal pockets and sleeves for bike pumps or avalanche probes; a single outside pocket large enough for goggles, with a key clip inside; twin hip belt pockets sized to hold smart phones, GPSunits, or four energy bar apiece; an internal compression system for the hydration pocket that could be tightened via a cordlock on the right hip, bike light attachment points, and a removable bungee net on the pack front to help augment capacity.

The packs’ bullet shape stayed out of our way on diagonal stride cross-country skiing and chairlift rides. Its combination of simplicity, stability and all-around utility has made it the go-to day hauler for our primary tester since he began using it in March of 2012.
-Steve Howe

$100

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Osprey Hornet 32 Backpack

www.ospreypacks.com, one pound, five ounces
We love light comfortable packs in the 30-liter range, because the size is ideal for clothing- or gear-laden day trips, and just big enough for hut trips and ultralight overnights. Osprey’s Hornet 32 (the middle of three sizes in their Hornet series) fits those criteria perfectly, staying light and easy to load, yet not scrimping on the features that fastpackers and ultralighters appreciate. It has twin hipbelt pockets, energy gel/iPod/sunscreen pockets on both shoulder straps, and a mesh shove-it pocket on the front.

The single compartment top-loading backpack, and a two-compartment top pocket, maximize space while providing just enough organization to avoid chaos. A large hydration sleeve, located between the packbag and foam back panel, can be easily refilled with the pack loaded, or take a folded foam pad for bivvy use and increased load support.

The Hornet really shined during a three-day round trip to climb the northeast ridge of 14,130-foot Capitol Peak in Colorado. “It was light and flexible enough to fold into my 45-liter load-carrying pack for the approach,” that tester wrote. “Then it carried ropes, technical, clothes, and helmet comfortably for 2,000 feet to the technical section.” Once he collapsed it down using the narrow side compression straps, he “barely knew it was there, during all the knife-edge straddling and scrambling. It hugged my back like a scared koala.”

The Hornet was also serviceable, if a bit flappy and strappy, for trail runs and mountain bike rides, and carried a 20-pound overnight load just fine for quick desert overnights. It’s not very rain-resistant, but it’s close to an ideal one-quiver pack for hikers, ultralighters and peak-baggers, as long as you keep loads under 30 pounds, because back panel support and shoulder strap comfort degenerate quickly beyond that.
-Steve Howe

$139

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Mission Workshops R6 Arkiv Field Backpack

missionworkshop.com
We became big fans of the Mission Workshop bags when we tested out their Sanction Backpack (which is still meeting our high standards), but the R6 Arkiv really hits the sweet spot. This backpack is built around a modular system that lets you add on various weatherproof bags to boost your carrying capacity. The system is anchored around a main backpack, and comes in two sizes: small (1,200 cubic inches) and large (2,200 cubic inches). Then you select from eight individually-priced accessories, which run the gamut from a laptop case ($86), to an utility cell pocket ($28), to a vertical roll-top or zippered pocket ($48 and $52, respectively). You can add a waist belt ($34) or a messenger bag shoulder-strap ($24). Each component attaches to the main packbag via a clever rail system; you slide the accessories onto the pack and secure them with a narrow Velcro strap. The main packbag has six rails anchored by highly durable steel, allowing for a variety of configurations. The backpack itself—like all the accessories—is made of waterproof, durable Cordura fabric with a roll-down top flap and a burly, secure buckle. We love the Folio addition ($68), which includes two zippered pockets, pen slots, space to hold a U-lock, and two more rails for more add-ons like the tool pocket ($58). The R6 also makes for a versatile carry-on; after boarding the plane, just slide off the laptop or folio attachments (pre-loaded with all your in-flight essentials) and the stash the big pack in the overhead without exceeding the max limits for carry-ons. As you’d expect, the pack weighs more than a traditional backpack. But that’s a minor drawback considering the bag can be custom dialed to fit your needs in pretty much every scenario.
For even greater waterproofness and style, add $30 for the waxed canvas version of the packbag.

Starts at $209

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Osprey to Update Their Water Reservoir and Release New Hydration Packs

Just when we think that you can’t improve on something, Osprey announces a cache of significant enhancements to their existing hydration reservoir—already one of the best on the market. As with the current models, the new bladders will retain the rigid plastic strip that makes it easy to grasp and refill, and allows the bladder to keep its form when it’s empty. The new design will also have a BPA- and PVC-free film that’s resilient and tasteless, a three-quarter turn cap for faster and more secure access, and a direct-welded plate to provide a wide, low profile. The hose diameter has been expanded to a quarter-inch for faster water flow, a countered back plate will improve on-trail comfort, and all models will include a magnetic bite valve that attaches to the Osprey pack’s sternum strap.

This spring Osprey will also unveil two new women-specific packs and update the women’s Verve and the men’s Manta, Raptor, and Viper packs. We’re particularly intrigued by the new Raven pack, the femme equivalent to the mountain bike-specific Raptor. Tailored to a woman’s body it’ll have a breathable back panel, a flexible harness and hip belt, a three-liter reservoir, their signature helmet strap, and a massive kangaroo pouch for layers. It’ll come in three sizes, starting at $109.
The packs and new reservoir will be ready this spring.

Prices vary.

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Outdoor Retailer: The North Face Preview

The Verto Micro Hoodie, Pro Jacket, and the Satellite Pants, Part of the Verto Climbing Kit

Deciding what to wear in (and what to buy for) the mountainous backcountry will get a lot easier in spring 2013 thanks to the new Verto Climbing Kit from The North Face. This four-piece apparel set up delivers pretty much all the clothes you need for an alpine adventure in a ridiculously lightweight package. Start with the Litho t-shirt ($80), an all-merino base layer with a mid-rib zipper pocket. From there, toss on the Verto Micro Hoodie ($249), a featherweight down jacket with 800-fill goose down, strategic use of stretch, and Flashdry water protection. Then don the Verto Pro Jacket ($199) for Gore Windstopper protection against the elements and a pair of the soft shell Satellite Pants ($130), and you’ve got a go-to kit that collectively weighs in at less than two pounds.TNF athletes have been putting this combo to the test and we anticipate this to be one of the best-dialed alpine solutions on the market.

The North Face will also continue to refine their line of trail running products, including the Better Than Naked line of high-performance apparel for men and women, and new shoes like the Hyper-Track Guide ($120), a highly responsive runner designed to perform equally well on both the trail and the pavement.

They will also introduce a new Optifit harnessing system in their backpack line, said to greatly enhance both ventilation and load control. The Matthes Crest and Conness pack series will both boast this new technology, with a variety of custom-fit options in various sizes. We’ve got one of these new packs in the field right now, and we’ll report back on how well it performs shortly. Stay tuned for additional The North Face product reviews over the coming months.

Prices vary.

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