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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Outdoor Retailer: Arc’Teryx Preview

Looking toward spring 2013, Arc’Teryx will continue to develop some of the best-performing products in the outdoor industry. And while their price points are some of the highest, our experience with their line has proven that you’re buying a jacket, pack, or a lifestyle piece that’ll last a lifetime, not just a season. Here are a few things that have us excited.

The bag line will expand next spring to include a variety of travel packs, which will appear in three sizes, from carry-on to checkable. The duffle-style Covert line will be made of 500D Cordura and a burly double weave for solid weather resistance, and come with stashable shoulder straps, strategically-placed grab handles, and light-colored inner lining to help you find what you need quickly. Meanwhile, the new Haku Rope Pack is destined to become a climber’s favorite crag accessory. The medium-sized shoulder pack incorporates a massive tarp at the bag’s mouth. When you’re ready to haul your rope to the next crag or hike out for the day, you spread out the tarp, dump the rope on it, pick up the tarp by the corners, lift, shake, and—viola—the rope drops into the bottom of the pack. Then you just fold in the tarp, roll the bag closed like a dry bag, and you’re ready to go. No more stuffing and jamming to fit everything in. (We also think it may offer great last-minute travel packing solutions for the less OCD-inclined.) On the backcountry side, the newly designed Aristo packs look interesting; they incorporate “wingman” side pockets at both sides of the pack base for easy, on-the-go access, which lets the pack ride against the lumbar for on-the-trail comfort.

On the apparel side, they’ll playing with a mixture of fabrics, employing patches of Gore-Tex Pro and Paclite in the Theta SL Hybrid Jacket for targeted, on-the-body performance, and mixing up cotton and poly in their 24 lifestyle line. We also love what we saw of the women’s Codetta (pictured), a three-quarter-length hooded jacket made from Gore-Tex, with a hem vent and fashion-forward storm flap over the zipper. This urban, travel-friendly jacket will run for $369.

Prices vary.

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Sierra Designs Discovery 30 Backpack

www.sierradesigns.com, two lbs, 12 oz
This is a great pack for an overnight or long weekend. Its 30 liters of storage proved roomy enough to hold a tent, small sleeping bag, and food. The pack fits quite well on a medium-length torso, with seemingly endless adjustment possibilities. Due to a perforated 3-D framesheet that keeps the pack off your back, there’s little to no sweat build-up, even on sweltering summer days and uphill slogs. Our testers carried a 25- to 35-pound loads through scrub oak thickets and fallen deadwood without issue, attesting that the pack’s durable, nylon-coated pack-bag won’t rip or shred. A thermo molded hipbelt and lightly cushioned shoulder straps are easy to adjust, providing a hot spot-free carry over rough terrain. One tester wished for lash straps on the bottom of the pack for additional room for a bag or sleeping pad on longer trips, but after packing light for long weekends, was glad he didn’t have bulky items swinging around and compromising the pack’s sleek design. The pack comes with a removable rain cover, although our tester had a tough time fitting it back in the mini pocket on the bottom of the pack.
-Adam Devitt

$169

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Osprey Stratos 24 Backpack

www.ospreypacks.com; two pounds, eight ounces.
What is it that separates a great pack from a good one? Streamline design, versatility, the right measure of features and none of the unessential, complex add-ons that just add weight and increase the chance of mechanical failure while on the trail. Admittedly, what a thru-hiker needs to break the AT land speed record and what makes a weekend warrior happy varies considerably–no pack can do everything perfectly. But the Stratos 24 comes damn close, targeting that sweet spot for people who discover hiking—and know it’ll become a growing obsession throughout their lifetime. The bag features Osprey’s spectacular AirSpeed suspension; the pack rests against your back on a mesh trampoline, while the pack contents are elevated on a curved platform. The space between the main compartment and your back create a veritable tornado of cooling air, from your waist to your shoulders. It’s one of the most comfortably harness systems we’ve tested. The single-panel top-load main pocket boasts 24 liters of storage (size medium), and is secured with dual nylon buckles. Mesh pockets on either side of the pack, on both sides of the hip belt, and on the left shoulder strap (perfect for sunglasses) expand storage options. The hydration-compatible pack also has two smaller pockets, one on the top for quick-grab items like food or a camera, and another tucked in over the top of the harness, complete with a key clip. And remember what we said about versatility? The Stratos has it in spades, including a removable rain fly and secure ice axe and trekking pole loops–ideal for when the novice hiker suddenly graduates the next level of gear nirvana.

$99

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