Southwest 40

I returned from Europe a week ago after spending 45 days in France, Switzerland, and Portugal. About ten of those days were hiking in the high Alps carrying this pack with twenty pounds of clothing, water, and other necessities. I did not have to camp out, so no cooking or tent or sleeping bag. I am 73, so it's a big deal to hike 10 miles/day with at least 3,000 feet of vertical. I will say that this pack was everything I hoped it would be. I choose a maximum weight of 20 pounds, and carrying twenty pounds this distance was easy. The pack conforms to your back very well. You can fine tune the adjustments to make a fit that becomes part of your body. There are plenty of straps to both attach stuff and compress the size to go through any airport carry-on gate. It is as good as 100% waterproof. The three outside pouches are very convenient, using one for water, one for hiking poles, and the big one for whatever you want ready access for - rain gear, maps, warm layer. There are no compartments inside, but the pack is small enough so if you pack efficiently you can get to whatever you need. Highly recommended. It will be my go-to pack going forward. I am 5 feet 10 inches but have a long torso so I ordered a large. It was right. Be sure to measure before you buy.

Very comfortable pack. My computer feels half the weight.

I absolutely love this pack. It fits a lot and can carry significant weight (I sometimes had 20-25lbs) very comfortably. It's also seriously waterproof. I had it in day long deluges and week-long mist and not a single drop got in. The external pockets are useful, too, as they provide an extra 8 or so liters of storage -- enough to keep all you'll need during your walk. Again, I love this pack. I took it with me on a 2-month long trip and I'm looking forward to taking it on its next adventure!

This pack is light weight and a pleasure to use. My base weight is currently about 15 lbs. I have to carry a lot of water because the areas I hike in does not have access to water. My total weight is around 35 lbs so this pack does dig into the shoulders some at that weight. Also, there is no ventilation for your back so you will sweat… a lot. Otherwise, I am in love with this pack and highly recommend it (especially if your base weight is low and you do not need to carry large amounts of water). Would like to see load lifters and thicker padding but I know that is not what these packs are about. This pack handles light loads very well and is comfortable under that condition.

This is a new pack for me… trying to go lighter. It’s feeling great and easy to move in! Wonderful layout of pack- storage and dry capabilities!