Searching for the perfect three season pack, I've tried a few that are close…but none fit the bill.
My ideal pack:
Roughly 30 litres
Lightweight
Constructed of durable materials
Frameless, accepts folded gossamer gear nighlite torso as virtual frame
Top Loading
Large Kangaroo Style Front Pocket
Dual Hip Belt Pockets
No water bladder holster
Deep, bellowed side pockets for water bottles, angled for
easy access with pack on. A pack that rides lower helps make it easy to access the bottles too. Must be able to easily remove and replace 1 litre PET bottles when pack is stuffed full of gear. Compression straps get in the way of this. Stretchy pockets don't work. Pocket must have structure when empty.
Internal stash pocket for important items.
One gear loop for ice axe
The ULA relay is the closest I have found, I only have two issues with it.
The front kangaroo pocket isn't deep enough. I can't stuff my poncho tarp.
The hipbelt pockets attach to the pack in what I think is a clumsy manner.(yeah, I guess I'm picky)
The GoLite VO24 is also close, but has some problems too.
Not quiet large enough.
The water bottle pockets are too short, so large bottles like I need to carry fall out.
The pack is too narrow for the NiteLite pad to fit.
No internal stash pocket.
Anyone with some other ideas on packs to try…or am I going to have to learn how to sew?
Thanks in advance,
Justin
