Has anyone used these packs…?

[David Stanhope]

Anyone ever use these packs and what were your experiences w/them… pro's/con's??

Black Diamond Sphynx 32

Black Diamond Speed 30

Black Diamond RPM Pack

Cilo Gear 30 Liter Worksack

I have the Wild Things Guide Pack (30 liters). And it's great but always looking for new packs to have handy and try out on different trips. This would be used mainly for winter single day Mountaineering and possible summer hiking.

[James holden]

i looked at the sphynx 32/42 when i bought my mutant … i personall though it was overweight for the 32 … if i remember correctly, the lid was neither floating nor strippable … the alum stay provides some support but will collapse under higher loads … on the positive side it was reasonably priced, has good attachments and has a comfortable backpanel/hipbelt

[David Stanhope]

I think I tried on the Sphynx and just thought it was a larger pack and a little much. The Speed 30 seems pure Mountain pack and the Cilo Gear pack seems a good mix of the two and bomber construction.

I'm leaning towards the Cilo Gear and it seems like the company can make minor adjustments to the pack if asked. Black Diamond I doubt they will.

[Richard Fischel]

have you thought of up-sizing slightly to the cilogear 40l. for winter it's great to have that little bit of extra room when you need it and the added load carrying capacity of the frame sheet and stay. when you don't need the extra volume/weight carrying ability close the pack down and take the frame sheet out. i've got the 40l and like it alot. i've used the bag for winter day-trips up to multi-day spring trips on rainier and baker (traveling pretty light). you already have a great 30l pack, why not get something diffrent. have you spoken to graham about the changes you'd like to make and was he reseptive? i always thought of cilo as a company that builds stock packs to order not a builder of custom packs.

[patrick walsh]

I just got one and it is awesome. Will expand to well over the claimed 37L and will compress down nice and neat to a very small day pack i can use in spring or fall with ease. I was also looking at the Cilo Gear WorkSack as my other option. I passed on the Celo Gear pack as i want the Dyneema WorkSack and it is $400-$575 in comparable sizes to the 37L varient. I need other things more at this point so spending that kind of $$$ on a pack seemed dumb? I am happy i made this decision as the Osprey Varient is awesome and it weighs in only a few ounces more than the WorkSack!

[James holden]

glad you like yr variant patrick

its a do anything pack for 2-3 days with gear, or longer on trails

very strippable for day trips as well

[patrick walsh]

Its a perfect size for safe solo day trips for winter in NH's White mountains. Being i am still cutting my adult teeth that is and air on the side of better safe than sorry;)! I can t believe how big the bag can be and then in less than a couple minutes how small neat and tidy it can be!!

[Richard Fischel]

there are a couple of features of the cilo that make it stand out and helped in my making a decision. i like that the back pad can be removed and i can substitute my sleeping pad or go padless. the variant has a thermoformed back pad that's fixed to the pack. i also like that the cilo framesheet/stay can be bent to the contour of my back. another feature i like on the cilo is that the attachment point for the waist belt can be moved vertically so that the pack can be better fit to the individual wearer's torso length. as far as pack material goes, i've been more than impressed with the beating my conventionally skinned cilo has sustained. if you are a wild things owner with the a simple is best mentality it's an easy transition to cilogear. both are niche companies that have historically had an owner/climber mentality that is apparent in the products they make. the jury is out on wild things presently to see what their new product line will look like based on their purchase by an opportunity fund and new ceo.

[James holden]

i believe that the variant 37's framesheet and stay can be taken out as well, and the stay bent

the variant 52 tubular frame cant be bent easily, but the frame should still be strippable along with the top pockets and hip belt like the 37

in fact the variant (and mutant) are lighter than quite a few non UL daypacks when stripped

everyone will like different features … i just try on every pack i can get my grubby hands on … lol

[Richard Fischel]

yes – the frame sheet on the variant can be removed and stay bent, but the thermoformed back pad cannot be removed or substituted with your sleeping pad.

here's the mix-and-match on the weight for the cilo 40:

pack bag: 815g/29 oz. Hipbelt: 120g/5 oz. Lid: 170g/6 oz. Full Strap Kit: 160g/6oz Framesheet + Pad: 550g/19 oz. – 1.8kg 3.9lbs Max Weight.

yep – diffrent packs for diffrent people – it's what makes the world go round

[patrick walsh]

If money was no issue i woulda gone Cilo. I also hear wait time can be a real bugger with Cilo and i had not extra time either. I def have a Cilo pack in my future i just dont know when ;)

If time and money are no issue i would also go with the Cilo i think?

I will let you know after i get one and can compare it to the Variant.

[K. S.]

nevm

[Zachary Arnold]

i have a cilo 40l. It carries and climbs awesome. I really love the slim profile. I felt the adjustment system wasn't worth the weight. I removed all the metal clips and put on permanent side compression straps. I ended up removing the outside crampon pocket because now I use a closed cell pad and strap it to the middle outside. I also put a compression strap over the top like a lot of lightweight back packing packs. I'm planning on putting some small pockets on the back corner which is nice for long approaches where I can put a water bottle and some snacks. When this bag is worn out I will probably buy another one but have it made with the modifications put on by them.

[P. Larson]

RPM: Great pack but a little small. If you put anything in the pack, the mesh pockets become pretty much useless. If you get warm, expect to be very wet under the shoulder straps and on your back. Its like they covered the foam in vapor barrier material or something.

Speed 30: Garbage. The back panel "frame" as they call it (I call it a piece of flimsy plastic and a coat hanger bent into a weird shape) doesn't do anything a frame should do. The load lifter straps just seem to be in the wrong position and never did what it was supposed to do either. The shoulder straps are all wrong and again, expect a very wet back and hips if you sweat.

Cilogear. Eh, a little overpriced for what they are. I've heard a bunch of people say they aren't as durable as Cilo claims.

If you are looking for a bomber pack that will last for years and years, get a Cold Cold World pack.

[Steven Paris]

I have an RPM which I sometimes use for dayhikes (although you could use it for a SUL overnighter or climbing). I stripped the overly-comlicated bungee cord from the front but didn't lose very much weight. I didn't notice it being any sweatier than many dyneema packs that rest against the back, either.

It is a great pack, but I'm fairly certain BD isn't making this one anymore.

[P. Larson]

Yeah, BD now calls it the Burn. Same exactly pack as the RPM except they made it heavier with by adding hip belt pockets and a bigger hip belt. It used to just be a removable strap.

[Paul Hope]

"Speed 30: Garbage"

I respectfully disagree. I own a 2011 version of the Speed 30 pack and have used it exclusively on all of my winter & spring mountaineering trips here in Colorado without any of the issues that you have encountered. In fact, I will be taking this pack up Little Bear on Thursday followed by La Plata Saturday and Yale on Sunday. It is a great winter day pack. This will be my 2nd winter season with the pack, it currently has 27 winter 14er summits to its name and besides a few cosmetic marks, it is like new.

As for CCW, I agree, they are bomber packs– I own both the Valdez and Chernobyl and highly recommend them as well as the customer service that Randy provides. I just wish that he did a smaller alpine pack in the 30L range, the Valdez at 40L is just too big for my needs unless I am overnighting for a couple of days.

Cilogear, great packs– I have used their 30L packs with great success but would not pay full retail for them, their craftsmanship is also a little suspect. Look for a used one at a good price.

Overall I like my Speed 30, Valdez and Chernobyl– you can't go wrong with either one in my opinion.

[Daniel Yaris]

I love my Cilo Gear 30 Liter Worksack!

I think on my next Rainier climb that is the pack that I will use (last time I used my 40b NWD)

It's just the perfect size and fits me great. I also have the CCW valdez but it's so much easier to get the bivy pad out of the cilo gear and it also has a hip belt if needed.

[Eric Krumland]

I have a speed 40. It is a very nice pack and I have been very happy with it. When I climb I strip everything off it, lid, waist-belt, frame-sheet. It is very comfortable and is made out of a very durable material so drag it a cliff as a haul bag if you need to. It is super simple without a bunch of useless pockets and daisy chains which I never use. My biggest complaint is that the roll top closure can be a little more work to get into and re-close than I like. Not a real problem though. I think the speed 40 is the same thing just a little bigger.

Eric

[Siggy Chaloupka]

im with Richard Fischel! I own a Cilogear 40 W/NW….and its performance when i used it on cold routes in NZ is fantastic! super comfy, simply, light….and built like a brick sh*thouse.I'm a small guy, and i didnt want anything that would burden me, and the 40 is just the right size for 90% of the stuff i do…..plus, dont forget you can stuff the throat for extra space!
Plus, the chaps at Cilogear are some of the nicest blokes to deal with.

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