Thanks for your interest in the Aquilo pack. It is a great pack and has received alot of really positive feedback from customers. The Aquilo has tons of great organizational features, a very supportive suspension system, and is very durable. Here are a couple of quotes from customers using the Aquilo pack:
"I "loved" the backpack. I used it five days last week on the AT with about 30-32 lb.. and it worked perfect. It was easy to pack (thanks to your instruction), it rode well on my hips, and all the pockets were perfect to carry all my gear plus organizing it for quick access. It will be my backpack for future AT hikes. the belt pockets you sold me were also extremely easy to access and served an excellent purpose." Dick B.
"The week before last I took the pack out on its first backpacking trip; 8 days with Sierra Club Outings on the Rainbow Plateau in northern AZ. Hiking over desert and through slot canyons, lots of slickrock walking, even a patch where we had to float our packs through deep (and cold!) water. My starting weight was 37 lb and the Aquilo handled that like a champ. Fortunately I'd trained at that weight so I had figured out I needed to tighten up the lifter straps between the front and back of the hipbelt. When I got past the deep water, the grommets Matthew added drained the pack in a jiffy, while everybody else was complaining about how heavy their mass-market packs had gotten. In camp later it was a treat to pull out the stay and turn the pack inside out to dry. I ended up putting my hydration reservoir in the tall side pocket and using the reservoir sleeve as an organizer; on side hikes it was my 1.4-oz daypack. This pack is definitely a winner for when I need to haul lots of volume or weight." – Will W.
The later quote was about a custom Aquilo I made for Will. It was the same basic design as the stock pack, but I used Dyneema X for the external pockets to increase durability for Will. It is a sweet pack! You can see some pictures of it on my Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/ElementalHorizons.
In addition to these customers I have a number of thru-hikers on the AT this season and heard from one just this past weekend. He said "I have owned 3 or 4 packs in my life and so far the Aquilo is my favorite!" He is now somewhere north of Waynesboro, VA and is preaching the word about his Aquilo pack. It is tough to argue with a thru hiker who is out there laying down the miles day in and day out, and who is loving the pack they have on their back. :)
I hand build every pack I sell to the highest possible standards and stand behind all my products 100%. If anyone ever has a problem with any of my products, whether it is a pack or something small like a sunglasses case, I want to know about it and I will do whatever I can to make it right for them.
I hope this all helps. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any other questions or if I can assist you in any way.
Happy hiking!
Matthew
