Black Diamond Axiom 40 Backpack Review

Welcome back, Will. Glad to see your review is self-contained, not "evolving". Your return raises the bar for equipment reviews back to where it was until a few months ago. Long may it remain high.

Glad you're back! You are the king of product reviews, and the faithful have missed your expertise.

Glad to see you here and contributing. I've always appreciated your writing style and you hit the points that so many of us are interested in. Really like the comparison to other gear. Very informative. And glad to see Ryan in here, even if he's only uploading the article. Nice to see you Ryan.

Hi all, thanks so much for your kind words. I want to verify that I will still be around and continue to contribute to BPL, but to a lessor extent than before. The articles I write from now on will be limited to gear and techniques that really intrigue me. Have a great summer and get in lots of hiking. Best, Will

Will so glad that you're still involved in BPL and sharing your rich experience and knowledge. Have learned so much from your very informative reviews and forum comments.

Now I know this is outside the scope of your review but I've got to know – how do you like your Altra Lone Peaks? Can you offer any fit guidelines? What size do you wear for backpacking compared with your actual foot size?

My wife and I have been considering them as replacements for our totally beat up trail shoes (with Shoe Goo I may get just a month's more use out of mine).

We've been looking at shoes with roomy toe boxes, good cushioning (doesn't have to be thick but not minimalist), neutral insole, quick drying mesh, durable outsole and preferably lower heel to toe drop. Saucony Xodus 3.0 (4mm drop with good cushioning) is also in the running, as well as possibly New Balance 810 and 1110.

(The New Balance shoes depend on getting correct info from NB – one NB rep said the 810 has an 8mm drop and the 1110 a 4mm drop, while another NB rep claimed 12mm for each shoe. Wish they'd list that info).

Hi EJ! Check out the Saucony Pro Grid Outlaw: it has pretty aggressive lugs, a D ring at the base of the laces for attaching gaiters (it also has an internal, built-in gaiter, but I still like to use an external one), and also features a 4mm differential. Talk about comfort!