Mountain Hardwear Dihedral Backpack - 2450-2600cu in

I ran into someone skiing Wimpy's Knob in Jackson Hole, WY who was wearing this pack also. He burst out, "I love this pack! I call it my penguin!" This pack does it all. I love the versatility. When I ski with it, I use the straps that are otherwise tucked under the white panel on the back. They are also removable. There is a great small pocket at the top of the pack under the lid, so if you remove the lid, you still have a pocket to stash your lighter, lip balm, and sunscreen.
I find the fit excellent. My only request would be to have a removable back pad that could double as a sleeping pad.

All,
Would it be possible to remove the lid and use it as a smaller backpack to run small errands such as getting water etc?

FIRST IMPRESSION: Bomber construction. Has pockets, straps, buckles etc in the right spots. Size is perfect for climbers who need to lug around a full rack. Decided against buying the Splitter from Mountain Hardware. The Dihedral distributes the weight closer to your body than the Splitter - an important feature for technical approaches.OPINION AFTER SEVERAL USES: after several admittedly tough climbing trips, the bottom of the pack has started to fail. There are small tears from my cams on the inside rubbing against rock on the outside. If anyone from Mountain Hardwear is reading this, can you please consider extending the tarp material to cover the bottom of the pack as well? Thank you.

holds a 60m. draws, rack, harness, helmet, water, - shoes on the outside. snug fit but what else do you need. I like that the top flat is removable the above is without the top

This pack was hands down one of the most amazing backpacks I have ever had the pleasure of using. It was durable and light weight. I took this pack to Denver and packed for a weeks stay and still had room in the pack. Overall it is a spacious pack and I never regret buying it one bit.

This is my "go to" pack for my 14er trips. I can fit anything in here with room to spare! There is an inside pocket for hydration, but I don't like bladders so I put two Sigg 1.5 liters in the hydration pocket instead and it works terrific! There are two "head" pockets and lots of other little places to store things. This is a bit more of a pack that most would use, but its not too bulky at all and it can really be tied down to make it seem smaller. There are technically two ice axe loops, but they are some fancy design so I use the classic one in the center. I suppose the fancy axe loops are for ice tools and not a classic axe. The suspension on this pack is also very comfortable, a huge improvement over my old Arcteryx day pack. Its hard to explain, but it just felt very comfortable and stays that way even for 12+ hour days. On a side note, watch the sizing as I would normally not buy a long, but per MH's sizing chart I am a long, and a trip to my nearby REI confirmed this. Get this pack as its great and the outside is so extremely durable I don't think twice about rubbing it on rocks, etc.

I bought this pack to hike, alpine climb, ice climb and bakcountry ski with. My firs trip out was a 10 hour snow hike and it was comfortable right off the bat. Since than I have been out hiking a few times and ice climbing once. It expands great , has a 4-5 internal pockets , holds ice tools well, and is comfortable for long days. I wish that it had a crampon pocket. Will look forward to skiing with it as the ski holding starps look great and I think it will hold skis well.

I really like this pack for climbing. The compression straps can be clipped around the outside of the pack to hold crampons. The lid pockets are a great size. There are more small pockets than on similar packs (4).

I'm less of a fan of this pack for skiing though. The pocket underneath the white tarp though is a bit of a pain and I would have much preferred to see an externally accessed shovel pocket there, for easy access to skins, shovel and probe. The pack I use for skiing (Black Diamond Anarchist Avalung) has both a good shovel pocket and a side zip for quick access to the main pack.

I love this pack. It has room to get all my trad gear in it plus more. This pack does it all and is built like a tank.

The top lid has two pockets, one small and one a bit bigger. It also has a camel back pocket and a rope strap.

If you want to go light and fast cinch it up and remove the back support as well as the hip strap and replace the thicker, padded strap with a thin webbing stap that is included.

This pack is highly recommended.

Cheers.

This pack does what it's supposed to do. I'd buy one again.

Took this pack traveling around southeast Asia and loved it. Big enough to fit everything you need, small enough to carry on planes and buses. Only draw back is the lack of external pockets--I wish there was a side pocket and an external shovel pocket for winter touring.

This pack offers a tremendous value. It is as close to bombproof as you'll need in most cases, but has the great option that you can easily remove the hip-belt, framesheet and lid and you'll something much lighter. Good wrap-around compression straps as well.

My only complaint is one of personal preference; I'd love to add:
- external side pockets
- external shovel/probe pockets
- panel loading functionality

At 20% off right now, it is a no brainer. If you are willing to spend more money, I'd go with a Mystery Ranch pack.

This pack is form-fitting, supportive, and sleek. The material on it is awesome and feels really durable. The pack features are awesome as well. I especially like the water bladder pocket feature which works perfectly with the one I have. Overall great pack!

I love the Mountain Hardwear Dihedral! It is such a comfortable pack that it has become my go-to climbing pack - and easily fits my full rack, two harnesses, two pairs of shoes, chalk bag, layers and 2L of water (or a rope and a small rack if is a rope carrying day). The bottom is very durable, and has stayed perfect even though I scrape it on everything. I also love the huge lid because it can fit all the food I want, headlamp, freshette and just about anything else I would want.