This pack has been out for about three years now and remains my favorite BD Avalung pack. It has enough space to fit gear for multiple day backcountry missions but cinches down tight when only a day lunch and extra layers are needed. The best part about this pack is that no matter what load you are carrying it always fits snug to your back unlike other packs that fit awkwardly when maxed out. Also it has a side zip that allows you to find things further down in the pack without having to search by feel. To top it off it has the Avalung just in case. So if I could choose one backpack to cover all of my needs while in the Backcountry this is definitely it.

The Anarchist is a great pack. I love it because it can hold alot of stuff for longer missions but it sits really well on the back with minimal things as well. It cinches down nice and tight and becomes one with back for enhanced ripping. I like the way it carries skis and has a nice side zip for easy access, and it has an avalung.

The Avalung packs are an incredible addition to anyone's touring package. You hope to never need to use the avalung, but it is nice to have just in case. The Anarchist pack is very durable which means it is also fairly heavy. The side zip access is a great feature allowing quick access to the main compartment. I am tall (6'1") so I had to go with the 42L for proper fit. The frames are not adjustable to exact fit can be a challenge. There are definitely better packs out there, but to have an avalung with you all the time is worth it.

Love this pack. Packs small enough for day trips or a day of patrolling but as a minimalist, I can cram enough gear into it for a three day tour! The avvy tool pocket is ingeniously designed to allow easy access to the gear you need right away. Side zipper pocket gives easy access to skins. Ski sling design is awesome, even for fat skis, although sometimes a little wobbly when doing any seriously climbing. Love having the integrated Avalung as it's so much more convenient and comfortable than the stand alone Avalungs. Only thing I'd do to improve this pack is put a pocket on the waistbelt.
Enjoy,
Miles.

While the avalung has certainly been responsible for saving lives, I’m not giving this integrated version high marks. The reason is “it depends”. It depends on the pack you get! Do you feel lucky? Our ski patrol uses this pack and approximately 1/3 of the integrated avalung units resonate significantly when breathing in or out of the mouth piece. Many describe this noise as a “mating elephant” or other such funny description, but I don’t find the issue amusing when try to use it. Another approximately 1/3 state it resonates sporadically and the last 1/3 claim it works great (quite and smooth).

I’m an experienced open and closed circuit SCUBA user and I am very comfortable breathing through a mouth piece. It became quickly apparent however that when the avalunge became a resonance chamber the air flow was significantly diminished – making it much more difficult to breath. As a comparison, a smaller diameter snorkel with clean air flow is very easy to breath through. Skiing through heavy powder with this thing in your mouth, you are not able to keep up with the oxygen demand. And the whole reason for a mouth piece is to be IN your mouth when skiing suspicious slopes (so says the BD engineers) – so this negates the entire purpose of the unit!

The issue seems to be with the box at the left shoulder – the manifold unit. After calling BD about this, the first guy that answered the phone told me it was designed purposely with this noise so you know it was working correctly. How absurd! Tech service responded that this was a ridiculous answer as well. I sent the pack back for inspection and the resonance was confirmed. BD engineers did admit they had a general issue with this design, but claimed it did not restrict air flow. However their testing consists of pass/fail criteria and they have not released data on airflow rate with and without resonance. Yes, you can still breath when the resonance kicks in, but not well. And certainly not well enough to ski or skin with the device in your mouth in heavy powder at higher altitudes. And how about after being buried by an avalanche when your heart is racing and all goes black, most likely dealing with a traumatic injury. Do you think you’re going to want keep breathing through a device that restricts your airflow significantly? They did say they were working on this issue for future designs but had no intensions for recall. A new pack was returned to me but unfortunately it has the same issue. Interestingly my wife’s unit does not have the issue and works very well.

The pack itself is well made and durable. The larger size can easily support a multi-day winter tour. Most of the reviews I see are for the pack, not the avalung. May only comment with the pack itself is that the ski/ice axe loops being too large to accommodate ice axes securely (more for skis). I’m surprised I have not seen more reviews on this resonance issues, but perhaps folks just accept it?

Again, if you feel lucky, buy the unit, but I don’t recommend rolling the dice and parting with your cash for a unit that may or may not operate smoothly if you are using this mainly for avalanche use. Perhaps the stand alone unit operates more smoothly? One man’s opinion.

Credentials (for what it's worth): 10 year senior ski patroller - Central California Sierra Nevada (instructor for avalanche, outdoor medical and winter search and rescue),

i would agree with everything the other review states but i just wont to add the only downfall i have found with this pack. the intake manifold for the avalung sits right on my shoulder bone! after a few hours with it on with a full and heavy pack it does begin to hurt but with that said it just might be that i don't have it set properly and i also have a separated shoulder that didn't heel properly! i will say this pack by far is the best i have ever owned and i recommend it to everyone that takes their backcountry adventures to the next level! if ur searching for a do everything pack that is tight on the body and dosen't move BUY THIS PACK! all my friends that have seen it are buying it!

This is a great deal for a great pack. Good size for a full day. You will never forget your Avalung either. Get the 42 L, if you don't need the space each time, compress it down.

This pack is the best i've had for backcountry, not even including the avalung! Very comfortable with good sized loads on it, and i barely notice the integrated frame. The only improvement this pack could have is straps for a snowboard, but those are easy enough to sew on. I absolutely love the side zip pocket, it gives me easy access to my goods when i have my board strapped on.

The resonance does not seem to inhibit air flow as much as was implied in the other review. I'm a patroller at a Colorado resort and I ski in the backcountry 30 to 40 days a year. I have this pack, and mine does resonate a little bit when I breathe through it, however I am still able to breathe. As for the Avalung not allowing enough airflow for the demands of skiing and skinning, this problem is avoided by holding the mouthpiece in your teeth but keeping your mouth open around it. That way if you actually get caught in a slide, all you have to do is close your mouth around it. If you become buried, it may not be as easy to breathe through as a snorkel or a scuba unit, but it is exponentially easier to breathe under the snow with an Avalung in your mouth than it is without one (I've tried). As annoying as it may be to have to hold something in your teeth while you ski, you should get over it because the whole point of the thing is to save your life by allowing you to breath where you otherwise could not. The bottom line is that the built-in Avalung device may not be absolutely perfect, but if you use it properly it is still far better than not having one at all.

Sturdy, well-designed pack. It fits me well and doesn't interfere with my helmet as others have noted. I've found it comfortable to wear and large enough for day trips in the backcountry, it wouldn't be big enough for me to carry all that I'd like for a overnight trip. The external, easily accessed compartment for shovel and probe is a nice feature. I like having the avalung available without the hassle of an extra piece of equipment. I have the solo avalung too but I hardly ever wore it, too much gear to get tangled up for my tastes, this all in one approach works much better for me.

The pack is great but the avalung attachment causes pain in my shoulder. The issue is caused by the box (air intake) in the top/back of the shoulder strap....that box rubs my shoulder in a bad way.

Although I should fit the smaller size, I am right on the border of the two sizes. I would recommend to anyone that is thinking of getting this pack to size it up to minimize this problem.

FYI - that annoying box in the shoulder strap can be pulled into the pack...but it isn't recommended.

This pack is excellent. Caries the stuff you need to be safe in the backcountry. Plus has plenty of room for extra clothes and first aid kit etc... Bomber proof construction. The avalung is a nice feature that hopefully i will never have to see if it works in real time. This pack carries skis well when bootpacking. I think this pack is a bit too small to carry the stuff you need for overnights especially if your need to carry a stove, fuel and warm sleeping bag. But for its design as an awesome full day ski touring pack I have not found better.

This is one of my favorite packs, without considering the avalung. The lid pockets work well, the front pocket is great for shovel, probe & skins, and the side entrance to the main compartment allows easy access to your lunch or puffy without undoing the lid. Having the avalung integrated means there is no excuse for not having it ready in sketchy conditions.

I've had this pack since mid last winter. This is a great pack for the wasatch.

..the AvaLung intake manifold, a small rectangular metal box located in the left strap, this pack would be one pack to rule them all. The problem though, is that it's somewhat uncomfortable when you've put a load on the pack. BD says you should NOT place it inside the pack as it would restrict the ability to pull in fresh air from the snow pack, which makes sense as the strap itself is a nylon mesh that's highly breathable. The fit may be different for others, but for me, I found it constantly digging into my upper shoulder with weight on, and when doing an overnighter, it just wasn't going to fly in the long run. I opted to pick up an independent AvaLung as it's more adjustable and gives the added benefit of using it with multiple packs for different occasions. Aside from this, the pack is highly durable, has pretty decent support, has easy access, able to handle a snowboard, cinches down really well (42L), and is well designed overall. I didn't notice the resonance issue previously mentioned.

I took this pack on a snow camping overnight. I had it loaded w/ 30+ lbs. The Shoulder strap w/ the avalung tube is uncomfortable. More tuning may be required on my part. The Hip belt has no padding but was not a problem. 2500cu makes a great overnight pack yet still sucks down for day trips.
The lid pocket could be a little bit bigger.
I use a BD deploy 3 shovel and it doesn't fit in the dedicated pocket w/ the handle attached. But it can be fished out of the side pocket. A larger shovel may be more difficult.
I wanted a pack w/ an insulated camelback tube and larger than 1800cu. And this pack serves that well. I love the pocket on the outside of the pack. Its great for large accessories like mittens, goggles and more w/ our having stuff buried. I have no plans of returning it. I give it a conservative rating based on comfort. And w/ any pack you have to learn how to pack it for you.

I got this pack for this season.. Hopefully I'll slay more pow this season than any before. This may be the best designed backcountry pack I've seen. The access pouch in the back securely stows my shovel, probes, and pinflags for quick access. The pack has an integrated hydration system with a zippered sleeve to store the bite valve on the shoulder strap which is also key. When not in use it is concealed. The pack is obviously designed by folks who spend winter outdoors slaying rather than in a Lab trying to figure out what we need in a touring pack. The icing on the cake is the integrated Avalung. In my opinion, if you have a transceiver on you should have an Avalung as well. I will recommend this pack to everyone I tour with!!

I had the medium and it was just a little too small so I ended up purchasing a large. I am about 5' 11". One of my favorite pieces of BD gear that I own. Great features include a side zip to get at gear quickly without flipping open the top, and the helmet carry. When the compression straps are cinched it carries like a much smaller pack, but if you need it for a longer day just uncinch it and fill er up.

I think that the range of features and the integrated avalung are great, but I just couldn't get it to fit right.

I measured my back in the manner described and came up with a measurement of 18". I bought the pack in the smaller size and in spite of that, the back of the pack still came up very high behind my neck and restricted my movement if I was wearing a helmet.

I gave it a '3' because of the fit, but if you are the right size/shape then it looks like a great pack. If you are shorter then make sure you demo in a shop first.

The avalung is obviously a nice feature on this pack but that is not really what I love about it, more like icing on the cake . I love the simplicity. There is nothing on this pack that I do not use. The vertical zip on the back offers quick and easy access to all of your avalanche tools and seems to be the perfect size for my shovel, probe and snow saw. I use the 42 L which is quite large for small day tours but it is worth it to me to have the versatility. No big deal if I want to bring the extra down or if heading out for a three day tour carrying bivy gear. The fit is great for me. I am 5'11" and 155 lbs. Plus you gotta love the name... Anarchy rules!