Very light and versatile pack for alpine outings. Did some hauling of 50lb to 70lb loads and it did really well. Pretty amazing to get that out of a 4lb pack. It sat out in the rain/snow and kept all my shit dry. I did put a hole in it with an ice pick and could see some of the seams loosen from the heavy loads. Overall I'm really happy with the comfort, fit, and ability of this pack. We'll see about the long term life as it gets more abuse.

I took this pack on a week long trip to the Gannet Peak area in western wyoming. The shoulder straps were comfortable and when paired with the minimal waist belt it carried 30-40 pounds like a dream. BUT it fell apart. Abrasion from rock tore the sides, tree branches punctured it, and the ice axe velcro tore! Later after a rap and gear lower the bag looked like it had been through years of abuse but it was only a week old! The buckles froze and became fragile and 3 broke. The crampon strap system is pointless. Black Diamond customer service told me "thats the nature of the material" Shenanigans!

I agree with the other reviewer--this pack is extremely well designed for alpine climbing, but the fabric is much to flimsy for serious trips. I ordered this back for climbing and skiing this spring and summer, and took it out for the first time for a three day backcountry ski trip last weekend. Since I was staying at a lodge, the pack wasn't super heavily loaded--probably around 40lbs, but I could see strain on material around the seams near the bottom of the pack. There's no way the fabric near the sewing was going to hold up under heavier loads and repeated use. Also, in the course of three days, I managed to put two small tears in the pack bag--not from ice axes or crampons (didn't bring 'em), or from ski edges (wrong location), but just abrasion on rocks and trees. If you tried to haul this pack I imagine it would be in tatters almost immediately. I hope BD will remake the pack with a better fabric, because the size, fit, weight, and features make it perfect for alpine climbing.