MacPhail

This is a recent acquisition. It has a superior flow rate and a fairly ergonomic design. Cleaning the filter is a bit tedious and needs to be done regularly, at least every other day of use. Still, it seems reliable and simple to maintain, and it works better than any I've ever had.

And there have been quite a few!

This pack carries as comfortably as packs twice its weight. The adjustment points are all within easy reach for adjustments on the move. The panel access is handy, the bag sturdy, and the lid roomy. Unlike other packs I have had with a "lumbar lid", I actually use the lid as a day pack while on fishing or peak-bagging jaunts. I have had this pack out for winter hut trips with bulky cold-weather gear, luxury weekends in summer, and week-long lightweight trips. The most I have carried comfortably is upwards of 50 lbs; the pack carries best at about 30-35 lbs.

I bought my girlfriend the women's version and after swapping the straps by mail, it has been a perfect fit for her. Both packs also see use as daypacks for shoulder season trips when a little extra capacity and comfort are called for.

I've been using mine since the first ones became available and have never had a problem. It is so self-contained and portable that mine is almost always fired up before I'm even out of my bag. I stick to simmer-free meals and prep them in screw-top Nalgene bowls. Couscous, miso, oatmeal, rice and beans, all with no simmering or pot scrubbing. It almost always comes along on day hikes, too, with a collection of tea, cocoa, and soup to offset a nasty day. Many a cold, damp rest stop in the lee of a boulder has been much improved by that little stove. Well worth the weight.

I bought it to ease my girlfriend into summer backpacking (my usual tent is a tiny GoLite Trig). We got the 3-man version of the Emerald Mountain for the extra room and weren't sorry. There is plenty of room for 2 people, bags, pads, and packs if you want them. The vestibules are big enough to cook in and easily hold packs and wet boots. The walls are steep and the headroom generous.

We use it for car camping and weekend backpacking in all climates and seasons. We've had it flyless on balmy summer nights in Moab, blasted by serious wind storms on the rim of the Grand Canyon, and pitched in a freezing autumn rainstorm at treeline in the Rockies. It was especially great in the rain as we could pitch the fly and floor and use the space to make hot drinks and change into dry clothes before pitching the body inside it.

It packs a little heavy for two, but it parts out easily and sets up quickly. Highly recommended for short, comfortable backpacking trips, and fully a three season tent.

This bag easily handled four decks, soft boots, hard boots, all mountain bindings, plate bindings, riding clothes for four days, street clothes for six days, a backcountry pack, a hydration pack... everything except my helmet. The wheels handled well, even on uneven hard-pack and rutted ice. The skid plate was nice for stairs. I ended up re-attaching the shoulder strap to the front end for long hauls because of the weight. The organization was pretty good, but I ditched the clip-in compartments because everything fit better loose. Rigidity wasn't an issue, but with less gear it might have been too limp to tow properly. It barely fit in the back of my rental car with the back seats down. My biggest problem was with the zippers... they aren’t YKKs and don't seem to handle smoothly, occasionally missing a tooth. All in all, though, I'm satisfied.