worth it

By emily.well1832453 Ranked #53 - Winter Packs August 19, 2008

I own this pack in size 'short' - it took me all winter and most of spring and summer to finally locate a good backcountry board pack and buy it. So far I've only used it to climb a technical peak, and while it isn't really a climbing pack (a little heavy), it was the perfect size for a summer bivy trip and extremely comfortable (I also own the bigger women's Bora pack, also very comfortable) despite being very full while climbing 5th class and hopping over mile-long talus and boulder fields. I actually really like the rolltop so far- it does take two hands (vs. zippered packs), but opens up all the way instantly. The shape of it (wide at top, narrow at the bottom) makes it very easy to 1)pack it; 2)find/feel for things inside it; and 3)unpack it. Also, the burly straps for gear/snowboard look like they will hold up much longer than straps on other packs I was looking at (i.e. osprey switch 25 or 36). I originally bought the BCA stash BC rider pack, but it was WAY too long (I am almost 5'5"). One thing I noticed but don't care about at all is that you can't really overstuff this pack- the roll top closure doesn't really work if you have too much stuff in it, and it is a little harder to cram shut.
--and now, an addition to the review--
its summer now and I used the pack all winter. I
couldn't be happier. I have noticed that I have to pack my shovel and probe carefully so that the everything makes it out of that outside pocket effortlessly (time is life). However I have a longer probe and a large-ish shovel (blackdiamond guide 300cm and T7).

View Details: Arc'teryx Silo 40 Backpack - 2319-2746cu in

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