Contributions by saxon (1)

I bought this pack to use as a general camping pack rather than for what is recommended, and found that it is so specialized that it cannot easily change roles. The hydration compatibility is highly overrated, period. The pack's interior (and exterior, for that matter) is centered around storing lots of long thin items rather than anything bulky. Padding and load control are excellent. My one big concern for snow enthusiasts is that the flap over the zipper on the main compartment does not want to cover it well until you're severely over packed, so there may be a problem with wetness. The three small pockets (2 on the belt and one in the center of back) are almost too small for anything - certainly too small for the things you really want to keep there. The external straps can really only be used for the things shown in picture...good luck making them work for anything else. For snow it's a 5; for summer it's a 2.