Black Diamond

Distance 15L Backpack

Best of both worlds

Love the fitted straps, stays nice and snug and I don’t have deal with a bunch of dangling straps. So much storage, plenty of room for all my day trips and long runs. Fits my poles and ice axe. And it’s incredibly comfortable and lightweight. Best of both worlds for running vests and daypacks.

Great pack

Just ran a heavy half with this bad boy and can't say enough good things first the material it is very light and it has so many pockets for your gear also I love the dry bag style it allows you to pack out your bag fully and it dosent affect stability or anything like that For reference I'm 5'9 150 pounds size m

Everything at a minimum weight!

Out here in CO there are certain peaks that recommend a helmet. Purchased the new version of the Vapor and needed a way to stow it securely in a pack. At the Boulder store the employee and I made sure the helmet fit inside the pack as well as the pack fit before I left the store. It has everything you could possibly think of for a big day in the high country.

Great bag!

Comfy, practical and tiny, this bag is a must for every physical activities or commutes one!

Great product. Sadly undersized.

Size Bought:

L

Height:

6' 1"

Weight:

220

I've been trying out a number of lightweight vests and packs for use as an ultralight day hiker in alpine terrain with ultra-changeable weather. This is one of two standouts in terms of design, materials, and construction. Light compact, good hydration & pocket setup, Enough (and a bit more) capacity for what I need to cary without making me choose between micro spikes or lightweight rain gear... So I feel I need to give it five stars. BUT - sadly the sizing is laughably small. So this one is bagged up and heading back. I'm nowhere near the size of the reviewer who self described as "NFL lineman" sized - but at 61', 220 pounds, and reasonably fit - the "L" is just not going to do it. If BD were to make a legit XL or XL/XXL - I'd buy two. (think the Nathan Vapor Air 2 Lite 1X-3X sizing - not even near my favorite design, but an ideal fit for me) If it fits you, this is likely a great choice for an ultralight hydration oriented pack with more and better thought out load capacity than the typical hydration vest.

One Step Forward, Two Back

I have used the Distance 15, v1 and v2 as my go-to bag for all of my long runs including a self supported 100 miler, Moab 240, and the Last Annual Heart of the South 326 miler. Unfortunately due to design changes I will not be using the v3 pack but instead the Salomon advanced skin 12. The Distance 15 v3 updates the front pockets well but as many have mentioned should be uniform and have zip pockets on both sides for uniform distribution. The biggest issues are in the actual fit. The back weight distribution is narrower which is nice but, it is also lower which increases the probability of chafing if using the pack for running. In addition the elimination of being able to tighten the stapes to the pack in a lateral adjustment has made the bag useless for running if between sizes. I am 5'10" 135 and a small cannot be adjusted sufficiently to actually want to run with the pack due to unnecessary bouncing and rubbing. Sadly, all they needed was similar adjustments as across the chest on the straps connecting to the pack and the bag would have been the best on the market. Unfortunately, as mentioned the pack is not usable for me for running and I will be switching brands.

Good improvements, Limited by sizing

I understand and appreciate the changes made to give the pack the "vest" snugness. However, on the Classic Distance 15 being able to loosen the sides made for a better fit on larger men. I'm athletic build at 6'3'' 260 lbs - think NFL Offensive Tight End. The new design hardly fits and looks rather, well, silly on me. An XL option would be amazing in the next generation. I will be sticking to my classic Distance 15 for now. Other notable improvements; having less zippers and the new clasp to hold a water reservoir.

Well made pack

This is a very impressive large volume running vest. I would have preferred a roll top closure over the drawstring and flap. I feel like it’s over complicated with no apparent benefit. The rest of the vest works very well. The shoulder straps are comfortable and the chest straps do what they are supposed to. If you have a hard bottle the zipper phone pocket doesn’t really work but it still perfect for keys.

Lots of Options!

I bought the distance 15 primarily as a running backpack and chose it over traditional running vests because of its versatility for other activities. I’ve fitted it with a 2L Hydrapak bladder and two 600mL Hydrapak soft flasks. The bags quality feels really good and the vest pockets are very nicely places. My only complaints are that one chest pocket is open (does not have a zipper) making it pretty useless when running because I don’t want anything to fall out. Also hydration sleeve hold the bladder pretty loosely causing the bladder to bounce quite a bit during running; so far it’s holding up but I worry the constant bouncing will eventually wear out the clip that suspends the bladder.

Defective Loop Strap

If I was to review this bag last week, I would've given this bag 5 stars. When I received my pack, I took it out for a few short runs and hikes locally to test the bag. The fit is very comfortable and carries weight effortlessly. I can fit everything I need for longer runs or if I know the summits will be colder without shifting of the pack. The zipper pouch on the inside is a great addition to this model to keep my personal items in place. I personally utilized the internal bladder sleave for my water so that kept all the front pockets on the straps free for items for quick and easy access and never felt these items move around or feel in the way. However, when I took this bag on a longer trip the upper strap loop holding the female buckle (upper left) stitching came undone. At this point, miles out from the trailhead, the pack no longer holds tight to the body and no longer can run with the bag. Not knowing that the loop had broken and unclipping with upper strap, the strap with the female buckle fell into the abyss of the boulder fields of New Hampshire (if you ever hiked the mountains of New Hampshire, you know what I mean). It was very frustrating to be miles out and carry a bag that no longer could be used as a running pack with too much shifting and loss of proper weight distribution. Hopefully, this was a fluke and not a common thing with this bag. I highly suggest looking at the stitching on the straps before you head out for the day. I filled out a warranty claim, but I'll see how long this bag is out of commission. It's unfortunate, this bag was great before this happened.