Re: Getting back in shape -

Mystery Ranch http://www.mysteryranch.com/site/ is the company that Dana Gleason started after he sold Dana Design to K2, stayed on as a consultant, then got disgusted with the way K2 was running Dana Design. He came up with some very interesting new ideas, some of which work very well (as most of his designs do), some of which are as quirky as he is personally (I have met and talked with him a number of times over the years). His packs have always been very comfortable to carry, even with very large loads. I have the Dana Terraplane OK (for OverKill) that I got while he still owned the company. My wife has his Terraplane 10th Anniversary edition, which has most of the same features, but a lighter fabric that is just as strong. My son has the Bomb Pack, which was very much the favorite of ski patrollers for carrying the charges they use for avalanche control. The OK is really heavy unloaded (8.5 pounds), but I have carried 65-70 pounds in it on expeditions quite comfortably.

Dana licensed some of the features of the Mystery Ranch suspension system to Kelty for a couple years, but was unhappy with what they did with it (yes, he is a feisty curmudgeon, but a fun guy to talk to). People I know who have the MR packs say they are very comfortable to carry.

But no matter who makes it, packs, like boots, have to fit you properly. Part of this is getting an experienced, trained fitter who will work with you. I have found that there are a few brands of packs that fit me very well and a few that I can't get to work for me at all (including some very high quality brands that fit some of my compatriots extremely well). Just like boots - there are a couple of brands that fit me right off the shelf as if they were built especially for me, and others that make me miserable.