User Review: Dana Design Swiftcurrent

Reviewed December 21, 1999 by Pjt

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: Internal
Size: 5200
Number of Pockets: 2 + shovit
Max. Load Carried: 55 lbs
Height of Owner: 5' 11"
Price Paid: $200 (sale)

I've used this pack several times for three-day hikes. This is an excellent pack. It carries all my gear (35-40 lbs) comfortably, and can easily handle heavier loads. It carried gear plus 20 lbs worth of water without trouble for a three-day hike in Big Bend. It didn't shift and remained well balanced during some rock scrambling on a different trip. Even with the straps cinched tight it never got uncomfortable.

The adjustable shoulder/frame straps let me fine tune the fit (which is nice since I usually find myself in between sizes). I'm not really sold on the shovit tail yet. It's an OK feature but I'd rather have extra pockets (like the terraplane). I think I have more use for those than the shovit, but for $200 I really can't complain and, who knows, it might come in handy someday. I'm indifferent about the side zips (I always load/unload my pack from the top). When it's half empty and hanging from a tree it's nice to be able to unzip the sides and throw things into it for the night, but when it's full it's almost a chore to open the side zips and then try to shove something back in place and close it up again. If it had extra side pockets it would help organize things so I wouldn't have to dig inside my pack during a hike. The detachable lid feature is nice, and it holds plenty of stuff for dayhikes. It has no water bottle holders (you can buy those extra, but i'll probably rig my own).

Bottom line- Excellent pack, very adjustable and carries weight very well. If it had been full price, however, I would have opted for different extra features.

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