User Review: Dana Design Terraplane Overkill (1994)

Reviewed April 30, 1996 by woody@...

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: Internal w/ 1 bendable alum. stay, 2 carbon fiber stays
Size: Size L = 5,800 cu.in.
Number of Pockets: 2 back, 1 top lid
Max. Load Carried: 67 lbs. (ugh!)
Height of Owner: 5' 10" (170 lbs.)
Price Paid: $425 in 1994

I love this big bad black pack, even though it’s basically a top-loader. Actually that’s why I bought the Overkill model instead of the regular Terraplane. The regular pack is totally top-loading, but the Overkill model adds two heavy-duty full-length zippers that run the full length of the main compartment. These double slider zippers permit relatively easy access to the sides and bottom of the pack, without having to dump everything out the top first. The zippers on my pack are 21 inches long and allow you to really get in there and pull out or put in really large items.

Dana claims that this pack (and all their ArcFlex framed packs) can comfortably carry as much as you can. My experience has been that this pack quite easily holds and carries MORE than my legs can! In early 1995 I did a solo winter backpack in Los Padres NF and carried 67 pounds in this pack, up 2,400 vertical feet, for 14 miles. My legs were totally dead, but my shoulders, back, and hips were fine.

I’m a photographer and often carry 20-30 pounds of photographic equipment. This is a great photographer’s pack because I can hang a heavy camera and zoom lens from the shoulder straps, and the pack’s two carbon fiber frame stays take all it’s weight. Even with 6 lbs. of camera and lens, I can adjust the shoulder straps so they don’t even touch the tops of my shoulders. Like I’ve done on my smaller Dana packs, I’ve threaded two "D" rings onto the front of the shoulder straps to hang the camera from. I made up two camera hangers using plastic snap-hooks sewn to quick-release connectors. These connectors snap onto the camera’s Op/Tech hangers. When I take the pack off, I just unsnap the camera (leaving the hooks on the pack) and snap on the Op/Tech neck strap. Very slick.

Another important advantage of Dana packs (including this one) is the wonderful "HeadSpace" feature. There’s an internal quick-release cinch strap inside the top of the pack that pulls the back of the pack forward (flattening and pulling the pack closer to your back) at the same time it makes a hollow space for your head. This makes it so I can tilt my head way back (even with a hat on) to look up and photograph high things. Dana packs are the only ones I’ve tried that permit this kind of movement. I used to always bang my head on the top of the pack, knock my hat off, and usually I’d have to take the pack off. Not with this one.

Most of my backpacking lately has been solo. So I don’t have companions to help me get water bottles, maps, fresh film, different lenses, etc. out of the back of my pack for me. And I hate stopping, taking the pack off, and getting what I need. So, I’ve got this pack (and all my Dana packs) equipped so I don’t have to stop to get at the things I’m constantly needing. I’ve got a Dana Wet-Rib threaded onto the shoulder straps which provides ready access to a 1 qt. Nalgene bottle, and a tummy pocket holding film, snacks, compass, GPS, note pad, map, lenses, etc. With this rig and the pack’s wonderful comfort and flexibility, I often go 5-7 hours straight without once taking the pack off. Besides walking, I photograph, kneel, sit, squat, and climb all with the fully-loaded pack on my back. When I do hike with others, I notice that every time they stop to rest, they take their packs off to rest sore spots and loosen up. I don’t have to with this pack. I usually keep it on and just rest my legs.

I also find this pack great for strapping things onto the outside. It has ski (or tent-pole) pockets at the bottom of each side of the pack. I usually strap my tent poles on one side (inside the 3 compression straps and resting in the pockets so they don’t slip through), and dirty ground cloth and sometimes tripod on the other side. Then I strap my sleeping pad straight along the centerline of the back between the two pockets, where there’s a handy daisy chain of tie on loops. This keeps the pack relatively low, which is important because I seem to always be ducking and crouching under low brush and this keeps me from getting hung up. But there have also been times when I needed the pack as narrow as possible. Then I’ve been able to move the stuff that was on the sides to the back, the stuff that was on the back up to the top. This pack is very flexible and you can very easily and quickly re-configure things for the terrain.

The Terraplane’s main compartment is plenty large enough for big ugly things. It easily fits my large BRFC (Bear Resistant Food Container), and on a backpack last year with a large group, I ended up with the huge cook set because my Terraplane was the only pack large enough to hold the big 8 qt. cook pot. Lucky me.

When I bought this pack Dana Design didn’t offer a panel loader for the ArcFlex frame. Now they offer the very nice Stillwater pack which is a clever top-loader and/or panel opener at the same time. The Stillwater also has Dana’s terrific and very useful BeaverTail Shovit pocket on the back. As much as I like the Stillwater’s features, I’d still probably buy the Terraplane Overkill today because I find the two large pockets so useful for backpacking. I use the Shovit pockets on my other Dana packs all the time, and I bought an accessory BeaverTail Shovit for my Overkill, but I’ve never actually put it on and used it in the field yet.

I understand Dana has come up with new shoulder straps for 1996 that are made of a totally breathable foam material instead of closed cell foam like mine. I haven’t seen these new ones yet, but I really don’t have any problems with mine. I think they’re great.

My first Dana pack was their BOMB PACK, which I foolishly fitted to myself. It took me hours and I ended up with bloody knuckles on both hands from repeatedly jamming them down into the nasty Velcro in the back. I didn’t write out the check for this one until the salesman had it perfectly adjusted, bent, and fitted to me.

The only thing I really don’t like about this pack is the color. The pack cloth is totally black, and that’s the only way it comes. I’d much prefer a color. I also don’t really need all that super heavy-duty 1000D Cordura Plus material, but that’s the way it comes. At least I don’t think I’ll ever wear it out. I’ll wear out before it does.

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