User Review: Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15

Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15
Above: The current Contour 60+15, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed April 30, 2006 by cdrross

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: Internal
Size: 3,700 expandable to 4,600 cubes
Number of Pockets: A lot
Max. Load Carried: 40 pounds
Height of Owner: 5'11"
Price Paid: $239

I just got back from a backpacking trip using this pack.

A little history: I originally bought the Gregory Triconi (which is a top quality pack) but when I packed it for my shake-out hike the week prior, I had trouble fitting all my gear into it. This concerned me because I wasn't winter packing but at some point I will be doing winter packing. I am not an ultra-light packer (or I wouldn't have chosen the Triconi to begin with). So I took the Triconi back to REI and started my search there again.

After two hours of trying on packs and walking around, it came down to the Gregory Baltoro and the Lowe Contour 60 + 15.

The Contour has many more features than the Gregory: More pockets for organization, a built-in pack cover (included in the weight number), larger sleeping bag compartment with a full closure separator that prevents small articles from falling through from the main compartment unlike the Baltoro, more durable fabric (over-all except for the bottom), and the Lowe has all sorts of lash points where the Baltoro had alomost none, the Contour can expand to exceed the capacity of the Baltoro, the lid converts to a fanny pack, there is a "head-bucket" to allow maximum head movement, and the Contour has two stow-away mesh water bottle pockets that are afixed to the outside to where normal water bottle pockets are located.

The only feature I give to the Baltoro over the Contour is the suspension movement however I found the padding on the Lowe better. Two other factors: The Baltoro costs $30 more than the Contour and the Gregory is made in China vs. the Lowe in Vietnam (very small difference being that both have lifetime warranties).

Use: Packed 14.5 miles (out and back) over moderate terrain over two days carrying a load of about 38 - 40 pounds (a lot of fluid included). We had 32 stream crossing each way (yes, we counted them on the way back beacause we couldn't belive it on the way out). The stream crossings required a lot of balancing over wet rocks, and we did 8 log "balance-beam" crossings. The Contour was very easy to balance. The hike included two areas of side-hilling. Again, the Contour was easy to balace and very stream-lined. The Contour easily packed my gear with room to spare without considering the expansion. It was very strange that Contour packed so much bigger than the Triconi.

The suspension held up without a wince and was very comfortable for the entire hike. Other members of my group complimented the good looks and functionality of the pack. I know this pack will allow me many varied adventures due to its capacity capability and versatility.

This pack is very durable, and with all the features comes some added weight. For my puposes and to trim some weight, I made some modifications...I trimmed all extra length strapping, I removed the extra mesh water bottle holders (I know I will never use this feature), I treated the pack to avoid the need of a pack cover.
Weight savings: 10 ounces.

As I learn more about what this pack can do, there may be another couple of ouces I can cut out.

Although I am criticizing the weight a bit, I am still giving it the full 5 star rating, because I can appreciate the extra features and what they bring to the party for those that would use them, although I would never use them (and I knew this before buying the pack).

This is a GREAT pack and I highly recommend it (if you want a bomb-proof, very comfy pack (which are MY main considerations in a pack) and you are not counting grams).

Where to Buy

Sorry, we couldn't find any online retailers selling the Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15. You may want to check pricing and availability directly at these sites:

Retailers: Do you sell the Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15? List your site here.

Similar Backpacks

Compare
See how the Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15 stacks up against the competition: read more backpack reviews or more about Lowe Alpine.

Contribute
Have you used a Lowe Alpine Contour 60+15 or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.