Lowe Alpine Frontier APS 75+15

My Frontier 75+15 is the best piece of backpacking equipment I own. I'm a fairly small guy (150 lbs, 5' 9"), have had the pack for 6.5 years, and have probably taken it on 25-30 trips (ranging between 2 and 10 days).

I have typically carried 40-50 lbs in this pack with comfort and with relative ease compared to others I have backpacked with, who have almost always carried less weight with more difficulty (and who are generally larger folks than me!).

The harness and APS system is well designed to distribute weight, and is also quite durable - this is one of the few pieces of equipment that I haven't needed to repair or replace after as many years of use.

One consideration when reading any of these reviews (including mine): no pack will fit everyone well, no matter how much it is adjusted to suit your body... and this can mean the difference between a good review and a bad one. This pack happens to be perfect for me, but it might not suit you as well.

On this note, the Frontier has a removable hip belt, which can presumably be replaced with another belt if the provided one does not suit you. I don't know if Lowe Alpine provides replacement options designed specifically for this pack, but several other brands have belts that should work. However, the shoulder straps, while removable, can probably only be replaced with another set of straps designed for Lowe Alpine's APS system (if you examine the pack, you'll see what I mean).

I've owned this pack for the past two years and have been extremely pleased with it. The back system is very comfortable and carries well fully loaded or half empty. Despite innumerable weekends hiked in Ireland, Scotland and the Alps, it has held up perfectly.