The North Face Alpha Aurora

This is a great pack. I took it on a 30-day Nols course this summer and it preformed excellently. We were always carrying humongous loads, and the suspension worked beautifully. I have to say, many people think that the Delrin hoop is all hype, it's not. It's pure function. On the Aurora, the compression straps have been arranged so that you first compress the load, and then transfer it on to your hips with the Delrin hoop. I found that the foam padding was exceptionally firm. This caused some brusing at first. However, the foam seems to beak in after about a week of trail time (or maybe it's your hips).

While many people feel that Dana packs are the epitome of comfort, I feel that they are surrpassed by the Aurora when it comes to tremendous loads. I think this has to do with the suspension of the Dana. While they're super-cushy for lighter trips, I have found that the hipbelt compress to much after about 50 lbs, which reduces the padding and causes pinching and numbness.

One other thing, the TNF is quite heavy, about 6 or 7 pounds, and i found it to be a burden when I put it on daypack duty. Other than that, I wouldn't choose any other pack for extended trips. Worth every penny.

a flashy, nice looking pack, with many features, not all of them functional. the delrin rod does not work like the company says. foam padding is very abrasive, my collar bone got rubbed raw after 10 miles with a 50 lb load. the collar strap came off in the wilderness on my first trip and it is virtually impossible to re-attach. the beefy foam might work better when broken in, but so far has shown no signs of softening. if you're buying for image it's a good pack, otherwise go with a macpack or dana.

Very comfortable. The adjustable suspension really works well. I live in Alaska, and have done many cold weather trips, and this pack has yet to disappoint me. The pack is also huge, and can carry food/ equipment for a month if you leave frivolous items home. The two built in h2o bottle holders on the side are easily accessable, and fit nalgene bottles perfectly. highly recomended, but be careful not to fill the pack up if you don't have to, with all that volume, it weighs a ton filled.