Lowe Alpine Netherworld 90

I've had this pack since the early '90s and it has served me well. I ended up getting Deuter's Act Lite 65+10 and shaved off about 3 pounds but that pack is already worn through in a few places. I have used the Lowe in the Sierras with 45-50 pounds and in the snow with snow shoes and it seems indestructible.

The fit was adjustable with the help of the store personnel. The volume was wonderful. The separate compartment on the bottom served as another storage area without having to go into the main compartment.  Easy access for those smaller items which allowed me to remember where everything was and get to them quickly.

Great pack. It has held up over time (12 years). I have used it in the desert, the Sierras and the Cucamonga Wilderness. 

For what it's worth, I wanted to submit this review to possibly help others that are thinking about ordering this pack without seeing the product first.

I mail-ordered this pack from REI recently, and was not able to try it out or inspect it until I received it. I want to stress that I did NOT actually take this pack out on a trip, however I did load the pack fully for a simulated situation.

I ended up returning this pack for a couple reasons. This pack has some nice features, including the size, pockets, and price. However, two things stood out: the shoulder straps were inexplicably wimpy - in fact my Lowe Contour Mountain 40 rucksack has basically the same straps. The other problem was a lack of any kind of padding up the back of the pack (the waistbelt and lumbar pads are OK though) - so your back really doesn't have any protection against the hard back which holds the aluminum supports. I felt that these two areas were enough to send the pack back, and I'm not sure why Lowe decided to scale these obviously important features down.

So, while I did not actually use this pack on a backpacking trip, it probably would function fine and is otherwise a nice pack. In fact, it didn’t feel too bad as I tested it. I just couldn’t bear the thought of carrying that pack for miles, wondering if I made the wrong decision. I hope this can help you with yours.

Great pack!!!!!

I bought this pack used but in great condition about 6 years ago. It has been virtually indestructible. I have been on at least 70 overnighters and weekend trips with it and it is still going strong.

I love all of the outside pockets and it has enough room to go on long hauls. It has not had a tear once and I have gone under and through some fairly thick stuff.

The only thing I didn't like about this pack was there is no padding above the waistbelt. During the summer this was actually not bad because you were able to get all the air through it, you only thought about when bending over.  In the winter you wore enough clothes that it did not matter.

I still use this pack to this day.

I personally love this pack, the ample sized pockets allowed me easy access to water filter, flashlights, and stove. the bag compartment is perfect for about any sleeping bags, and the vertical compression straps were just right for holding my Therm-a-Rest down.

Enough room in the main compartment to carry necessary clothing and then some. The best part is how it has held up. I've been on a few longs trips with it now and I've beat the hell out of it with no rips or tears. I even took it to the tropical rainforest where it got rained on for hours and not even a drop getting in the pack.

Fitting was a little tricky, but I just fixed it as I went along and got it perfect. I'd say it's an amazing pack for a reasonable price.

Initial adjustments of yoke are a bit awkward, and stays initially had way too much bend, but this was easy to adjust and not difficult. Have used so far only once on four-day trip, carried both my gear and lots for the kids. Handled the weight very well and was very comfortable to carry once I got everything dialed in. The 3 outside pockets were nice for organizing smaller items, stove, water filter, etc. Adjustable top pocket made setting balance easy. Sleeping bag compartment accomodated my old (bulky) Holofill bag; my cold-weather down bag fit very easily in a test-stuff.

I found this pack very comfortable to wear during several hours of hiking, though I doubt I'd want to load with more than ca. 60 lbs. I can't comment yet on durability.

Otherwise, I'd recommend this pack to anyone without reservation.

I bought this pack way back in 1999, apparently after it had ceased to be adequate, and so I paid relatively little for it. I have had it out on some pretty long hikes, but had never really overloaded it until my most recent trip to the Cascades. One of our party was injured fairly early in our trip, so we were forced to split up their load into the remaining packs, leaving me with something over 60lbs in my pack for the first day or two.

I was expecting sudden death, because as some reviewers have pointed out, the straps are not very well padded on this bag. However, I was surprised to find that the pack remained as comfortable as always--not extremely cushy, but certainly bearable for long distances!

This pack is soooo comfortable. Lowe did it again, came up with a great design and didn't have to charge $400 for it. The main compartment is 3500 cu. with a perfectly sized sleeping bag compartment. The lid compartment has enough room for a full rainsuit and light fleece. The side pockets are just right for a thermarest on one side and sandals on the other. The front pocket is a little thin, but has a mesh pocket on the outside, great for drying wet socks and the like. Get one of these packs, they're tough, and they're cheap.

I liked the design of the pockets on the Netherworld, the three pockets on the outside meant that I could keep my first aid, rain gear, and other essentials easily accessible. I found the pack very hard to adjust however, requiring the user to make several adjustments to get it right. The shoulder straps were also sub par. The padding broke down fairly quickly, making it exremely uncomfortable. So, I got smart and bought a Gregory.

This was my first pack ever. This pack rocks. Perfect size. I've been on 12 days treks with this bad boy and it worked awesome. The outside pockets are great. The suspension is great and very adjustable which is nice. The hydration pocket is the perfect size for a 2 liter bladder. There's nothing bad about this pack. It could use a tad more padding but other than it's awesome.

Great back pack, I have taken it on several trips from 2-4 days. Handles my gear well-pockets and ajustments are good also. The yolke padding is a little skimpy and does begin to aggrivate after a few miles with the pack on. Over all this is a quality pack-great for begginers and intermediate--I am looking now for an upgrade to a larger pack. A good buy!

This pack is the BOMB! i have carried this pack on a 200 mile hike and had absolutely no problems with anything. it's perfect for me because it has tons of pockets, stash places, water bottle holsters, ice-axe holders, daisy chains, wet socks, pads, and tents.