Lowe Alpine TFX Expedition 75:95

I feel ambivalent about this pack. I love the simple design and the fact that it can swallow a full summer load with 10 days worth of food.

Water bottles and tent pegs+poles fit in the wand pockets while compression straps are well placed to keep everything secure. If I need to carry a wet tent on the outside I put it in a mesh stuff sack and fit to the two carrying handles. Sleeping pad straps securely vertical to the gear attachment loops.

It has proved itself to be durable over three weeks of use so far and certainly looks tough enough, reinforced where it needs to be but not over the top.

Two problems though, first mine does not weigh 2.25 kilos which is what the label on it said when I bought it, it weighs 2.45 kilos with the backpacking hip belt. When I asked Lowe Alpine UK to replace it with one which agreed with the stated weight the guy went and weighed all the packs of this model that they had and could not find one!!!

Second, I find that the hip belt tends to slip with loads over 15 kilos and is not really that comfortable with heavy loads, my Osprey Argon can carry 20 kilos better but does not have the capacity. Maybe the hipbelt slipping is a consequence of my body shape, I don't know.