Lowe Alpine Warp 70

I bought this pack in Feb 2005 to use at Philmont the following July. My son got one for his 15th birthday the year before, and he really liked it. MSRP was $190, and I found it online at Blue Ridge Mtn Sports for $119, so I figured that was a pretty good deal. You can now find this discontinued model online for $99 or less.

All things considered, it's a pretty good pack. I carried up to 50 lbs at Philmont for 11 days, and had plenty of room for my gear plus the crew gear and food that we all had to carry. The expandable lid is very nice to have and it had enough pockets to suit me. The pack is comfortable and is easy to get on and off with a full load.

The only thing I dislike about it is that there is no zipper at the bottom for your sleeping bag. On the eighth day at Philmont, the right shoulder strap started to tear away from the pack, but I was able to repair it with fishing line and it held so I could make it the rest of the way. When I returned home, I took it to the dealer, and they returned it to Lowe Alpine for repair, which they did at no charge.