The North Face Badlands

I have used the pack for only about 6 weeks. BUT! In that time I walked about, let's just say 19 miles/day. And that's a heck of a loong walk, at least for me.

There's alot to be said about the pack. For one thing it is very easy to strap every thing on. for a while I even walked around with a big antler on the back. :) And with the x-bungees you have ezy access to fx your rainclothes or a pullover etc.

even though it's only about 6400 cu.in and I know that there are some packs out there that's alot bigger, it's pretty hard to run out of space in it. If it doesn't fit in the big compartment...then keep it under the lid. And if you got small things, just store 'em in either the lid locket or in one of the two sidepockets located at the base.

I also bought two extra Tatonka sidepockets so I had some 800 cu.in extra.

When it comes to the technical part I can just say that like all other packs it takes a little getting used to, but it stays near your back and the hip belt is good enough for me.

BUT there are some things that I think deserve a remodeling... fx: The top lid should have a larger "lid" part and a smaller pocket part, and also I find no need for the fannypack that you can convert the top lid into.

Good pack for money. Nice front loading feature that makes it much easier to find your gear, especially at night. Nice big zippers but all the pull-strings in them came off soon after I started using the pack. I found the side straps to be very small and the buckles puny and weak so I was hesitant to load the pack up but they seemed to hold up.

I busted the threads in the shoulder harness on a light load but the shop give me a new harness no question (but it doesn't give me much comfort if I'm out on a trek and the store is far far away). The harness is easily customized and makes a great fit on almost any back.

The sleeping bag compartment is a little narrow and if you carry a nice big sleeping bag for those artic nights you will have to push up the divider and lose some main pack volume.

The pack swallows up a lot of gear and holds it nicely against your body. You can usually find this pack somewhere on sale which makes it a good buy. If I had to make the purchase again I would do some more research, especially on the smaller pieces, but I would probably buy it again due to the bombproof main design.

I bought this pack without having the slightest clue what would be demanded of it. It has held up through everything tossed at it, from 10 days of New Mexican hell, to canoe trips down the CT River, to using it as a sled down the summer snows of the Tetons; and it has done so with ease.

There aren't many bells and whistles, but its suspension is very comfortable and it is infinitely expandable with daisy chains and more straps than you can count. I would try on my friends' internal frame packs from time to time and they would feel alright, but when I slapped my Badlands back on, it was like flopping onto a bed of feathers; very comfortable. Tough, Dependable, Bombproof.

There aren't many complaints to speak of...sometimes it takes forever to tie all of the straps down, especially before you baggage check it on a plane ride, and by itself it is a heavy pack. But the more weight you throw at it, the more it eats up and spits out a comfortable backpacking experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted long enough for my kids to use it (I'm 19).

The suspension on this pack is wonderful! The pack fits you like a glove but does not crowd your head or arm movements whatsoever. One of the nicest features is that it opens both from the top as well as the sides so you do not have to take everything out of the pack to get to something at the bottom. The top comes off and has a decent hipbelt for use as a "summit" pack. It has a crampon patch with a bungee system for drying clothes, it has two daisy chains, ice axe loops, two bottle mesh pockets and two "snack" pockets that are easily reached w/o removing the pack. This is a great pack that is big enough to carry whatever you want with an awesome suspension. I highly recommend it!

65lbs WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO SPARE, FIT LIKE A GLOVE ON THE FIRST TIME OUT. STEADY ON YOUR BACK WITH A SUPERB SUSPENSION (MICRO-FIT SUSPENSION). LOTS OF POCKETS WITH EASY ACCESS ALSO COMPLEMENT THIS PACK AND COMFORTABLE HARNESS AND HIPBELT. DETACHABLE TOP THAT CONVERTS TO A COMFORTABLE HIP POUCH. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PACK TO ANYONE WHO ASK FOR AN ALL-AROUND PACK. WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND THE SEARCH TO FIND THIS PACK.