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REI Talus - Alpine Pack Review
Some loved the full-length side zipper that gave them ready access to buried gear without having to unbuckle, unfasten, and unload. Others saw this as a blow-out waiting to happen. Although MontBell is a company dedicated to the principle of “fast and light,” this pack practically forces the user to go heavy. It’s an impressive pack, very comfortable to carry, and very light, but the design has complexities, features, and downright shortcomings that render it less than ideal for the alpine arena. Here’s a state-of-the-art wolf in yesterday’s clothing. The Mountain Attack’s unadorned, retro styling belies the notion that materials and designs must be high-tech to make the grade. As the company’s name implies, Granite Gear makes equipment that will stand up to punishment, and this pack is a good example. Clean, smart, and utilitarian, the Chernobyl is a pack designed for climbing. There is no internal frame and the capacity is on the smallish end of the spectrum — but we didn’t mind a pack that reminds us to keep it light. At first glance, the Shadow’s 210d SilNylon fabric seems woefully lightweight for mountain warfare, but after stepping on it with a crampon and then watching as the fabric self-healed the punctures to nearly invisible pinholes, it made a believer out of me. The workmanship is a thing of beauty and the packbag fabric is bomber, and whenever we had to fish something out, we appreciated the fact that it’s light-colored on the inside. We’ve scrutinized the newest generation of high-tech rucksacks and assembled a choice selection. Western Mountaineering’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the UltraLite, an open-baffle sack filled with conservatively rated 850-fill down. Do you own a digital scale, leave the toothbrush at home, and cut extra straps off your pack? Then the Mountainsmith Whisp could be for you. The Mountain Hardwear Phantom provides solid, lightweight performance at a moderate price that will leave you with enough change left over to buy the expensive mac and cheese instead of the 75-cent ramen noodles. The ghostly white shell on the Moonstone 800 Lucid is spooky; you can see right through to the insulation. It’s rare for a sleeping bag design to stand out so prominently that everyone who eyeballs it does a double take. If you’ve been searching for a highly technical sleeping bag with generous width dimensions, consider the Marmot Hydrogen. |
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