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Editors' Choice 2010: ARC'TERYX Altra Backpack
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READERS COMMENTS
I'd prefer to see a more structured presentation on the top three pluses and the top three downsides. The presentation wasn't bad but a little casual.
No. No. NO. The zips are amongst the flimsiest I've ever seen on a sack. Should you try to close one over some hard-cornered gear, you risk trashing a zipper tooth and with it the entire sack. It's one thing this happening on a sunday stroll under the Eiger (vid), quite another on several weeks walking in the wilds of Lapland. There's quite enough flimsy rubbish being peddled to the unsuspecting under the guise of technical advance. Strike these sacks from your shortlist.
From February people telling you that they want to see backpack not a presenter, and where is the pcka in this video?
apparently he'd never seen the mountainsmith cross country 3.0. same features. fraction of the price. and made from recycled materials.
I totally agree the videos seem to keep focusing on the packer or talker I really need to see the equipment and how it is layed out, packed and unpacked! I am trying to learn about backpacking and camping mostly 2 to 3 day and night trips. I am about 5 ft tall medium frsme female so need to find the right type of backpack. Thanks!!
I like how all the comments from people revolve around the following: how there pack is the best, how they can get the same pack cheaper (lets be serious folks). Seems like a well thought out pack with definite upgrades on existing product designs...not to mention the weight is low considering how much it can carry. Bags that carry a load that big typically start around 7lbs and go up to 9lbs. Excited to see the bag in person.
Just completed section hike on AT over 3 days with a brand new Altra 75. The swiveling hip support SQUEAKED the entire time. With EVERY step it squeaked. Constant complaints from co-hikers. Contacted Arc'teryx via web site and they never replied. Nice support. :(
100 oz CamelBak bladder fit nicely in long zippered compartment but wish there was hook / fastner at top to keep it in place.
Purchased Arc'teryx brand pack cover. It's REALLY heavy. My Mountainsmith Rain Cover is MUCH lighter / smaller.
Pockets on each side worked nicely to keep snacks and towel but are insufficiently deep for a water bottle.
Oh boy, it was frustrating to watch this video as the backpack was hardly seen in the frame! I wonder if the person who filmed it had a crash with the guy who introduced the backpack and couldn't keep eyes of him even he looked like not having had shower for while... ;-)
I almost didnt see the pack in this review.
Looks to be a good pack, but you hardly ever see it in the video. Who ever shot this video should take a few film school lessons.
Wow, only $400 thats a steal...... NOT! Paid $50 for my kelty NWT on ebay
I played around with an Altra the other day and I'd have to agree. It's an awesome pack with some really nice features, but it better be nice for $375. The only problem I have with it is that the hydration pocket is ridiculously narrow (at least on the Altra 65) and it's on the right side of the pack, rather than along the back panel. I'm not sure if you could even fit a 2 liter Camelbak bladder in it. It seems like a minor oversight on an otherwise great backpack but I've been relying on a 2-3 liter hydration bladder in my pack for the last 10 years, and it's nice to have a good spot to put a bladder.
Why are we looking at the reviewer for more than half the video rather than the item he's reviewing? It would have been nice to see more of the pack rather than the nice man reviewing it.
The video should be on the gear and not on the person doing the talking. Unable to see many of the features of the pack that were being discussed. I want to see the item and features, not the presenter, however nice he/she may be.
I appreciated the great review but must confess that was the same reaction I had to the Gregory Z65 pack. I paid far less than Arc'Teryx is asking for the Altra and find it to be the best pack I have ever owned. Cheers, John.
Looks like a reverse engineered Dana Terraplane to me. But then again that is why my Terraplane is my go to pack for the long hauls. Come to think of it, the vast majority of my packs & fanny packs are Danas (old school Danas instead of the cheaper Mexi versions). I did have an Arc'teryx Bora a while back. Loved the pack, but it was only a medium size, so I traded it in on a Dana I found in a pawn shop. 99% of my packs came from either pawn shops, thrift shops, or second hand outdoor gear stores...economics 101 opportunity costs :-)
I'll stick with my Rivendell Jensen.
That is kinda neat. Lots and lots of gadgets.....or failure points, depending how you look at things.
REI Mars has all that and had it in 2007 !!!!
This video has more footage on the gentleman speaking on this wonderful pack than footage on the pack itself. I do enjoy this review though, and the Altra is a wonderfully light, and fully functional, hearty pack.
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