Lowe Alpine Peak Attack 42

Comfort
After logging more than 66,500 vertical feet carrying the Attack, one tester said: “I lugged 35 pounds of gear on search and rescue missions in Nevada and California, and it felt melded to my back through it all.”

Organization
The simple packbag—just a single compartment with a top lid—won fans among our alpine climbers, ski mountaineers, and minimalists. “I hate fiddling with multiple pockets,” says one tester who wore the pack on two Mt. Shasta climbs. Bonus: The absence of bells and whistles keeps both price and weight low. Testers liked the secure, two-buckle closure on the top lid, but griped that it doesn’t extend to handle overstuffed loads.

Suspension
The shoulder straps taper sharply where they join the backpanel; this allows the straps about ½-inch of play, so the load dynamically readjusts as you walk or ski. However, two testers wished for more padding and better load transfer to the thin foam hipbelt, as loads over 25 pounds pulled on their shoulders, limiting its use as an overnight pack.

$95; 2 lbs. 1.5 oz.; 42+10 liters; lowealpine.com