Mountain Hardwear AMG 105

Outstanding durability and the chops to carry huge amounts of weight make the AMG 105 ideal for multiweek hauls. One tester used it to guide Mt. Rainier’s Disappointment Cleaver route in driving rain and 50-mph winds and reports that it handled 80-pound loads comfortably, thanks to a memory-foam-like lining on the shoulder straps and pivoting hipbelt, and a strong U-shaped stay made of aircraft-grade aluminum. On the same trip, the pack withstood plenty of abrasion: Our guide tester carried 100 pounds of rocks up and down a slope to protect tent sites, and the AMG 105 emerged without a single scuff.

$420; 5 lbs. 4 oz. (M/L); unisex S/M, M/L