Mystery Ranch Gallatin Peak 40
Most durable
Our take Winter brings its own unique ways of destroying gear, but the armor-like Gallatin Peak is stronger than the season. Its 840-denier nylon front panel (and 330-denier nylon everywhere else) didn’t falter when faced with sharp skis, grabby trees, and rough granite in Idaho’s Selkirk Mountains. Beefy webbing straps held skis and ice axes without fraying, and sturdy plastic buckles are glove-friendly.
The details A stiff, carbon-composite framesheet and two fiberglass stays comfortably support loads up to 45 pounds. “The molded backpanel padding is dense and prevented climbing gear from poking me in the back on a two-day mission to Tioga Pass in California,” one tester says. Color-coded zipper pulls on the avalanche gear pocket aid quick deployment.
Trail cred “The precurved foam hipbelt is super comfy, so I didn’t experience any sore spots while carrying 40 pounds of gear on Grandes Jorasses in France,” one tester says.
(S/M); 40 liters; S/M, L/XL