Mystery Ranch Glacier
Best for big loads
Our take If you have dreams of carrying 50 pounds in comfort, this 71-liter behemoth is your pack. Four vertical stays (rather than the usual two) give the Glacier best-in-test load transfer. The two stays on the outside shift weight down to your waist, while the two inner stays concentrate the rest of the load onto your lumbar and center of gravity—allowing us carry 65 pounds on a five-day epic in Paradise Valley, Montana, without issue. “The shoulder straps and hipbelt foam hit the sweet spot between cushion and support,” one tester adds.
The details Detach the shoulder harness and connect it to the removable toplid to create a 10-liter daypack. We liked it better than the usual thin straps you get with included daypacks. The Glacier is made of 500-denier Cordura fabric that should last for years, and its beefy numbers 8 and 10 YKK zippers never stuck or broke, even with overstuffing. Caveat: Even for a pack this big, it’s on the pricier side.
Trail cred “The big torpedo pockets on the front are perfect for holding extra bottles during long hauls between water sources,” one tester says.