The North Face Skareb 50

[best mobility]

With a tall, narrow packbag and svelte shoulder straps and hipbelt, this pack excelled when testers needed maximum freedom of motion—like when stemming through slot canyons in Utah. “I carried about 35 pounds through some tight squeezes,” says one tester. “Arm movement was excellent and I could stand up straight, even with a full load.”

A stiffened backpanel surrounded by an aluminum frame effectively transfers weight to the dual-density hipbelt (with firmer foam outside for structure, and cushy foam inside for comfort). Unlike stripped-down climbing packs, it has ski, pole, and gear-racking loops, sleeping pad straps, daisy chains, and even a detachable camera/GPS pocket. “Gear swapping was a breeze,” wrote one tester after toy-intensive winter hikes in the Smokies. Caution: Don’t overload it; stability suffers if you max out the extendable top lidX RadialTM tubular aluminum frame + Injection-molded EVA back panel with airflow channels + Molded
E-VAP foam lumbar panel with bonded mesh + One-of-a-kind F.L.I.D. (fast loading integrated draw) pack
lid + Anatomically contoured hipbelt diperses load while remaining extremely breathable + Innovative highstrength
parachute fabric pack body panels + Welded abrasion-resistant fabric reinforcements + Quick access
water-bottle holster on shoulder harness + Reinforced side compression points + Huge stretch front drop
pocket + Spectra trekking pole loops and clever trekking pole hipbelt attachment point + Weather-resistant
PU hood compartment zipper + Hydration compatible with sleek hose port + Sliding sternum strap with Safe-T
whistle