The North Face Terra 30

[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 lidPE sheet and aluminum V stays + Verti-Cool™ back panel + Sleeping bag compartment with trampoline divider
+ Top-loading + Stretch woven side pockets + Front stretch pocket + Zip mesh pocket in lid + Lash points
and tool loops + Trekking pole loops + Side water-bottle pockets + Side compression straps + Hydration
compatible + Adjustable sternum strap with Safe-T whistle