Gear Review: Sierra Designs Summit Sack
Snag this pint-sized, ultralight, frameless pack for dayhikes, quick, after-work cross country ski laps, or pack it as a stuff sack/summit pack on your big trip.
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There’s no toplid, but the wide opening and roll-top closure make it easy to load and fast to crank shut. The nylon fabric is coated to repel light rain and snow, but after a couple of hours it starts to wet out, so use waterproof stuffsacks.
Inside the 21-liter pack is a small, zippered key/ID pocket, which doubles as a stuffsack. Packed, it measures a scant eight by five inches. Throw it in your truck, ready for the next unexpected adventure.
The wide, curved (unpadded) shoulder straps keep the load steady, but the pack’s lack of a frame means that it’s best for under 12 pounds or so.
The narrow shape of the packbag allows for unfettered arm movement when you’re booking it to your next rest break, striding with poles, or reaching for handholds. Its low profile keeps it from getting snagged on stray branches.
The thin, foam backpanel is lined with mesh, but the pack rides close to your back, so expect to get sweaty when you’re working hard and wearing layers.
Slide a 2-liter water bladder into the big internal pocket made for this purpose. The single hydration tube port is on the right side. Sorry lefties!
This little pack has all of the features you’d want in an ultralight daypack, including an adjustable sternum strap, emergency whistle, and slim waist belt. The pack sat still even I was skiing twisty trails at warp speed in Washington’s Cascades.
Photos and text by Allison Woods.
