GoLite Quest 50L

Simple, inexpensive, quality, no-frills pack that carries like a dream.

The ability of this pack to carry heavy loads is really surprising. Most of the packs I've looked at in the 50 liter range were built like daypacks, none of them (apart from the Gregory Z55) seemed able to comfortably haul more than 25 pounds. Not this Golite though, this thing hauls weight like an expedition pack.  I admit the shoulder and waist straps are a touch narrow, but this pack puts the weight straight on the hips like nobody's business.  The frame is very flat; not much lumbar support, which I like.

The best thing about this pack in my opinion is that it feels mighty nimble.  The frame occupies almost no space at all and there's the bare minimum of padding between it and your back.  The pack is shallow, it doesn't stick far out and you don't have to slump over to haul it.  It's tall, but because it's all so close to your center of gravity, you feel like you're hardly wearing it and you don't often snag it.  There are lots of compression straps which are well placed and work well, this pack is very stable.

The feature set of this pack is pretty limited, it's essentially a bare-bones pack. The side pockets are angled forward to make water bottle access a little easier, which works nicely.  The bottom compression straps can either go under or over the side pockets, which is great. The frame has a wide range of adjustment for torso length.

There are some hooks on the bottom to reduce the pack's capacity, which could expand its usefulness. Otherwise, this pack is just a big sack. Considering the price (mine was $90) and high build quality I still think it's a deal, but if you're looking for bells and whistles keep looking.

The other thing I found surprising about this pack is, it feels bigger than it's rated.  Other packs I've used in this size range feel smaller.

When you go looking for a pack buy the one you find comfortable before anything else, that's the real reason I have this pack.  The Quest is certainly worth giving a look, I love mine.