Lowe Alpine Warp 80

Weight hauling:
Not every pack is for every person. I very much love my Lowe Alpine Warp 80. Under 40 lbs or less, it performs as well as any pack you will put on your back. Above 40 lbs, I would like it to have a little rubber on the bottom of the lumbar pad, but I am not constantly fiddling with it even with the big loads.

Fit:
I am 6'2", 175, and I have been looking for a pack that does not bother my hips or leave my shoulders aching. I simply got lucky on an internet buy. Only minimal hip soreness at the end of the day (and it went away after first day or so) and the load never touches the tops of my shoulders. And I do not have it at its tallest setting.

Durablility:
Unlike many lightweight packs, the material on this one makes you feel confident it is durable. The hip pad is quite nice and breathable, as is the back panel. I hope the padding on the waist belt holds up over time. If it does, I don't think I'll buy a new pack for 20 years.

Uniqueness:
I really favor the lidless pack. It has an internal pocket, and it is very clean and simple.

Downside? Someone goofed when they didn't put a clip on the shoulder straps to hold the tube of the hydration bladder. Genius. I took a clip from a daypack and put it on. No problems.

This backpack is a fantastic large load, light weight pack. I bought it without knowing too much about it because it was out of production, but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the mail. I liked how it had all the high-end qualities of Lowe Alpine, a high storage capicity and light weight contruction.

The frame is shaped to one's body and follows the curvature of the spine. The head notch is great and offers a lot of head room. The internal pocket is just what one needs for easy access and organization. The front pocket is large enough to hold all the extra gear you might need in a jiffy (poncho, bug net, sun screan, etc.). The straps and back pads breathe very well as they are designed to. All the buckles are of the highest quality I have ever seen and never failed.

The roll-top closure is great for the weight it saves. However, it is slightly trickier to use than the normal top, but I don't see it as any sort of setback. The side waterproof zipper is good if you need something from the bottom, but you're better off to pack according to when you need something (tent on top etc.).

I bought this pack from its regular price of $200 for $89 at MBstores.com, hope they have some left!