Seek Outside Divide 4500

If you're looking for a large volume pack that can handle heavier loads—this is it!

I was looking for a pack for long trips (week+) and for winter camping where gear is bulky and sometimes heavy. I found several packs that had adequate volume (70+ liters), but not any that stood out as far as carrying heavier loads.

A couple of my buddies use Seek Outside for big game hunting and suggested looking at their lineup. I settled on their Divide pack—it had the volume I was looking for, was relatively lightweight (sub 3 lbs), and used the same frame as their big game meat haulers (frequently used for loads 75+ lbs).

I received my pack just before a planned snowshoe trip, so loaded up and gave it a go. Pack was in the 30-ish lbs range (part of the trip with snowshoes lashed on) and it carried wonderfully. Much better than any internal frame backpack that I've ever owned. The 80-liter pack swallowed my gear easily. The front pocket was very roomy, but also very robust. I'd carry my avy shovel, lunch, and layers that I would frequently shed and put back on. The water bottle pockets are extremely roomy as well; you can carry far more than just water bottles in these roomy pockets.

I've since used the pack on several more snowshoe and bc ski trips. A lot of the trips required extensive bushwhacking and the fabric sheds branches, blowdown, etc while remaining waterproof—no need for a pack cover with X-Pac.

The pack is light (under 3 lbs), but certainly not ultralight. However an ultralight pack simply couldn't carry 30+ lbs so comfortably. The combination of an external frame, robust waistbelt, and shoulder straps insures that heavier weights are going to be comfortable.

There is not a ton of organization with this pack, but I purchased two roomy hip belt pockets and an interior zippered pocket that attaches to the top of the interior of the pack.

It's not the only backpack I own or use, but for long trips and/or bulkier, heavier gear (think skis, packraft, snowshoes, etc) it's perfect!

Background

Multiple long trips across rugged country on foot, snowshoes, and skis.