< Go to Mountaineering Backpacks < Go to Backpacking Backpacks Rock and Ice #237 Arc'teryx Alpha FL 45 Review Arc'teryx Alpha FL 45 | You would have to watch The Full Monty to see strippage equal to that of the new Arc’teryx Alpha FL 45. This pack is so spare it could squat in a Zen garden and remain unnoticed by Master Po. It is, basically, a tube of N400r-AC2 ripstop with lightly padded shoulder straps and a webbing waistbelt. Unless you look closely. Then you may notice an exterior, zippered kangroo pocket that can hold a handful of GUs, a cap, or a QuickClot compress—this is, after all, an alpine/ice pack. Oh, and there’s a full extension sleeve that rolls up dry-bag style, and dual haul loops. A tie-down strap atop the pack secures a jacket or rope, and a sexed-up web of bungee cords and flanges carries two tools, crampons or fluffy clothing. The back panel is thinly padded with what feels like ping-pong-paddle rubber. The Alpha FL is called the 45 because it extends to 45 liters, but it is really a 32-liter pack (1,831 cubic inches) that upsizes to around 40 liters.

Realistically, you aren’t going to want to carry it much when it is stuffed to maximum capacity, when it becomes as tipsy as if it has two martinis under its belt. backpack opremaComfortably, the pack can hold a day’s worth of gear and goods for light-and-fast going in the mountains. dslr backpack costco Perhaps the pack’s most unique feature is its waterproofness. shurflo backpackEvery seam is taped and the fancy rubbery fabric I mentioned earlier is nearly haul-bag tough. wenger backpack ibexToss in the roll-top closure, a seal proven in the boating business, and you could confidently store gunpowder inside the Alpha.backpack lining flaking

But do you need a waterproof pack? If you live in the rainy Pacific Northwest and endure long, wet approaches, yes. In the relatively dry Rocky Mountains I've climbed for 25 years, no.backpack vakantie griekenland Weighing 1 pound 7 ounces, the Alpha is one of the lighter packs in its category. backpack erfahrungsberichteTo compare, the Cilo Alpine Day Pack ($169), the closest comparable model I could find, has less capacity at 30 liters and has a stripped weight of 1 pound 4 ounces. When the Alpha is loaded with heavy rack and a rope, carry comfort is fair, but better than you might think for a pack with such a simple suspension. The firm shoulder straps don’t dig in, and the minimal back panel can, surprisingly, keep pokies at bay. The hip belt is just webbing, but most of the time when you will carry a pack like this you will be wearing winter pants or wearing a harness, so … so what?

The biggest ding for me was the pack’s lack of a top lid. Having to dump everything into the main body, then rummage around for the goodies is a hassle. And while I just noted that the roll-top keeps things dry, it is also a hassle and I seldom used it, preferring instead to close the top by yanking on the conventional drawcord closure. In this mode, the pack lets snow funnel into the main body. When the Alpha 45 first arrived I was dumbfounded. How do you attach ice tools? I had expected to find standard ice-tool loops or tubes, and the two metal cleats that actually are the tool carriers put me into a spin. Once I figured out, via an online photo, that you thread the cleats through hole in the head of your tools, and tuck the shafts through the elastic, all was good. Better than good, actually, as the Arc’teryx system isn’t just novel, it is easy to use and fast. In temps in the teens or lower, however, the bungees lost some of their elasticity. I never had a tool or anything else fall out, but it seemed like it could in the right conditions.

Simply put, the Alpha 45 FL is a complicated simple pack. There’s more to it than meets the eye. I gave the Alpha 45 FL three of five stars, deducting one star for lack of a top lid, and another for being spendy. • Simple alpine pack that gets the job done. • Very durable and totally waterproof. • Roll-top sleeve can extend capacity from 32 to 45 liters, if pushed. • Minimal suspension, but carries better than expected. • Novel but nice ice tool carriers. • No top lid. Don't want to use Facebook, but still want to comment? We have you covered:Reviewed by: Robert Mohid , from Ottawa, OntarioSummary:Great pack. Ideal combination of capacity vs weight for the gram conscious. Great quality construction, side zipper is a big plus. Detachable fanny pack is nice, but I find the bottle holder gimmicky since I prefer bladders. Overloaded it up to 40 pounds and did 23 km of class 3 to see if i liked it, no issues. Note that there is a greater amount of pressure on the lumbar contact area of the pack.

I did get some chafing right where my spine meets the pelvic bone. I also found that the pack has a slightly pronounced tendancy to sag to one side if the straps aren't properly tightened (esp around the hip belt). Proper fitting fixed this. Weight savings also means that use of smaller diameter clips and webbing is endemic. One of the clips holding the compression strap on the side broke after firm tensionning. This was easily replaced, but don't go caveman when conpressing your straps. Overall I'm very happy with this pack, used properly it will serve you well.Similar Products Used:Osprey Xenith, Arcteryx RT45With summer upon us, now is the time most people are traveling and wanting to take photos of the scenic places they are visiting. Lets face it camera gear can get heavy, and before you know it you have a camera body a tripod and 2 lenses because of that just in case scenario you’ll end up needing the 70-200 but you most likely will just keep shooting with the 50mm.

So before you head out the door for your summer photo shoots in 90 degree weather with a 40 pound pack on your back we asked our Elite Immortals to give their tips on packing light for summer photo shoots. Here are their responses… Matt Trappe – Sports/Landscape photographer always with camera in tow he accompanies elite athletes over the most rugged mountain ranges to shoot races, expeditions, advertising campaigns and video documentaries. “For me the heaviest portion of my pack can be water. A 2L bladder is heavy!! I’ve found an awesome little product called LifeStraw that allows me to safely drink right from a river or stream in the backcountry while saving lots of weight in my Escape pack. Photography wise, I like to carry crop sensor bodies from Nikon (D7100). The image quality is indistinguishable and it saves a couple pounds in my pack vs. carrying two larger bodies. A monopod also doubles as a hiking stick and can take the place of a tripod when shooting video also saving weight from my pack.”

Fredrik Marmsater –  an outdoor adventure photographer specializing in shooting in remote locations, and capturing athletes pushing their limits. “Packing super light – add one small body (D800 or D7000), only the lenses you need, a spare battery and cards, one lens cloth, and that’s it. wrap it in houdini jacket or other layer that might go anyways and head out. Often I use the clik wraps in whatever sport specific backpacks. I used the new prototype clik running pack with a D800, 16-35 f4 and 70-200 f4 a fair bit at hardrock. and have some images here as well. For other stuff (light but not trial running light) I often use the Contrejour 40 UL…” David Thompson -a landscape photographer who’s goal is to capture an intimate moment and bring the viewer into the scene as if he or she were standing right beside him and experiencing the grandeur as if first hand. “For summer shooting I like to pack as light as possible.  Typically I pack my Venture 35 with as much gear and accessories as I can. 

This includes a fleece jacket, a beanie,  2-3 pairs of gloves, towels, a headlamp, and other items.  During the summer I’ll eliminate my fleece jacket and beanie for a light rain coat and bucket hat/fisherman’s hat. I like to carry more towels to wipe away sweat.  Depending on where I’m going I may take a canteen instead of a water bladder to cut back some weight.  Sometimes I’ll even switch out my tripods and go with a lighter tripod set up to lighten up my carry load.  Anything that I can do to shed some weight during the hot summer months, I try to take advantage of.” Liam Doran – mixes his passion for the outdoors with his talent for photography. His images may be found published in a variety of outdoor magazines and major ad campaigns. “Use a small body pro level DSLR like the Canon 5DMKIII or Nikon D800…they produce premium quality images at high ISO’s (think 3200-6400) and coupled with an image stabilized lens like the Sigma 24-105 f4 OS you can seriously think about leaving the tripod behind for many shoots giving you ample weight savings.