Reach 12

I mainly bought this pack for the low profile zippered front pockets and the excellent compression system. It carries moderate loads well and keeps the load tight against your back, no matter how much of the pack is filled.

I am 5’10” (178 cm) tall. The pack sits high enough on my back to avoid interference with a climbing harness. The chest straps also don’t hinder climbing movements in the way that waist belts do.

I am a climber, alpinist and skier. The gear loops and ice clipper slots don’t seem terribly useful to me for climbing gear. If I am carrying climbing gear, I am going to have a climbing harness, and I would rather carry my climbing gear on my climbing harness. The gear loops are probably most useful for stashing collapsible poles. I guess they might be useful for temporarily holstering an ice axe.

I would prefer not to have the mesh side pockets for climbing. It would be much more useful for ski alpinism if there was a legitimate ski carry system with a burlier material that can hold up to ski edges. The gear loops are not big enough to pass skis through. Even if you could attach skis to the pack, they would likely destroy the pack fairly quickly.

This pack is perfect for fast light alpine climbs. Skiing. Rock multi pitch. Anything.