Dragonfly 18

Three years ago I bought the older version of this backpack (though doesn't look like much has changed) when it was still offered in yellow and it is my go to light-and-fast pack for alpine adventures in Colorado. Have worn it on over 100 peaks and it is holding up great. Very comfortable and is excellent for use on-route.

I ordered this pack (as well as the older yellow dragonfly 18L for a friend) before a climbing trip to Red Rocks, NV as a follower pack and dedicated all around climbing pack (rock, ice, etc.). I love how light the pack is, the color was amazing, and all of the features on the new dragonfly are great. The main issue I had with the pack is that it developed holes in the ripstop fabric in 3 different places after only a week of climbing! Granted, they were not catastrophic tears, but especially after toting the increased durability on this new design paired with the fact that my friend's old dragonfly didn't suffer any similar damage, I'm questioning the quality of the material. Hopefully it is just one defective pack, as the rest of the features great, but now I am worried if this will last me more than a month of climbing.

Not 100% sure about the top lid/flap design yet, but so far it’s a great on-route climbing pack to carry those extras that I don’t want festooned on my harness. I know some love to do that and have everything but a rubber chicken clipped to their harness when climbing, but for me, if it’s not something directly useful for that pitch, keeping those extras in a light weight, close fitting pack keeps my harness better organized and clutter free for the actual business at hand. This pack does that job.

Pack looks awesome, but what they don't tell you is that shipping and duty more than double the price if you order from Canada. I would not spend that much on an 18l pack. BD set up a Canadian distributor to avoid this issue.

Dragonfly 18L Pack is perfect day pack for hiking or multi pitch climbs. Simple , sturdy and lightweight