Wadi 22L

Took this pack on its first multipitch yesterday and it has a lot of great qualities. Sturdy, sits high enough to be out of the way of my harness, good easy access pockets. I like the integrated carabiner to clip it to the belay BUT the design of that strap, which is also meant to hold a rope in place, is flawed. When hiking in & out, the weight of the rope pushes against the strap, causing the buckle to loosen. So by the time you get where you’re going, the rope is flopping around halfway down the pack, and could easily get lost (especially as there are no side straps to hold it down). I ended up having to tie a stopper knot to keep the buckle from loosening, which is okay, but I hope they will come up with a system to keep the strap tightened down.

I am a caver who has been searching for something with a little more comfort factor than the typical minimalist cave pack, and this fits the bill. The 22 L size and weight works well for project caving; it sits well on my back and keeps a low profile for its size. I can fit food, extra layers, vertical gear, a camera, and four strobes inside. Once you take off the waist and shoulder straps, there are minimal snag points, and I didn’t feel like the pack was getting caught on things through crawls. The material is robust and as a bonus provides some minimal water resistance—it has so far held up to being dragged over sharp marble surfaces during a week of intensive alpine caving. One downside is that the outside pocket is zippered, and thus I don’t expect a long life out of it in a cave environment, but for now it’s nice to store a water bottle in it for quick access.