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Suggestions for climbing pack

Rick Blair · · Denver · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 266
Doug Shepherd wrote:Cold Cold World Chernobyl. This is a time tested alpine pack from another small company. A friend of mine has one that has lasted a long time and he really likes. I honestly think the Cilogear 40B is a better pack than all of these and recommend it the most. Fit is king though!
Ahhhh, so that's where REI ripped off the design for their pinnacle pack. When I am in the market for 50L pack I will have to check it out.
Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

Kateri, I have bought several Vaude packs for friends of mine that are women. I have looked at them very closely and have been quite impressed. They make some really cool tough women specific packs, that have adjustable suspensions. I guess I should add... I climb with a Cilo Gear 40B and have a 60L that I use for bigger trips. Those are my personal packs and have found them to be great.
Dallen

kirra · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 530
Aaron Martinuzzi wrote:i also have a deuter pack, 65+10L. it's super light and stood up to a lot of abuse. i highly recommend their products. check out the aircontact lite and aircontact zero for some nice lightweight options in that 50L+ size range. deuterusa.com/products/trek…
I just picked up a Deuter ACT LITE 45 + 10. The shoulder/back length area is adjustable. It's a light pack yet has ample support-padding where needed. Loops for Ice Tools and a separate lower zip compartment fits a rope 10.2/60m. Online Deuter 45 +10 - I just noticed it's wm specific after my purchase. I tried a lot of stuff on and couldn't pass this one up on my last road trip. Good luck..!
Aaron Martinuzzi · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 1,485

word up, kirra.

Jeremy Cleaveland · · Lake City, CO · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 0
caughtinside wrote:I got a v1 30L pack. It ripped along a main seam the first time I used it. I cinched down the straps and it tore an inch down the side. Cilogear is a one man operation. I emailed Grahm. He was really cool, and sent me a replacement pack, plus a prototype lightweight alpine pack, but it took 9 weeks because he was in turkey working. The replacement pack has been in use for 6 months. It is ripping all along the seam where the top of the pack meets the upper collar that you cinch down. I emailed Grahm about this along with photos, but didn't ask for anything new. I feel like he made a good faith try to help me out, but at this point I want a different pack.
I got a Cilogear Version 1 60L spring 06, and when initially playing with it, tore open a seam with a compression strap. Graham treated me great, swapped out for a new pack, then a few weeks later sent me a Schoolbag for FREE. The 60L pack is going strong, after lots of use, and some serious marmot damage. Even being beat up and eaten by a marmot, and being the "outdated" V1, I'd still take this pack over just about anything else out there, except for a newer Cilogear!
Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
Jeremy Cleaveland wrote: I'd still take this pack over just about anything else out there, except for a newer Cilogear!
Why is that?
Kev
Luke to Zuke · · Anchorage · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 220

the best pack ever
its the girl version though...but everyone i have met loves my bag... no joke. Its super versitile...and can attach alot of s#!t to it.. picture doesnt do it justice.......

Rob Kepley · · Westminster, CO · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,005

The US gov can't be wrong
Tradster · · Phoenix, AZ · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 0
Rob Kepley wrote: The US gov can't be wrong
I have three of those babies...all over 28 years old. Bomb proof, but the suspension need tweaking.
Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
Tradster wrote:I have three of those babies...all over 28 years old. Bomb proof, but the suspension need tweaking.
I grabbed my fathers from Viet Nam and took it to a shoe repair guy. I Asked him to cut a line down the side and sew a zipper on it to make it a side entry too. Its the best black hole, and when opened it's a ground tarp too.

I'm still pulled to the Cilogear for some reason. The down side is this type of item doesn't generate much turn over. Like if you asked about climbing shoes, I've owned 20+ pairs and have climbed in tonz more and I can easily compair them. But a backpack for alpine climbing? I bet most folks only own 2-3 packs over a 20 year period. One dude on the last page said he still totes his Lowe Alpine that he bought 35 years ago.

The hard part is, someone does homework, then buy's what they think is the best bag for them. Then sprays about how its the best, when in reality, it could be crap, and because it's like the 2nd or 3rd bag they have ever used, they don't know any different. Lowe Alpine dude needs to know that packs have come a long way over the last even 10 years.

Does someone know of a side by side comparison chart on the net for alpine packs? Features, sizes, weights, reviews, and prices.
Chris Plesko · · Westminster, CO · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 485

I really want to pick up a Cilogear to try too but the comments about people not getting packs in a reasonable time on their blog deters me. I need a pack now (within reason), not in 6 months.

So I'm looking at other options, can't say I've found anything that looks perfect yet but pretty soon I'm just going to have to close my eyes and pick one. I can only steal my wife's too small pack for so long.

axel · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 0
Chris Plesko wrote:I really want to pick up a Cilogear to try too but the comments about people not getting packs in a reasonable time on their blog deters me. I need a pack now (within reason), not in 6 months. So I'm looking at other options, can't say I've found anything that looks perfect yet but pretty soon I'm just going to have to close my eyes and pick one. I can only steal my wife's too small pack for so long.
I just picked up a 75l Cilogear and I had it within a week. Nice pack I am going to order the 40l next.
Chris Plesko · · Westminster, CO · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 485
axel wrote: I just picked up a 75l Cilogear and I had it within a week. Nice pack I am going to order the 40l next.
Did you order off the web, call, email? I've sent a couple emails that have gone unanswered.
Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Chris it really is a one man kind of shop that Graham runs, so if he's traveling or at a trade show or something it may take a day or two to get back to you, but by all accounts the customer service is excellent.

I think the Cilo stuff is good for alpine climbing, but prefer others for cragging. I like a fatter/more squat pack for cragging since I'm not wearing it while climbing, it's easier to get bulky stuff like a 70m rope in a rope bag in/out.

My last one was a Lowe Mountain Attack 50, which I was really happy with. Light, no frills, well designed, etc. But of course they changed it. Finally the plastic framesheet blew out the bottom of the panel that held it and shortly after someone (or some critter) removed it from the base of a route before I returned to retrieve it. I'm using a GraniteGear Alpine Lite, my normal ice/alpine pack, to hold me over, but it sucks as a cragging pack.

I finally settled on a replacement, the ArcTeryx Miura 50. Not as spendy as you'd expect from the deadbird, actually in the same range as most competitors. It's short/squat, has rolltop AND dual side zipper entry. Worth checking out



and a review: rockandice.com/inthemag.php…
axel · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 0
Chris Plesko wrote: Did you order off the web, call, email? I've sent a couple emails that have gone unanswered.
I sent an e-mail with questions and then ordered off the web. It took a few days to get the e-mail response back. They had some lame excuse about being out of the office to climb MT Baker.
bumpass · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 0

Several of you mentioned the Cilogear worksacks. I know they are primarily alpine/climbing packs with appealing versatility. I'm considering the V3 45L, but I'm very concerned about the thin shoulder and hip belt. Purely from your backpacking experience, how well do they feel for extended hiking trips with a 40lb load?? Esp. in the shoulder/hip areas?
Better bag suggestions?
Feel free to email me also.

Thanks,
bumps

Evan1984 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 30

Just FYI, Climbing magazine has abig rundown of 50ish liter alpine packs in their current issue. Might be of interest.

I just got an Osprey Exposure 50 liter. I really like it. Only complaint is that it is a little difficult to load, but its super comfortable and doesn't feel big.

Cheers

Victor Lawson · · Bishop, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 260
axel wrote: I sent an e-mail with questions and then ordered off the web. It took a few days to get the e-mail response back. They had some lame excuse about being out of the office to climb MT Baker.
Well, that sounds like a great excuse to me. Personally I don't see anything wrong with a person who makes alpine climbing packs out in the alpine arena...climbing...probably using his own pack. Call me crazy.
Tico · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0
bumpass wrote:Several of you mentioned the Cilogear worksacks. I know they are primarily alpine/climbing packs with appealing versatility. I'm considering the V3 45L, but I'm very concerned about the thin shoulder and hip belt. Purely from your backpacking experience, how well do they feel for extended hiking trips with a 40lb load?? Esp. in the shoulder/hip areas? Better bag suggestions? Feel free to email me also. Thanks, bumps
I used an older model Cilogear to do RNWFHD in a day a few years back. So i humped a largish rack and aid gear for ~12 miles and either lead or jugged with it on. My main complaint was that the straps were _too_ padded. Graham has since made me packs with minimal padding, i think that's more comfortable.

I've known Graham a while, if he's not answering your email it's because his blackberry doesn't have service. It's annoying to booze with him because he's constantly answering customer email. This culture of immediate responses to any query irritates me.
Chris Plesko · · Westminster, CO · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 485
Tico wrote: I've known Graham a while, if he's not answering your email it's because his blackberry doesn't have service. It's annoying to booze with him because he's constantly answering customer email. This culture of immediate responses to any query irritates me.
Emails back within 2 weeks is more than reasonable. I would never mention it if it was only a couple days of no response. I've been ignored (maybe the wrong word?) longer than that in the past by Cilo. That being said I've got a hold of one of their new guys and he's been really helpful answering questions. If I can just make up my mind between 2 choices, I should have a "smaller sized" Cilo pack soon to see how I like it.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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