Favorite Backpack rope bag

Troll post? I says not.

What is your favorite backpack rope bag that efficiently hoists your 70m rope, gear, and other necessities?

I don't want cheap but I do not have the cash to drop 177 dollars on a bag. Thanks for your input!

My favorite was made by Gypsy. As far as I know, they are no longer around. :( If you can find one, I recommend.

Arcteryx Muria 50. The best all around cragging pack. Fits a TON of shit. The pack opens up roll top, or convertible style to pack gear efficiently and removes without a hassle. Look for a used one u can get them from 150-200 or 230 new? Remember you can't ball on a budget!

REI makes a great pack called the Pinnacle 35( rei.com/product/816105/rei-…). I tend to pack light so 35 liters works great for me. I can fit my 70m, my sport gear, shoes, and all the other odds and ends in there with no problem. However 35 liters doesn't leave much room to spare, especially if you want to squeeze a trad rack in the pack. But this pack does provide lash straps to carry your rope right on top. Which opens up enough room for just about anything you could need for the day.
If you plan on having more gear, want everything inside the pack, or want some overnight capability REI also makes a 50 liter version of this pack, the Pinnacle 50. Both packs are more than just great climbing packs, they are extremely versatile and work for pretty much anything you could want to do. Pinnacle 35 new is $130, the Pinnacle 50 is $160. Pinnacle 35( rei.com/product/816105/rei-…)

Those black diamond duffles are pretty cool. I can't remember the name though.

I am also in the market for something similar and was looking into the Muria 50. If you search around the negative comments on the pack are few and far between. I'm sure that it is a solid pack. The BD Speed 40 is a great light pack but was just a little too small. If your looking to hold all of your rock hardware, rope, helmet, jacket, shoes, lunch, etc. I would stay above 40 just to be safe. Some of the REI and Osprey packs that I saw in that range had WAY too many straps and cords hanging all over the place.

The Mammut Trion Guide (52L) looks like it is a solid pack that will work great for not only cragging but will be suitable in the alpine for an overnighter as well. I think it retails at $200. You can find any of this stuff on sale if you time it right.

Like I said, I am still in the hunt as well so hopefully we can get some good input here.

Mark Wyss wrote:I am also in the market for something similar and was looking into the Muria 50. If you search around the negative comments on the pack are few and far between. I'm sure that it is a solid pack. The BD Speed 40 is a great light pack but was just a little too small. If your looking to hold all of your rock hardware, rope, helmet, jacket, shoes, lunch, etc. I would stay above 40 just to be safe. Some of the REI and Osprey packs that I saw in that range had WAY too many straps and cords hanging all over the place. The Mammut Trion Guide (52L) looks like it is a solid pack that will work great for not only cragging but will be suitable in the alpine for an overnighter as well. I think it retails at $200. Like I said, I am still in the hunt as well so hopefully we can get some good input here.

I have a Miura 50 and a Speed 40. The Miura is clearly a great crag pack. I've done some long hauls with it and it carries very well. Don't plan on climbing with it on though. The Speed 40 replaced my Quantum 45 after the frame stays started popping out and the bag had holes in it. The Speed 40 is padded in the base and the body fabric is heavier so I expect wear to be better (I haven't used it much yet). The Speed 40 compresses very well.

I've had a number of Osprey packs and just didn't like them. The problems ranged from poor durability to poor fit. However, I have friends that swear by the Mutant and the Variant.

The Miura series packs really are worth the money. Probably the single best purpose built pack I've owned.

D.A.L. wrote:REI makes a great pack called the Pinnacle 35( rei.com/product/816105/rei-…). I tend to pack light so 35 liters works great for me. I can fit my 70m, my sport gear, shoes, and all the other odds and ends in there with no problem. However 35 liters doesn't leave much room to spare, especially if you want to squeeze a trad rack in the pack. But this pack does provide lash straps to carry your rope right on top. Which opens up enough room for just about anything you could need for the day. If you plan on having more gear, want everything inside the pack, or want some overnight capability REI also makes a 50 liter version of this pack, the Pinnacle 50. Both packs are more than just great climbing packs, they are extremely versatile and work for pretty much anything you could want to do. Pinnacle 35 new is $130, the Pinnacle 50 is $160. Pinnacle 35( rei.com/product/816105/rei-…)

+1. I picked up my Pinnacle 35 at the garage sale and while I was able to get a large it seems a little small on my torso. Still comfortable and I've carried tons of stuff in winter and summer months. Highly recommended AND you get the REI guarantee if you don't like the thing.

.02

I use a Cilo gear 60L worksack for most of my climbing adventures. It'll carry my trad rack, 2 ropes, water, food, and clothes with still tons of room, I even can put my helmet inside. I think the 45l worksack would be better for cragging. It's probably also not too much of a pain to climb with if you need to.

45L worksack

It's a bit more than you're looking to spend at 235, but I bet you can find one used for the price range you're looking at, and it's an awesome pack for all kinds of adventures.

Osprey Kestrel (lifetime warranty)

I have a cilogear 30:30 that i use for cragging. I hate it, and am looking to replace it. It fits my gear, but is so narrow that it's a PITA to get my crap in and out of. The opening is barely wide enough to get my rope in and out of, and it's always a struggle. I'm eying the muira or one of the other clamshell packs.

What's with all the reco's for expensive back packs? $200+ for something to haul your rope to the base of the rock? Seriously?

Here's what'cha need.

I'm a fan of the Misty Mountain gorge pack. Fits everything and then some. Simple, sturdy design with easy access to everything. It is in the 200+ range, though.

check em' out mistymountain.com/c/packs.htm

Leeroy wrote:What's with all the reco's for expensive back packs? $200+ for something to haul your rope to the base of the rock? Seriously? Here's what'cha need.

Aside from that being a 24L pack it has no suspension. If you're only going a mile it'll work fine but try hauling a full rack, rope, water, clothes, etc, 20 miles in that pack.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Aside from that being a 24L pack it has no suspension. If you're only going a mile it'll work fine but try hauling a full rack, rope, water, clothes, etc, 20 miles in that pack.

Done that, and then some. I've used that pack as a winter volcano day pack, overnight summer climbing pack, haul bag, rope bucket and it's my usual approach pack for long trad climbs. It's seen tons of back packing. Been used as a carry on multiple times and been lost in Alaska for 3 days. I also use it as a grocery bag and several other mundane tasks. It's been dropped, scraped, kicked, cut, pissed on by a cat, chewed on by a dog and bled on by multiple people. Still going strong with only a minimum of duct tape. Cut that rope tarp out though. Who needs that shit anyway?

Suspension in a crag bag? Get the feck outta here!

Leeroy wrote: Done that, and then some. I've used that pack as a winter volcano day pack, overnight summer climbing pack, haul bag, rope bucket and it's my usual approach pack for long trad climbs. It's seen tons of back packing. Been used as a carry on multiple times and been lost in Alaska for 3 days. I also use it as a grocery bag and several other mundane tasks. It's been dropped, scraped, kicked, cut, pissed on by a cat, chewed on by a dog and bled on by multiple people. Still going strong with only a minimum of duct tape. Cut that rope tarp out though. Who needs that shit anyway? Suspension in a crag bag? Get the feck outta here!

I'll be the first one to call shenanigans on this one. You may very well have done all of that stuff while wearing that pack but how much gear were YOU actually carrying and how much were your partners carrying for you cause your pack is too small.

Mark Wyss wrote: I'll be the first one to call shenanigans on this one. You may very well have done all of that stuff while wearing that pack but how much gear were YOU actually carrying and how much were your partners carrying for you cause your pack is too small.

That's funny. Haven't had a single partner yet that has criticized or even hinted that I wasn't carrying my share of the load. Many of them have expressed amazement at how I can get so much shit in (or strapped onto) such a tiny pack. I've even carried ski's with the damn thing.

All this bullshit about how you need this super cool uber expensive pack to walk up a hill with or carry your shit to the crag. If you need to spend a bunch of money on a sack then have at it. I own at least a dozen different packs and have made a couple myself but the OP asked for cheap options to carry rock gear around in. I think the Porta Cord fits the bill just fine and it's burly as hell. Adding a small bit of webbing to it as a hip belt greatly increases it's carrying abilities and if you know how to pack a bag you can stuff that thing to the bursting point and it will never fail you. Of course in the end it's just a big sack with a zipper and shoulder straps. It's the antithesis of fancy. Maybe not what the OP had in mind.

I won't debate that it isn't made for the things I've used it for and other bigger more expensive pack will without a doubt be more comfortable on long hauls, alpine climbs and meandering wilderness strolls. Comfort comes at a price though in both dollars and lbs.

So tragic that we have to preface all our posts with "Not a Troll Post".

Anyways, i just snagged a Mountain Hardware Trad pack off of SAC for about $60. I'll let you know how it works out. I'm going to see if me mum will sew a tarp into the lid for me. She's got the big'un HD sewing machine and mad skills. Hehe..

+1 for the Miura 50. I freaking love mine. great crag / guiding pack. Your partner can't fit it all in his or her pack? grab the gear, put it in the miura and gaze upon the slothful one.

+1 for the portacord too. I use mine alot, but there is no way I would carry the same load as my miura. I really like to use the porta cord as a supplementary pack to climb with, or when I'm not bringing the kitchen sink. I personally can't stand just attaching stuff to the outside of a little pack. One pound hanging is two pounds swinging.

Have a good one!

I rock a port-a-cord as well. It's great, but there are definitely limitations to it. In terms of hiking with it and the lack of suspension, it never really bothered me. Generally, if I'm walking to go climbing, I'm not carrying a super heavy load, even for alpine climbs (fast and light) so the lack of suspension has never been an issue EXCEPT the lack of a frame means the pack will be the shape of whatever is inside of it. So, if you are a rope crammer (one who crams rope into the bag) the bag will basically hold the shape of your crammed rope. Inconvenient but certainly not insurmountable.

The limitations are what others have pointed out; it's not the best for bigger loads. If you're sport cragging with draws, a thin 70 or a normal 60, a harness, shoes, and some water there is no better pack. If you're trying to haul triple racks around Indian Creek, I'd go for something a bit bigger.

Some other things I like about it: Zips open as a ground cloth/rope bucket for your rope. It's tough as hell; it's been pretty much everywhere and other than dirt, it shows no signs of wear. You can fit a bunch of stuff between the brain and the pack like extra layers, sleeping pad, etc.

The bad: The side water bottle holders don't actually fit a water bottle. The "brain" compartment is way too small to be useful.

As for the attaching stuff to the outside of the pack issue, I think it's a good thing. It's obviously a matter of personal preference but the way I look at it, it's extra space. Nobody is obligating you to hang stuff off your pack but if you need to, it's easily accomplished. Personally, I don't mind hanging stuff off my pack assuming it's not oddly shaped or has a weird weight distribution. The main issue here seems to be that whoever my partner is generally gets driven slightly crazy by the constant clanking of climbing crap hanging off me as I walk.

+1 for Muira 50