Climbing/Crag packs

Hi,

I'm picking between 3 packs:

Mammut Neon Gear 45
Mountain Hardwear Splitter 38
and 1st generation Arcteryx Miura 50

Mostly be used for sport climbing and occasional top-rope.

If you have compared or owned any of these parks, I'd appreciate your word of advice!

Thank you in advance!

PS:
The only reason I was looking into investing money into the crag pack is that it can also double as a great travel pack thanks to the panel loading system. MH Splitter looks the best as it has pretty smart internal compartments, however I do like the streamline look of the Mammut. I'm wondering if anyone here used either one as a travel bag without gear.

Thank you!

I'm really pleased with this. It is super easy to load up, and it is comfortable for short-medium hikes to the crag.

pushergear.com/The-Sack_p_8…

If you are hoping for something you could use other than for a crag pack then this might not be what you want.

Miura 50 is close to perfect. You will be soon hounded on where to get one.

On your list, I'd say Neon Gear 2nd, MH Splitter 3rd (too small for crag pack if you like your rack and rope inside). But if price matters and you don't mind strapping your rope on top, the Splitter can be had for $80-90 at sierratradingpost.com when you get a good coupon. (edit) noticed you said sport - the Splitter is fine for a sport rack, rope, and harness, inside. And also currently sold out from STP.

I'm super happy with my 1st gen miura 50. It's a great crag pack.

Black Diamond Demon Duffel

honestly any pack will work

just get what fits best ... as thats what matters when yr carrying the weight

plenty of people climb just fine without "cragging" packs

;)

get a used pack that is in decent condition and fits well and you'll be happy. your gonna beat it up anyway cragging. 40/45 is about the perfect size for everything youll need.

Of the bags you listed I'd say Miura 50 for sure with Mammut and MH tied for second. I think backcountry.com has the Splitter and Neon on sale right now.

That said, I just got a Fish Atom Smasher for a crag pack and couldn't be happier. Yeah, it's just a big white vinyl tube, but it works perfectly and is burly as hell.

Why do you need such large bags for sport climbing? You could probably just roll everything up into a rope bag if you wanted.

I carry a BD Axis 33 for everything done in a day. I can fit a rope, rack, harness, helmet, lunch, water, and a jacket or two depending on the size of the rack I'm carrying. When I have to carry more I can strap the rope on the outside.

A rope, harness, rack of draws, and the other little things are only about 30 liters. If you are sharing gear with a partner it's even less. Why such a big bag?

Yes, it is a waste of money. Way too big for sport climbing. Encourages bringing too much stuff. Really should just roll everything up in a rope bag (though who wastes money on a rope bag when you can use an Ikea bag??). I am not going to try to justify the insanity.

If you can still get a Miura 50, get it. People at crags have started asking if they can buy mine.

After 5 years of regular use, this is the only issue I've encountered with the Miura 50. Not really an issue though as it doesn't affect functionality.

One burly pack.

if you have access to one of these bad boys, jump on that shit.

I can't believe how short-sighted and stupid Arcteryx was for redesigning the Miura packs.

The only reason I was looking into investing money into the crag pack is that it can also double as a great travel pack thanks to the panel loading system. MH Splitter looks the best as it has pretty smart internal compartments, however I do like the streamline look of the Mammut. I'm wondering if anyone here used either one as a travel bag without gear.

Thank you!

andreis wrote:The only reason I was looking into investing money into the crag pack is that it can also double as a great travel pack thanks to the panel loading system. MH Splitter looks the best as it has pretty smart internal compartments, however I do like the streamline look of the Mammut. I'm wondering if anyone here used either one as a travel bag without gear. Thank you!

Well, the Mammut is more like a duffel bag with shoulder straps and the Splitter is a traditional daypack. I would think the duffel would be better for travel.

+1 for the Black Diamond Demon Duffel. I love this simple pack for Jtree trad and sport at New Jack City.

bearbreeder wrote:honestly any pack will work...

Until it doesn't. I ruined a bunch of packs cragging until I bought a Muira 50.

Buy a pack with a padded lower and heavy fabric. Lightweight packs don't last dragging them through the dirt with a rack in the bottom (or side).

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Until it doesn't. I ruined a bunch of packs cragging until I bought a Muira 50. Buy a pack with a padded lower and heavy fabric. Lightweight packs don't last dragging them through the dirt with a rack in the bottom (or side).

plenty of cheap packs with durable enough fabric ... its not like yr hauling em up chimneys or walls on multi

and plenty of people who climb just fine without "cragging" packs ;)

I've been really happy with my REI Pinnacle 35. It's not expensive and works well. If I run out of space inside it has straps so I can attach ropes on top or the sides. Not a huge pack but big enough for what you'll carry on a day of sport climbing.

+1 for the 1st gen Miura 50. I've used it for sport cragging, trad cragging, and trips where i'm taking photos primarily and have a huge amount of camera gear, rigging gear, and static rope - pretty much any time I've needed to haul a lot of stuff. It fit my creek rack and a 70m rope with ease plus all the other cragging essentials. The roll top can be cinched down to compress light loads or left open to make the bag function somewhat like a haul bag. It splits fully down the middle via the beefy zippers on the sides, so you can lay the pack flat and sort out the rack. You can also use the compression straps to rig up the unzipped pack to work like a crazy creek chair for long belays. The suspension is pretty comfortable, but definitely not good enough for long hikes or backpacking type applications. The pack has compression straps on the top to attach a rope too.

My only complaint is that Arcteryx knew what they were doing and designed the pack so only their Pali rope bag works well with it. It's definitely not a necessary accessory but it fits perfectly in the bottom of the pack and compresses a 70m rope to nothing.

Christopher Gibson wrote:+1 What Bearbreeder wrote. Anything over 30 is to much bag for sport cragging or climbing and encourages bringing to much stuff.

Why not bring extra stuff? It's cragging after all. If you have room to spare you could pack in a six-pack and maybe even a grill.

bearbreeder wrote: plenty of cheap packs with durable enough fabric ... its not like yr hauling em up chimneys or walls on multi and plenty of people who climb just fine without "cragging" packs ;)

You can assign whatever name and price point you'd like but the criteria is durability. I'm sure you can make any old piece of shit backpack work and save money for something else but that wasn't the question. However, since we're throwing out opinions, I own, and have owned, a lot of backpacks and the "cheap" ones almost never stack up. The Miura 50 is a standout product that brings both durability and design to the table, it is almost certainly a product that will last a long time. The Muira 50 is also one of the most comfortable backpacks I have ever owned.

Too bad Arc fucked it up so bad.