Black Diamond Mission 50, Epic 45 or Speed 40

Hey what are peoples experience with the above mentioned packs. The Black Diamond Mission 50, Epic 45, or Speed 40. How do people like their swing arm suspension? Just looking at those three to see if one of them would be a great new pack to use for climbing.
Dallen

I just got the Epic 35 and plan on using it the first time tomorrow. I'll let you know how I like it then.

Tried them out at my local REI. It felt unnatural to me, but I suppose you'll get used to it.

I think the swingarm is a gimmick; I don't think having the weight rotationally centered matters a whole lot. Also I view the cable thing as a system that could fail. It appears constructed such that if the cable allowing the swing arm thing to function broke, that the pack would just carry like normal (i.e. on the cloth straps).

If you can get them on sale, it's not a bad price point for a strippable pack designed for climbing.

I have had two Missions now, and love them. They hold up well. The swing arm thingy is nice..
But really, I like the size (50L) because it is good for big trips, and good for cragging. It packs down smaller for a short day, but is large enough for overnight bivy climbs. The smaller packs are just, well too small for that versatility. Pack held up well climbing with it on in Patagonia too…

Hope this helps you some!

C

PS: Not sure about the Epic.. But make sure the lid comes completely off and on.
The Speed is nice, but the fabric is thinner, thus wearing out / holes in it faster.

I used the Epic 35 a bunch over last summer, and this winter. Good pack for the most part.
The 'pad' part of the belt can become painful on the lower back when carrying a heavy load, other than that, I don't have many criticisms of it.

I have the speed 40. Pretty good value for the price IMO. The suspension I think is a gimmick as someone mentioned.

I have the older Speed 40 with the roll top. The roll top is the only feature that sets it apart from other packs on the market. The new Speed 40 corrects some of the old problems like the ice tool attachments but the roll top is gone. The Epic and Mission have non removable waste belts. The arm suspension is fine but not worth all the other shortcomings.

I'd rather have an Arcteryx or Patagonia pack.