Crag wagon 45 - initial impression

(initially posted in gear discussion forum by mistake)

Just got my Crag wagon 45 last week and put it to the test this week-end.

I was able to load it with the following:
- 9.5mm 60m rope (stored in the tarp)
- 2 pairs of climbing shoes
- 2 harnesses
- 2 chalk bag
- Sport rack of about 14 draws + slings & biners
- small lunch for 2
- 1.5L of water
- some spare clothing
- flip flops
- Full size DSLR with mounted lens

There was enough space left in the bag that I could have added a helmet on top easilly (my partner had these). Adding a double trad rack would probably mean taking some stuff out as I doubt it would have fit (havn't tried it yet), but I'm confident that removing the camera and flip flop would do the trick. Worst case I could carry the rope on top of the pack. Bag stands erect whether fully loaded or empty, which is nice. 

The pack carried very well on the moderate approach and I didn't really feel the weigth. The frame give a nice sturdiness to the bag and it pretty much feel like a hiking packpack when you have it on.  

The U-shape zipper makes it super easy to access all you gear so you can pack for weight distribution and not worry about what you'll need first once at the crag. I liked the 2 gear slings inside the main pocket as it is a convenient place to hang stuff that you need on/off like belay glasses/gri-gri etc without fear of someone stepping on them or having them falling out the bag. Top loading when moving to a different area of the crag was super conveninent. The top opening is big enough that you can just chuck everything in no problem.

The top pocket works fine, but I could wish the two zip pockets inside had more volume built into them as you cannot fit much in there in my opinion, especially with the zipper on the side and not the top of the pockets. If I'm nitpicking I'd also say the leash for the key ring is ridiculously short. That thing is like 3/4" long and stuck in the corner of the pocket. I'll probably add a small entension on it for ease of use.  

The rope tarp that comes with the bag work OK. It is on the small side and I'm not sure how that light material will handle the abuse. There is a tension strap built into it, but the tarp material is somewhat slippery, which makes it hard to tension the strap as the tarps just slips on itself when you pull on the strap. Guess it'll take some geting use to.

Very happy with my purchase so far as that bag is definitively a big improvement over my previous pack (37L hiking pack). I have it in the blue version and it does looks nice (for now at least - not sure how the color will handle the dirt).  My partner has the BD Creek 50 and while his is clearly the most spacious and sturdy bag, he was looking at mine with some envy when I fully unziped the U shape access :)

Thank you for the write up. I've been weighing the Crag Wagon against the Creek 50, my one hang up being able to pack in a double rack with everything else. The Crag Wagon 60 is an option, but I feel like that's almost overkill.

Have you had the chance to see what kind of space you have when loading up with a double rack, minus the camera and shoes?

TenTon Kodiak wrote: 
Have you had the chance to see what kind of space you have when loading up with a double rack, minus the camera and shoes?

I'll actually have the chance to try this next week. I'll add notes afterwards. 

In the meantine if you look at the video from Mountain hardware where they present the bag in its 45L version, it does look like it fits. However the guy in the vid has the pack loaded with only his climbing gear (no food or water, no extra layer of clothes, etc). In my opinion by strapping the rope to the top of the bag you'll be more than able to fit all you need. If you absolutely want to leave the rope in the bag I do think the 45L will be on the small side, because a 60/70m rope does take a sizeable portion of the bag. 

any insight on how durable this pack is? Elsewhere I've seen negative reviews about durability and wondered what folks here thought- thanks

I've had mine for over 4 years. I treat it like sh*t - it's still going strong. The only real wear being the inside nylon that keeps the frame intact. It's worn through in a couple places but it's still very functional. The zippers can be stiff but I think that's true for any pack once it gets filthy. 

ItaliAnna Manzo wrote:

any insight on how durable this pack is? Elsewhere I've seen negative reviews about durability and wondered what folks here thought- thanks

Anna, my son purchased one 2 years ago. Durability was crap, within 2 months some seems were coming apart. There were several holes in the pack by the end of the first year, thankfully,  he was able to return it to REI. I suspect Mountain Hardware cheapened the construction materials after the Crag Wagon came out, friends had earlier versions that held up well. We both ended up with a Blue Ice 55L pack in the end, it's very durable. There are some small design elements I would change if possible,  but it's an overall good pack. The biggest issue I have with the Blue Ice is it has no tab over the brain area, it's a draw string design that cinches the top closed. Seems like an issue for rainy hikes.

Why I got rid of mine after a year:

• Front pocket is not well designed. It's in an annoying spot (on the flap that you open to access the inside) so you can't put much in there without making the front flap heavy. The zipper only unzips 2 sides. It's hard to take anything out without your stuff falling out because there are no bellows. 
• The open guidebook pocket is silly. 
• There are no other extra pockets. No lidEverything pretty much has to go in the main compartment. So your lunch gets crushed.
• No water bottle pocket.
• No rope straps on the sides. You have to add your own. 
• The main closure will collect water if you ever have to hike out in the rain. This really sucks.
• You have to place the harness of the pack into the dirt to use the front flap. Gets it super dirty.
• The zippers slowly get gummed up with dust.

I've since switched to a normal backpacking pack and I carry a 4'x4' blue tarp (in addition to my rope tarp). I can use that to lay my stuff out instead of needing a briefcase style pack. And it lets me dump all the dirt out of my pack at the crag. Way awesome. 

drew A wrote:

Why I got rid of mine after a year:

• Front pocket is not well designed. It's in an annoying spot (on the flap that you open to access the inside) so you can't put much in there without making the front flap heavy. The zipper only unzips 2 sides. It's hard to take anything out without your stuff falling out because there are no bellows. 
• The open guidebook pocket is silly. 
• There are no other extra pockets. No lidEverything pretty much has to go in the main compartment. So your lunch gets crushed.
• No water bottle pocket.
• No rope straps on the sides. You have to add your own. 
• The main closure will collect water if you ever have to hike out in the rain. This really sucks.
• You have to place the harness of the pack into the dirt to use the front flap. Gets it super dirty.
• The zippers slowly get gummed up with dust.

I've since switched to a normal backpacking pack and I carry a 4'x4' blue tarp (in addition to my rope tarp). I can use that to lay my stuff out instead of needing a briefcase style pack. And it lets me dump all the dirt out of my pack at the crag. Way awesome. 

• I like the front pocket. It holds: medical kit, lunch, wallet, keys. As for it being in an annoying spot, I'm not sure where else they would put it.
• I actually LOVE the open guidebook pocket. I use it for: guidebook, maps etc. One drawback is the rope tether covers the pocket but that's minor and it keeps stuff from falling out anyway.
• I hate packs with lids/brains - to each their own. :) I would love an extra pocket on the side though.
• I would LOVE a water bottle pocket - similar to the one on their multi-pitch pack. Currently I put my water at the base of the pack on the inside which admittedly sucks.
• The rope strap over the top has been more than sufficient for me. I've never needed/wanted straps on the sides - I think they'd get in the way more often than not. Could be just me though.
• The open main closure is both a blessing and a curse. Being open, dirt can get in there and I guess if it rains water could get in there (I avoid rain). However, I like the open top for easy access. I DO wish the "skirt" that covers the top was a bit wider, that would make it easier to fold over the top when accessing the inside.
• Not sure where else you'd put the harness. All my packs get way dirty no matter what I do. I DO try to set it on rocks etc. to avoid getting the waist belt too dirty but it's climbing, I expect a bit of dirt.
• The zippers on every pack I've ever had eventually get sticky due to dirt.  I rub a wax candle on them sometimes - seems to help.

As for dumping all your stuff out onto a tarp, I'm not sure why one couldn't do that with a crag wagon.  

Admittedly I'm not super particular how my stuff is organized and so stuffing everything into my pack from the top is fine for me. It's mostly all coming out again when I get to the crag anyway. I DO like the ability to open the front pocket and quickly grab whatever I need regardless of where it went in (water for example).

My regular climbing partner has a suitcase style pack that opens like... a suitcase. I've been eyeing that lately... I think it's a Mammut. It has super easy access etc etc. but some of the similar issues: straps/belt in the dirt, zippers getting dirty, etc. etc.  Who knows, maybe I'll switch when my Crag Wagon wears out - but it will be awhile.