Blue Ice Squirrel 32 L Pack

I am looking for feedback on the Blue Ice Squirrel 32 backpack for trad cragging and possibly ice cragging use, where I would just be using it for short approaches to base of climbs.

I would be looking to use it to carry:

- 1x pair climbing shoes or crampon bag

- 2x pair of gloves (thicker gloves for winter climbing)

- 1x climbing harness (with belay device)

- 2x rack of cams and nuts (or rolls of ice screws)

- 14x draws

- 1x cordallette

- A little bit of food and no more than 1.5 L of water

- 1x Headlamp

- 1x Belay jacket

- 1x Small lead pack no bigger than 15L (BD rock blitz)

Ice tools, rope, and helmet would all be carried externally.  I have larger mountaineering packs that could be used for bigger loads and long approaches.   

Comparisons to other U-zip backpanel cragging packs (Patagonia Cragsmith, Mammut Neon Gear, etc.) would be appreciated.  

Here's a great overview of the Squirrel, shows it packed with some stuff:

https://youtu.be/la8CHDk_pDY

I'm not a huge fan of strapping stuff outside my pack, and I find having a bit of extra space makes packing and unpacking much easier. For those reasons I love my CragWagon 60 (though admittedly I just got it recently) when I'm taking much more than a sport rack. One thing to note is that the Squirrel is mostly 120D ripstop nylon (iirc), and does not have internal padding; it is lighter and likely significantly less durable than dedicated crag packs. I suspect it wouldn't be as comfortable with heavier loads either, as it doesn't have much structure besides a foam back panel, which does not extend all the way up to the load lifters.

Overall it seems like a great all-round climbing/mountaineering pack for light/medium loads, but probably not best suited for regular crag duty.

I don't think the squirrel has a dedicated ice tool carrying system, so if you're going to use it for ice cragging I'd look at something like Blue ice's warthog packs 

Nathan Meyer wrote:

I don't think the squirrel has a dedicated ice tool carrying system, so if you're going to use it for ice cragging I'd look at something like Blue ice's warthog packs 

That doesn’t bother me.  The side compression straps look like they will work just fine for carrying ice tools.  Most of my approaches that I would be using this pack for are short and don’t require any scrambling, so I also don’t mind just carrying ice tools in my hands.  

I ordered one, thinking of using it for all those things. Packed it up and quickly realized the back panel was nowhere stiff enough to handle the standard amount of gear for trad climbing. The whole thing is flimsy and does not feel durable at all.

I snagged one secondhand from someone and would say I do not find that it carries weight well at all. It makes my shoulders ache when its not even loaded all that heavy. Not something I'll ever really use.

OP Update: I ended up buying a used Patagonia Cragsmith 45 Instead of the Squirrel 32.  

Although it is a much more expensive pack (and currently hard to find), the Cragsmith certainly seems to address the issues people have noted in this thread regarding the Squirrel 32.  

The Cragsmith is made of thick, stiff material and nicely padded.  I loaded it up with a double rack and a rope, and it seemed hold it’s shape and carry heavy loads well.  The 45 L volume seems pretty ideal for for winter cragging, with room for a thick incompressible belay jacket, ice tools, and crampons inside the pack.  

I have a squirrel 22 that I've been using a lot. It's a nice well made pack, but it really does have a very soft back. To pack it well you almost have to pack it against the wall so it doesnt bulge out. Other than that it's a great pack and takes abuse well. Cant speak on what the 32L can carry.