New Arcteryx Packs for 2013

I thought 3lbs for a little 30 liter pack was a lot given the unsophisticated harness and what is described as a "simple seatbelt style waist strap". Then I looked at a link off that page for what is described as a Light Infantry Patrol Pack. That's just a touch over 50 liters if my maths is correct and weighs pretty much 9 lbs when empty. Good golly.
 
baldtaco-II said:
I thought 3lbs for a little 30 liter pack was a lot given the unsophisticated harness and what is described as a "simple seatbelt style waist strap". Then I looked at a link off that page for what is described as a Light Infantry Patrol Pack. That's just a touch over 50 liters if my maths is correct and weighs pretty much 9 lbs when empty. Good golly.
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:thumbdown:

The market is overflowing with lightweight backs. One can do better than those.
 
PropThePolecat said:
:thumbdown:The market is overflowing with lightweight backs. One can do better than those.
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I posted a pic off a tough little beater pack with a decent hip belt the other day. It's got padded pockets a reinforced base, bunch of blah and tough fabric. I think it's great for what I want it for but at about 50 liters it's a right lump compared to my little Berghaus. I've not weighed either but I know neither approach 9 lbs, one very far away from that. In fact, my huge load hauler is Macpac Cascade. It's very tough, I've had it years. It's the same pack Ed Stafford used a couple of years back to walk the Amazon. That's far from 9 lbs too and huge in comparison.
 
They obviously felt they were losing out on too much tacticool $$ in the civilian market and needed to jump in. They should stick to what they do best. That said - I'm sure the quality (and high price) will be there, just probably not the form\function of the top names in this market.
 
remmmm said:
They obviously felt they were losing out on too much tacticool $$ in the civilian market and needed to jump in. They should stick to what they do best. That said - I'm sure the quality (and high price) will be there, just probably not the form\function of the top names in this market.
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These fall under the parent brand "Arc'teryx" but they're "LEAF" [Law Enforcement Armed Forces] packs and not that easy to get as a civilian - they're not designed or priced for civilians. They're not even on the Arc'teryx site. You'll never find these your local REI!

With respect to weight [as posted by others], yes they're heavy, but they're made out of heavyweight materials like 500D Cordura and reinforced everywhere. They're built to be super tough for military use. They're also designed to carry heavy load outs - not stuff that a normal civilian would carry into the backcountry - and therefore have a robust chassis/frame. A 30 litre pack might have 50 lbs in it. As a civilian, I might have 15-20 lbs in a 30 litre pack. There are lots of lightweight packs out there, but they'd be shredded within 24 hrs. Without a substantial frame [which adds a lot of weight], a lightweight pack can't carry much weight either, at least without fatiguing the user and being ineffective.

These are most likely made in Canada too which may also account for the high cost, but everything Arc'teryx is expensive so this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
 
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I still think something is wrong with these weights. Years ago I had a Military version of a Karrimor pack [Arctic] with a long external frame you could bungee whatever you could lift to. The fabric was the most overbuilt pack fabric I've encountered - a layer of butyl rubber sandwiched between two layers of nylon. I don't remember it being the weight of a sledgehammer when empty. Here's one:
Karrimor_Arctic_Bergan_052529.jpg
..........................And here is Ed Stafford, an army captain, going on about carrying 47Kilos (103.4 lbs) in relative comfort in that pack I mentioned he thrashed through the Amazon with for two years. I think my one of those is about 6lbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXL7SeetPg
 
baldtaco-II said:
I still think something is wrong with these weights. Years ago I had a Military version of a Karrimor pack [Arctic] with a long external frame you could bungee whatever you could lift to. The fabric was the most overbuilt pack fabric I've encountered - a layer of butyl rubber sandwiched between two layers of nylon. I don't remember it being the weight of a sledgehammer when empty. Here's one:
Karrimor_Arctic_Bergan_052529.jpg
..........................And here is Ed Stafford, an army captain, going on about carrying 47Kilos (103.4 lbs) in relative comfort in that pack I mentioned he thrashed through the Amazon with for two years. I think my one of those is about 6lbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXL7SeetPg
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I'll have to take a closer look at the weights.

I have an old Dana Design Astralplane; the thing weighs about 9 pounds!, but it can carry 100 lbs easily [I'm assuming!]. I rarely use it these days, but if I was heading into the bush for an eternity it would be my pack of choice.
 
I spent my entire career with the "big green tick" (Large ALICE) either on my back or suspended from my harness. It was normal to have 100+ pounds of gear stuffed into it. The Commo Ruck I carried and jumped during 1993-1998 weighed 137lbs. That was NORMAL! :D
 
I've been scratching my head about getting a newer, lighter pack to replace my well used Bora 80 but damn if my Bora isn't super comfortable and can hold loads of all sizes with extreme comfort. The thing feels like the bucket seat of a fine automobile. It has been dragged through tough forest bushwacks for years without any seam problems or wear through. It cleans up easily and is well worth the money I spent on it. I save weight with my tent, bag and other gear but am not going to switch my Arcteryx just yet. I think there are tradeoffs that people make with gear but a super comfortable, stable, durable pack isn't one that I'm gonna get rid of to save a couple pounds.

If I am carrying much less gear for an overnight, I leave the top pocket and don't pack the sleeping bag section at the bottom. Works for me and sheds about a pound.

I'd guess that these new ones were designed not for the gram scale but for other purposes.
 
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