thoughts needed on a pack

[albertwas27]

hi i just wanted get some of your opinions on picking which pack to get. before i start, these are the only packs available for me to fit and these seem the best fit for me. ill be going on a 4 day trek to our highest peak here in the philippines MT.APO. the trail is gonna be a mix of steep and moderate climbs and boulder fields. so the packs i have in mind is either gonna be the north face alteo 50 and the prophet 52.

pros and cons.

i like the fit of the belts and the shoulder straps of the prophet which is really comfortable but to my untrained eye the prophet looks smaller compared to the alteo, i like that the alteo has sort of mesh net between the bag and the back to provide great cooling but the alteo is less comfortable.

any opinions on which one to get? experiences? thanks

 

[OwenM]

Sucks that those are your only choices, because there's a whole world of packs out there.
Similar weights, both top loaders. The Prophet is a technical pack, while the Alteo's features are geared toward hikers.
I'd try them again with some weight or full of your actual gear, and start with all the straps loose then experiment a little to make sure you're getting the best fit possible. On the surface, the Alteo would be my overwhelming choice due to the ventilation and orientation of the straps and pockets, but fit/comfort trumps everything when you have to wear all day.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Like the man said, get some weight in them, preferably more than you think you'd carry. Then try to move around. you may find that one fits more securely which will be an advantage for bouldering. Because neither of them have a height adjustable yoke, the fit is going to be much more critical, so you will also have to try on each size of pack to make sure that they fit. It looks to me like there is quite a range in volume compared to size, the large prophet being 10L larger than the small.

 

[albertwas27]

Sucks that those are your only choices, because there's a whole world of packs out there.
Similar weights, both top loaders. The Prophet is a technical pack, while the Alteo's features are geared toward hikers.
I'd try them again with some weight or full of your actual gear, and start with all the straps loose then experiment a little to make sure you're getting the best fit possible. On the surface, the Alteo would be my overwhelming choice due to the ventilation and orientation of the straps and pockets, but fit/comfort trumps everything when you have to wear all day.

it really does suck but you gotta work with what you got. just curious what do you mean by a technical pack?

 

[OwenM]

just curious what do you mean by a technical pack?

What are referred to as "technical" sports like mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing, canyoneering require additional gear. For instance, a slot canyon you can walk, crawl, or otherwise make your way through unaided is just a slot canyon. Throw in pools of water that require a wet or drysuit, or drop-offs that require rappelling, and it is now a technical canyon.

Take a look at TNF's description of the pack, which they list as a technical pack and advertise as being for mountaineering as part of their Summit series.
"New high-performance workhorse engineered with mountain-savvy technology.
Crampon pocket and adjustable ski-carry stabilizers enable you to reach high-altitude, snow-covered peaks. Available in three different volumes (48-liters, 54-liters, 58-liters), range permits multi-day use. Part of the Summit Series® collection, premier pack features straps designed specifically to not interfere with harnesses."

It also has tool loops instead of hipbelt pockets for hanging carabiners and other gear, like quickdraws, ascenders, belay devices, anchors, etc. The heavier material vs. something like the Alteo is presumably due to a technical pack's often being dragged, lowered by rope, raised on an ascender, along with having a bunch of stuff strapped or clipped to it, so it takes a lot more abuse than something you'd just wear on your back for a walk through the woods.
The ad copy for the Alteo focuses on the ventilated back, overall comfort, and things like the toplid being removable so it can be worn as a waistpack. That's the stuff a backpacker might find attractive, but a mountain climber would find useless.

 

[albertwas27]

What are referred to as "technical" sports like mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing, canyoneering require additional gear. For instance, a slot canyon you can walk, crawl, or otherwise make your way through unaided is just a slot canyon. Throw in pools of water that require a wet or drysuit, or drop-offs that require rappelling, and it is now a technical canyon.

Take a look at TNF's description of the pack, which they list as a technical pack and advertise as being for mountaineering as part of their Summit series.
"New high-performance workhorse engineered with mountain-savvy technology.
Crampon pocket and adjustable ski-carry stabilizers enable you to reach high-altitude, snow-covered peaks. Available in three different volumes (48-liters, 54-liters, 58-liters), range permits multi-day use. Part of the Summit Series® collection, premier pack features straps designed specifically to not interfere with harnesses."

It also has tool loops instead of hipbelt pockets for hanging carabiners and other gear, like quickdraws, ascenders, belay devices, anchors, etc. The heavier material vs. something like the Alteo is presumably due to a technical pack's often being dragged, lowered by rope, raised on an ascender, along with having a bunch of stuff strapped or clipped to it, so it takes a lot more abuse than something you'd just wear on your back for a walk through the woods.
The ad copy for the Alteo focuses on the ventilated back, overall comfort, and things like the toplid being removable so it can be worn as a waistpack. That's the stuff a backpacker might find attractive, but a mountain climber would find useless.

thanks that helped a lot so far im leaning towards the ptophet due to the comfort of the straps but ill give it another go with weights on and compare the feel of both