Item | Product Number |
---|---|
Pathfinder Edge | 9411199 |
Pathfinder MAX-1 XT | 9411193 |
I have several different packs and this one is my favorite. It's my go to. I love the dump pouch in the back. It's secure enough to keep my calls or other gear handy. I like the expansion option. It makes it a great early season pack that you can convert to something bigger when you need to pack more layers. Side pouches could move a little forward. it would be nice to have a way to attach a side arm..
I like all the concepts and options this pack has to offer. Although it has come apart on me like others have said in their reviews, I gave it four stars. It would earn that fifth star in the material was a little tougher.
This pack gets a ton of 4-5 star reviews but my own experience with it was only so so. It has a number of design issues that make it clumsy to use. First, the side compression straps that help the rear-most pocket sit straight go right across the side pockets. If you have a water bottle in the mesh pocket (which seems to be its intended purpose...) it's pretty easy to get out but almost impossible to get back in the same way. The waist belt on the pack also sits oddly for me. It's as if the belt straps are "canted" or angled inward in some way. No matter what I do to adjust it, it always seems to rub me on the top or the bottom.
Finally, the belt design is odd to begin with. The side pouches aren't subdivided, so if you use them for what I do (pocketknife/multi-tool, chapstick, windicator, etc) it all gets jumbled in there and it's hard to get stuff out without dumping things on the ground. And their placement is awkward as well. They're too far back to reach with good view of what's inside and yet not quite far back enough to fit an accessory pouch in front of it. And yet they DO seem to be far enough back to get in the way of a shoulder-carried firearm such as a shotgun! Honestly, I wish they had just stuck a molle panel on each side and focused on the pack itself. No joke, I have seriously considered ripping the stitches on the side pouches so I can sew one on!
The redeeming feature is that this is a very versatile pack for half the price of other less functional competitors. I do hope the Alps team listens to feedback because this thing could be amazing with some tweaks!