Stamina

I've been using the Stamina 70 for three years now. I find it extremely useful for (upto) 3-4 day trips, including alpine ascents. Here are some of the features:



1. very sturdy and VERY comfortable. After a little use, the backpanel pretty much mirrors your bodyshape - helps a lot when carrying heavy loads. I also found the waist and shoulder STRAPS extremely easy to use (i.e. adjustable) and highly comfortable.



2. backpanel is highly breathable and absorbs a lot of moisture to keep your back dry.



3. the material can take a lot of rough use - I've used it for really rough bushwhacking and didn't see any sign of it on the backpack.



4. comes with its own RAINFLY - I found this feature extremely useful. It keeps the bag dry in wet conditions, and the fly can be conveniently pushed into its own compartment.



4. pretty large sleeping bag compartment - can be opened up to join the main compartment too.



5. side zip goes all the way down (till above the sleeping bag compartment) - gives easy access to things that are even low down (but on one side only).



6. other features - see-through compartment to keep maps dry, ice axe loops (and a few extra loops to tie gear onto), hydration compartment, smaller compartment (with velcro closure) to store valuables, easily accessible compartment on the top (can open/close it when having the pack on).







Some minor drawbacks:



1. the detachable DAYPACK is too SMALL - especially for alpine ascents (I usually take the entire pack with me to the summit). In fact, I usually leave the daypack at home and never use it (unless I want to carry extra stuff that didn't fit inside the pack).



2. water bottle pocket is there on only one side. Another one (on the other side) might've been useful to carry a snow picket - I usually keep the picket in the water bottle pocket (and through the side compression straps) - so that I can take it out easily just by pulling it, and at the same time, the picket will sit snugly in the bag.





Overall, I love my Stamina 70, and can see myself using it for quite some time from now!! Considering the features, it is worth its price of $270 (I got it for $100 less though - watch out for deals on campmor.com!).

This pack is very comfortable and stable, even under a heavy load. However, after only 2 trips, the internal metal frame tore right through the bottom of the pack on both sides. The metal rods are sticking out of the bottom of the pack through 2 canvas straps that are suppose to support it.

A friend of mine has the same pack. I bought mine primarily because he raved about his for 2 years. Ironically, he encountered the same problem that I did right after I bought my pack. This is obviously a design flaw. We both had our packs restiched and reinforced on the bottom. TNF did this at no charge.

Although the pack is designed for a large load, it is better suited for mid to light weight loads. It will probably serve you well so long as you don't over-weight it, and you don't bang it around too much. I put duct tape on the outside bottom of the straps to help prevent it from wearing through again.

I agree with the previous reviewer about the detachable pack. It is too small to be of any value.