Jodi
2004-09-24 21:56:53 UTC
Lowe Alpine Contour Classic Backpack
Name: Jodi Cullen
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 160 Pounds
Email address: flagwilderness (at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country: Flagstaff, AZ US
Date: September 24, 2004
Backpacking Backround: I began backpacking in the White Mountains of
NH. At that time I was not in the "Lightweight" school of thought.
Generally I carried over 50lbs of gear for a long weekend getaway
including a folding camp chair! Moving to the south west has changed
my backpacking style. I have opted for the more lightweight, cooler
packs. Although a good chunk of my backpacking now involves desert
mountains, I still get up into the Sierra la Sals of Utah, and in my
own backyard Humphrey's Peak, for some good winter camping. I am head
of the Flagstaff Outdoors Club and that opens avenues of new
explorations. Mostly with the club we tend to do more car camping or
hikes into the Grand Canyon. I have traveled to Central America and
backpacked Guatamala for 10 days.
Being a trail runner has also changed my perspective on hiking
footwear going from heavy leather boots to lighter trail running
shoes I feel was a wise choice. I made this decision after running
the Imogene Mountain Pass Race.
I am currently preparing for a 2006 thru hike of the PCT and hope to
achieve a max pack weight of about 35lbs (including new food supply &
water).
Manufacturer: Lowe Alpine
Year of Manufacture: 202
Url: www.lowealpine.com
Listed Weight: 5 lbs 2 oz.
Weight as delivered: unknown
Volume: 5500 cu in / 90 ltr
Internal Frame
Retail: $179.00
The Lowe Alpine Contour Classic is a great entry level pack. This is
a top loading pack, with the option to make one or two compartments.
The lower compartment was roomy enough to fit my 30 degree sack, tent
fly, water filter, and toiletries. This bottom compartment is
accessible from the "A" shaped zippered opening. I would be careful
with putting smaller items in this compartment due to the tendency of
the zippers coming undone. There are water bottle pockets on the
side, but I found them to be difficult to reach but they did provide
a great pocket for tent poles. The compression straps on the sides
make great tie downs for sleeping pads.
This pack exhibits the APS 3 system, which allows you to adjust the
suspension of the pack to fit the shape of you back. I was able to
find the perfect fit after about 5-6 trips with average 45lb load.
There are several adjusting straps that are easily accessible to
maintain comfort. There is also a removable pad which sits along
your lower back that I found to be uncomfortable and removed
completely.
There are no side pockets available on this pack. The only addition
pocket is the lid, which is more than adequate in size. I found,
though, that I could never center the lid on top of the pack and it
was difficult through mountain terrains. There is an expandable top,
which I have never had to used, since the pack itself is a decent
size. The last trip I used this pack for was backpacking through
Guatamala. It was extremely comfortable and accommodating, but I
found myself being envious of my tripmates smaller, lightweight pack.
Field Conditions:
This pack went through the rainy jungles of Guatamala without a rain
cover. Although not waterproof, I was happy to see that my
belongings stayed fairly dry. This pack has also gone through
several canyons, dropped from rock cliffs, used as a suitcase on
plane trips, and gone through several rivers. There are no holes,
tears in seams, or any other major problems. The only damage is a
broken compression strap from going through airport security.
Summary:
This is a great pack to start out with. It has gotten me through 3
years of exploring Arizona and surrounding areas. I found that, as a
beginner, this pack had everything I needed, but as I progressed in
my skills and gear, I am ready for a step up. I would recommend this
pack to anyone who is just getting into backpacking.
Things I like:
1. Plenty of room
2. Comfortable
3. APS harness system
4. Coolness on back
Things I dislike:
1. Lack of additional pockets / compartments
2. Too many straps flying around
3. Weight (More lightweight oriented these days)
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Name: Jodi Cullen
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 160 Pounds
Email address: flagwilderness (at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country: Flagstaff, AZ US
Date: September 24, 2004
Backpacking Backround: I began backpacking in the White Mountains of
NH. At that time I was not in the "Lightweight" school of thought.
Generally I carried over 50lbs of gear for a long weekend getaway
including a folding camp chair! Moving to the south west has changed
my backpacking style. I have opted for the more lightweight, cooler
packs. Although a good chunk of my backpacking now involves desert
mountains, I still get up into the Sierra la Sals of Utah, and in my
own backyard Humphrey's Peak, for some good winter camping. I am head
of the Flagstaff Outdoors Club and that opens avenues of new
explorations. Mostly with the club we tend to do more car camping or
hikes into the Grand Canyon. I have traveled to Central America and
backpacked Guatamala for 10 days.
Being a trail runner has also changed my perspective on hiking
footwear going from heavy leather boots to lighter trail running
shoes I feel was a wise choice. I made this decision after running
the Imogene Mountain Pass Race.
I am currently preparing for a 2006 thru hike of the PCT and hope to
achieve a max pack weight of about 35lbs (including new food supply &
water).
Manufacturer: Lowe Alpine
Year of Manufacture: 202
Url: www.lowealpine.com
Listed Weight: 5 lbs 2 oz.
Weight as delivered: unknown
Volume: 5500 cu in / 90 ltr
Internal Frame
Retail: $179.00
The Lowe Alpine Contour Classic is a great entry level pack. This is
a top loading pack, with the option to make one or two compartments.
The lower compartment was roomy enough to fit my 30 degree sack, tent
fly, water filter, and toiletries. This bottom compartment is
accessible from the "A" shaped zippered opening. I would be careful
with putting smaller items in this compartment due to the tendency of
the zippers coming undone. There are water bottle pockets on the
side, but I found them to be difficult to reach but they did provide
a great pocket for tent poles. The compression straps on the sides
make great tie downs for sleeping pads.
This pack exhibits the APS 3 system, which allows you to adjust the
suspension of the pack to fit the shape of you back. I was able to
find the perfect fit after about 5-6 trips with average 45lb load.
There are several adjusting straps that are easily accessible to
maintain comfort. There is also a removable pad which sits along
your lower back that I found to be uncomfortable and removed
completely.
There are no side pockets available on this pack. The only addition
pocket is the lid, which is more than adequate in size. I found,
though, that I could never center the lid on top of the pack and it
was difficult through mountain terrains. There is an expandable top,
which I have never had to used, since the pack itself is a decent
size. The last trip I used this pack for was backpacking through
Guatamala. It was extremely comfortable and accommodating, but I
found myself being envious of my tripmates smaller, lightweight pack.
Field Conditions:
This pack went through the rainy jungles of Guatamala without a rain
cover. Although not waterproof, I was happy to see that my
belongings stayed fairly dry. This pack has also gone through
several canyons, dropped from rock cliffs, used as a suitcase on
plane trips, and gone through several rivers. There are no holes,
tears in seams, or any other major problems. The only damage is a
broken compression strap from going through airport security.
Summary:
This is a great pack to start out with. It has gotten me through 3
years of exploring Arizona and surrounding areas. I found that, as a
beginner, this pack had everything I needed, but as I progressed in
my skills and gear, I am ready for a step up. I would recommend this
pack to anyone who is just getting into backpacking.
Things I like:
1. Plenty of room
2. Comfortable
3. APS harness system
4. Coolness on back
Things I dislike:
1. Lack of additional pockets / compartments
2. Too many straps flying around
3. Weight (More lightweight oriented these days)
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/