What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Info on gear, conditioning, and preparation for hiking/climbing.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
frooney
Posts: 6
Joined: 8/20/2018
14ers: 27 
13ers: 3
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by frooney »

Does anyone have experience with the BD Distance 15? It has been out of stock for a while but is showing available again today.
User avatar
Conor
Posts: 1112
Joined: 9/2/2014
14ers: 41  6  6 
13ers: 51 1 1
Trip Reports (7)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by Conor »

frooney wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:25 pm Does anyone have experience with the BD Distance 15? It has been out of stock for a while but is showing available again today.
Yes, i do. What's your question?
User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 2390
Joined: 6/14/2010
Trip Reports (9)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by Dave B »

tmud wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:10 pm
Dave B wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:41 am
tmud wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:33 am osprey mutant series backpacks were made specifically for Colorado mountaineering. I have the 22l, its pretty good.
Interesting flex. However, I'm be surprised if the mutant was designed with much more than a passing thought to CO "mountaineering".
Flex? It's a backpack. Flex, I assume you're referring to the verb, 'flexing', that is an action, not an object. This discussion concerns backpacks.
Lighten up Francis, I was making a joke about a backpack being specifically made for Colorado mountaineering is the same thing as a race car being made specifically for a parking lot.
Make wilderness less accessible.
frooney
Posts: 6
Joined: 8/20/2018
14ers: 27 
13ers: 3
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by frooney »

Conor wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:56 pm
frooney wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:25 pm Does anyone have experience with the BD Distance 15? It has been out of stock for a while but is showing available again today.
Yes, i do. What's your question?
Would you recommend it for similar use as discussed in this thread (understanding it’s on the smaller side for carrying winter gear)? The biggest knock I’ve read is the water bottle holsters seem difficult to use. Aside from that curious if it’s worked well as it seems pretty light and versatile.
User avatar
Conor
Posts: 1112
Joined: 9/2/2014
14ers: 41  6  6 
13ers: 51 1 1
Trip Reports (7)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by Conor »

frooney wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:35 pm
Conor wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:56 pm
frooney wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:25 pm Does anyone have experience with the BD Distance 15? It has been out of stock for a while but is showing available again today.
Yes, i do. What's your question?
Would you recommend it for similar use as discussed in this thread (understanding it’s on the smaller side for carrying winter gear)? The biggest knock I’ve read is the water bottle holsters seem difficult to use. Aside from that curious if it’s worked well as it seems pretty light and versatile.
Here is what i wrote eariler, i wasn't specific about it being the distance 15 though since i couldn't remember the name.

I don't do the water bottle thing, so I'm not much help there. They do hold my eyeglasses pretty well though. I also stash food in the water bottle holders. There is an integrated pocket inside the pack to hold a bladder, my 2l fits well.

The size is perfect for fair weather, easy day missions. Looking back, it would have been perfect for the ishinca valley in peru. I know there are a lot of discussions about putting crampons or a rope on the outside of the pack, but if the approach is basically trail with some easy scrambling, i think it is a small concession to make until you get pointed and roped up. Obviously 15L is pretty small and you're carrying the basics. I may perhaps be a crappy hiker/climber, but i have no idea what the 10 essentials are and i know I often purposely don't carry a couple of them.

I also use it backpacking inside my bigger pack. Perhaps a bit of splurge in terms of weight, but i don't feel i overpack there either. This year after hitting all the rgp 13ers i packed up camp and did the 5 miles avg 17.5 min miles. Which beat my avg with a similar setup when i did cloud peak. All that is to say, it fits in my backpacking pack which is probably in the 15ish lb category (not carrying water).
Conor wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:27 pm I typically hate everything black diamond that isn't a camalot, but their packs are pretty good. they no longer make my 15L day pack which has axe carry and is running vest style. But, they have blitz 20 which is similar to what I currently use and the speed 22.

But, they're made to carry a small rope and are good for day outings (or euro style huts). The 15L is all my wife carried in europe. It also tucks in just fine into my z packs pack if I am backpacking in somewhere.
frooney
Posts: 6
Joined: 8/20/2018
14ers: 27 
13ers: 3
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by frooney »

Conor wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:38 am
frooney wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:35 pm
Conor wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:56 pm

Yes, i do. What's your question?
Would you recommend it for similar use as discussed in this thread (understanding it’s on the smaller side for carrying winter gear)? The biggest knock I’ve read is the water bottle holsters seem difficult to use. Aside from that curious if it’s worked well as it seems pretty light and versatile.
Here is what i wrote eariler, i wasn't specific about it being the distance 15 though since i couldn't remember the name.

I don't do the water bottle thing, so I'm not much help there. They do hold my eyeglasses pretty well though. I also stash food in the water bottle holders. There is an integrated pocket inside the pack to hold a bladder, my 2l fits well.

The size is perfect for fair weather, easy day missions. Looking back, it would have been perfect for the ishinca valley in peru. I know there are a lot of discussions about putting crampons or a rope on the outside of the pack, but if the approach is basically trail with some easy scrambling, i think it is a small concession to make until you get pointed and roped up. Obviously 15L is pretty small and you're carrying the basics. I may perhaps be a crappy hiker/climber, but i have no idea what the 10 essentials are and i know I often purposely don't carry a couple of them.

I also use it backpacking inside my bigger pack. Perhaps a bit of splurge in terms of weight, but i don't feel i overpack there either. This year after hitting all the rgp 13ers i packed up camp and did the 5 miles avg 17.5 min miles. Which beat my avg with a similar setup when i did cloud peak. All that is to say, it fits in my backpacking pack which is probably in the 15ish lb category (not carrying water).
Conor wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:27 pm I typically hate everything black diamond that isn't a camalot, but their packs are pretty good. they no longer make my 15L day pack which has axe carry and is running vest style. But, they have blitz 20 which is similar to what I currently use and the speed 22.

But, they're made to carry a small rope and are good for day outings (or euro style huts). The 15L is all my wife carried in europe. It also tucks in just fine into my z packs pack if I am backpacking in somewhere.
I should have put together you were probably referring to the Distance in that earlier post. Thanks for all the info, this really helps!
tmud
Posts: 107
Joined: 7/18/2017
14ers: 22  1 
13ers: 162 11 1
Trip Reports (2)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by tmud »

Dave B wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:28 pm
tmud wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:10 pm
Dave B wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:41 am

Interesting flex. However, I'm be surprised if the mutant was designed with much more than a passing thought to CO "mountaineering".
Flex? It's a backpack. Flex, I assume you're referring to the verb, 'flexing', that is an action, not an object. This discussion concerns backpacks.
Lighten up Francis, I was making a joke about a backpack being specifically made for Colorado mountaineering is the same thing as a race car being made specifically for a parking lot.
Ah, the age old argument of how the act of bi-pedal travel through mountainous terrain isn't called mountaineering in Colorado because of some subjective gatekeeping certain people seem to hold simply because beirstadt exists.
User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 2390
Joined: 6/14/2010
Trip Reports (9)
 

Re: What is your (15-25 L) mountaineering pack of choice

Post by Dave B »

tmud wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:29 pm
Dave B wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:28 pm
tmud wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:10 pm

Flex? It's a backpack. Flex, I assume you're referring to the verb, 'flexing', that is an action, not an object. This discussion concerns backpacks.
Lighten up Francis, I was making a joke about a backpack being specifically made for Colorado mountaineering is the same thing as a race car being made specifically for a parking lot.
Ah, the age old argument of how the act of bi-pedal travel through mountainous terrain isn't called mountaineering in Colorado because of some subjective gatekeeping certain people seem to hold simply because beirstadt exists.
Now you're getting it! Hooray!

Although I think Osprey would argue the Mutant would be geared more towards quadrupedal movement.
Make wilderness less accessible.
Post Reply