First off, I'd better say im only 15. Im young for an $300+ pack owner, but now that i look at the pack i have bought, i could care less if this pack cost 100 more! Arc'teryx makes one beautiful pack. I have not owned my Bora 80 for long, but i have already fallen in love with it. I personaly think Arc'teryx is the only way to go when buying a big pack. Sure i would love a Danna, but now that they have been bought out, they are no good (seams are no longer dubble stiched for one thing). When buying a pack i also looked at gregory... I was looking at a Palisade, but its sizing range was small, and it felt to... blocky. After just spending 30 days in Alaska with friends i have learned much more about other pack companies. I have seen a Gregory hip belt's carbon?/Plastic back snap, and a Low Alpines shoulder strap pop right off. while i tended to others repares, i just kept looking at my trusty Bora, i think by far it has been my best outdoor equipment i have ever purchased. I love it. I would hightly recomend it to all, it can easily handle multi week excursions if your the kind of person to takes pride in packing a little light. Nothing beats a Bora

PS by the way, i have fit nalgeins (spelling way off :-) into the side pockets, and it works. i agree, it aint a pretty fit, but since theres a built in bladder holder, and you can fit a 100 ounce bladder in there (aprox a lil' less than 3 nalgeins) you can just put your bottles in your bag and not worry about it. The side pockets make great places to put small tooles, extra candy bars, and hats and gloves in.

PPS the Kangaroo pocket rockes, i can fit all my rain gear in (even 2 ply stuff!) and still get a warm hat or somthing else in there. I LOVE IT!

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I have played with my Bro's older Danna Terriplain X
Low Alpine... forget the type
and some external frames

I own one of these bags and I think that they "fit like a glove" The most comftorable pack I have ever purchased. the only drawback I can think of is that I wish the ice-axe loops didn't ride so high on the bag. My ice-axe always snags on plants overhead.

I posted the second message down telling you Arcteryx Packs were still available in Canada if you looked hard enough. So many people asked me for the address I asked the company if I could post their webb address. You see their prices are about 33% lower on all Arcteryx Packs. SO HERE IS THE ADDRESS:
http://www.packcountry.com/arcteryx1.htm
Some of the models are back ordered so you might have to wait a month or more. This outfit has advised me they may stop selling to US after the 25th of September 2000 so if you want one go to their webb NOW. From there you can email or phone (toll free). I am still waiting for them to contact me when they get my Bora95 in but saving $150 gives me patience. "Happy Trails" ......gosh I think Roy Rogers used to say that........

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Of all the packs that I have used the Bora 80 stands tall above them all. The quality of craftsmanship of this pack is superb. It exudes excellence. Yes it does weigh in at a few extra pounds; 7.14 lbs for the large. What should be considered is that with a pack of this quality the pack weight is going to be directly proportional to durability. Which is what one should expect when paying $300+ for a pack.

Being an engineer I think Arc'teryx deserves a design award for dreaming up the V-stay suspension system with integrated composite load transfer rods. This system keeps the stability and comfort of the Bora 80 no matter what load I throw at it.

I have no problems holstering a couple of quart size bottles in either of the side pockets.

Bottom line...if you want a pack that you will love for a long time then get the Bora 80.

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I have not received my pack yet but wanted to let those who follow me know that although MEC in Canada has stopped selling the US buyers use your "search engine" and you can find another Canadian store that offers an even better selection of these packs at the same prices. Good searching.......

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Lowe

I used to sell these a few years ago, and was blown away by their quality and the rave reviews from customers who had purchased them. I got mine last winter, and have used it on a few backpacking trips, including a few weeks trekking in Wales. Fantastic all around. The wand pockets were great for train schedules and brochures, and the the kangaroo pocket was great for quick access items. By the end of the trip I was carrying at least 65-70lbs between gear and souveniers (including a slate chess set), but the pack was always comfortable and secure. I recommended this to two friends of mine, who also purchased them, and they adore theirs as well.

Customer Service

I had to deal with their customer service department a few times while working at the store, and they were always very accomodating. I have not had to contact them as a consumer yet, but have no reason to expect different.

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Bergen's Viking II

This is a wonderful pack. Just got mine this year, have used it a couple of times on multiday trips in the Sawtooths. Very comfortable, and the detachable top lid fanny pack is also one of the most comfortable I've used. Despite all the complaints about the small side pockets, I put 1 quart Nalgene bottles in both sides and never had any problem with them coming out, even in some rough off trail hiking. I tried on lots of other packs in various stores, never found any that were as comfortable as this one, especially when loading them up with gear or sandbags, or whatever they had handy to create some weight. Be sure to get the MEC deal as several others have mentioned. It sounds too good to be true but it works.

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This is a very good pack, my first full-sized pack. Suspension is excellent, although I ordered a long and had to switch to a medium waistbelt (it comes with a large which was too big for my 34" waist). Quality of materials is very heavy-duty, although some *minor* construction details are nicer on my Marmot daypack.

My big gripe is that the elastic side-pockets are very poorly sized. It seems pretty simple to design something that can hold Nalgene bottles, but they didn't really do that. You can really jam a 1-liter in horizontally if you're determined, but these really need to be re-thought by the designers.

In the meantime I use a hydration bladder and carry an empty Nalgene 1-liter on the pack.

If you're in the US, get the MEC deal; it easily knocks 1/3 off the price of the pack.

Customer Service

I called wondering if there was *some* water bottle that those pockets are designed for. I was told their advised use was "to hold tent stakes" (!?)

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Marmot Talus

I have had my Arc'Teryx for about three months now, and I love it. The suspension system on this pack is second to none. The materials on this pack are bombproof. It is a little bit on the heavy side, but I knew that when I bought it. Summery, it's the best pack in its class.

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OK, had my new Bora 80 from MEC out for its first trip into the Rockies. This pack appears very well sown with high quality hardware and materials. I noticed this as I was zipping up an overstuffed top pocket during a hail storm. A bit on the heavy side but the comfortable suspension makes up. If your soloing the room gets used at least in these mountains. The side pocket issue is a non-issue in my opinion. It seems they work as they should for holding my pad, poles, fly-rod, climbing gear etc. Water clips via biner to the shoulder straps or a bladder in the cool-beans kangaroo pocket. Would have gone with an Osprey but could not beat the MEC deal.

Customer Service

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Gregory, Osprey, REI stuff, external frames