I love this pack! I use it at least once a month on backpacking trips, and i havent found one bad thing about it, other than it is alittle big at times. It is expensive but well worth the money. I have been through some bad weather with it and it keeps everything extremely dry also! This pack is great!

Customer Service

never needed it yet!

Similar Products Used:

Camptrails
Gregory shasta (this was also a good pack, but I dont like it as much as my Dana.)

The Rolls Royce of expedition packs. Nothing is more adjustable or comfortable (for a pack that is). Large selection of harness systems allows for the ultimate in custom fitting. Sturdy construction, full featured but without useless heavy add ons. Enough room for everything including the kitchen sink, possibly too much room. Remember the addage that you will fill whatever size pack you have. Choose your size wisely, if you don't need this much pack consider a smaller Dana. It's pricy but can be found on sale and you get what you pay for.

Customer Service

None needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Jansport, Gregory

This pack is greta. I went from a camp trails mckinley external pack to this pack. The dana was amazingly awesome. It is a tid bit nipply sometimes, and i have a big bag, I t has plenty of storage space for my large sleeping bag.

Similar Products Used:

Camp Trails Mckinley

In short, a great pack.

I'm primarily a trail walker (800 miles on the A.T. and Long Trail), and a long-time owner of external frame Kelty packs. I had to buy an all-new pack for this trip and scoured the Internet to research my options. I narrowed my list to several external frame packs and tried on the Kelty Super Tioga and Dana Designs Terraframe at a local outfitter. The salesman had hiked the A.T. in the mid-90s using a Terraplane X and talked me into giving it a go (since they didn't have a Terraframe in stock in my size). I spent a week on the A.T. in western Vermont and eastern New Hampshire and loved the way the pack performed. It took me at least 4 days to get used to packing it differently than my old Kelty, and all the adjustment straps seem to take me 10 minutes longer to get going in the morning, but the end result was incredibly comfortable handling the 35-45 pound loads I was carrying.

I also used the pack to carry perhaps 18-20 pounds for 8 miles and noticed that, while very capable, the pack no longer curved to my back since there wasn't enough weight to push into my lower back. I also used the HipLid as a daypack, stuffing a water bottle, 2 pairs of socks (my feet sweat a lot on a 20-mile hike), a first aid kit and snack food in easily. The hipbelt and hip cinchers did a great job of keeping the weight pretty tight against my hips, although I did have to pull the belt very tight.

I'm still a little concerned about heat build-up with an internal frame pack on a very hot day (80+ degrees), but everything gets hot to some extent and this pack rides great with at least moderate weight.

Customer Service

Initially, I couldn't find any instruction manual on how to adjust all of the straps on the Terraplane (at least 15 in all!). I sent an e-mail to customer support from the danadesigns.com website pointing out the need for such a manual. Of course, I found the manual the next day (zipped into a small security compartment on the interior of the HipLid). They never e-mailed me back, but they did send me a "replacement" guide in the mail (that arrived while I was on my trip!). I would like to see these instruction guides made available off their website.

Similar Products Used:

None

I received this as a gift from extremely generous parents, and it is the greatest gift I've ever gotten. The straps and hip belt are so comfortable I hardly know I'm wearing it, even if I have more than 50 lbs. loaded into it. I haven't taken it out for more than 4 or 5 days, but it is built for much longer expeditions and the like. It is pricy, but it is worth every penny. I've used an EMS pack, an REI pack, and a LoweAlpine internal frame pack, but the fit and finish of the Dana is leagues above the rest.

Similar Products Used:

EMS, REI, LoweAlpine packs (I don't remember the models)

This is the best Backpack I have ever used! The pack I had prior to this was never quite right. The Dana Terraplane X was fitted to me using a very comprehensive process. The difference was immediate on my first trip a fourteener climb in Colorado. The quality is evident throughout with finished seams and very good sewing. This pack is capable of making heavy loads feel quite a bit lighter than with other packs.The bottom line buy this pack you will not regret it!

Customer Service

I have had no need for there customer service. But I have a friend who has an 11 year old Terraplane that he had to have repaired watchout for those Marmots. And Craig said the pack came back looking like NEW. The repairs were very reasonable in cost as well.

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TNF Renegade

I looked at many packs,tried them on,read just about every review on this web site and settled on the TerraplaneX. I have worn it now about a half a dozen times and am completely satisfied with it. It was a little expensive but the way I look at it you will either bitch about the price when you buy it or bitch about how it fells and wears for the next 10 years. I choose to bitch about the price because I can always earn more money but I have a limited time to go backpacking and that to me is supposed to be a fun experience and not filled with suffering. This pack does very well with 50 lbs.+ and is very durable.

Similar Products Used:

Gregory windriver,Lowe alpine,

I bought a large (about 6000 cu). I've used it on a couple rather long trips in Denali and some trips in the SW. It's a great pack. I'm a big guy and carry some heavy loads. I think my back would give before the pack would. It's a little pricy but may be well worth it.

Customer Service

I had some doubts after K2 took over, but they answered my questions well.

Similar Products Used:

None

I love this backpack (I have the new Terraplane LTW). It fits like it was made custom for me. I'm rather hard to fit and have rented a multitude of packs, finally settling on this one. The price was hard to swallow, but I figured it was cheaper than buying a cheap, ill-fitting pack and having to buy it several trips later. I prefer hiking off-trail and scrambling and need a pack which doesn't throw me off balance, and I like how this pack rides and moves with me. I also like how the hipbelt doesn't restrict my leg movement like some other packs do and that the shoulder straps are thinner (but just as comfortable as other packs) so I can move my arms more easily. I have these problems with other packs mostly because of my small size. Other packs I've tried just made me feel too top-heavy and stiff. I haven't taken it on too many trips yet, so I'm not sure about the durability of the material (which is lighter-weight than the Terraplane X). They also shaved weight by removing the side access zips and making the daisy chain thinner.

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Alpine Sirocco
Gregory Petit Dru (ugh, so uncomfortable!)
Gregory Palisade (even more uncomfortable than the Petit Dru! My hips were chafed after using this one)

I have the new terraplane LTW which is the newer model for 2001... all I can say is that after all the packs I have used this is already the best, even though I have only used it 3 times... all three times I carried 65+ pounds and it felt like nothing... If you have the money, buy this pack. NOTE: The LTW is made with a different more durable material which not only makes it stronger but lighter as well.

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None