Great material and superior construction and quality that I have grown to expect from this company.
All their gear and clothing is great, with the exception of this pack (or most of their larger packs).

I found the one small aluminum stay
in the frame-sheet inadequate. The second major problem with this pack is it's poor hipbelt. It's flemsy and
with Marmot's bio whatever system just can't handle heavier loads. This system
works extremely well for smaller, approach packs, but just can't cut it on loads greater than 25lbs.

Customer Service

Marmot's customer service is great. I met one of their rep's (Coby) and
he was one of the coolest, friendliest
and most helpful Rep's I've ever met.

Similar Products Used:

None

Great Pack for heavy loads, lot's of places for attaching ropes, skis, skins, snowboards etc. it's a roomy pack that is very comfy and struty, however it doest have the best compression system, witch is no probley for me becouse i have a Bora 40 as well that I use for smaller loads, but if this is your only pack, concider buying a smaller pack or one that compresses better.

Customer Service

I got this second hand, the rope tie down ripped out, i mailed marmot and they gave me a brand new pack, i have had no problems with the new rope tie down.

Similar Products Used:

Arc'Teryx Bora 40, Quest summit 2, Serratus Condor, Arc'Teryx Bora 80

I recently used the Cross Terra for a solo two week backpacking trip on the northern 2/3 of the Long Trail in Vermont. The pack performed beautifully - I carried a weeks' worth of food at a time, and my pack probably weighed about 40lbs. when fully loaded. In preparation for the trip, I tested it with up to 55lbs. of stuff - not recommended! Once the 45 - 50lbs. threshold is crossed, the suspension basically melts and becomes useless...so if you need to carry big loads, look for another pack. On that point, the Cross Terra seems bigger than 3800 cubic inches, enabling decent loads to be packed in there.

The Cross Terra comes with the "Hangman Hydration Pouch." It's basically a small removable pouch that hangs (duh) inside the pack and holds a hydration bladder. With the pack fully loaded, it's tough to get to the pocket if you need to refill, and I found it generally annoying - I put my hydration bladder in the lid and found it to be much less of a hassle. The Hangman can be used as a small pack on its own, however - it's nice for carrying a bladder and car keys and a snack; and in that respect it's very useful for day hikes, biking, or running.

Overall, I'm very statisfied with my Cross Terra. The materials and workmanship are excellent and the pack performs well day in and day out. I found use for all its features - the scalloped pockets on the back are perfect for carrying fuel bottles (up to 22oz MSR) and do a good job in compressing the load. The BioSpan system is excellent. I was able to do some trail running with my pack loaded, and it stayed rock solid - it's a comfortable pack once you tweek it right. I have yet to use it with less than a full load, but so far my experience with the Cross Terra has been fantastic - it's a little pricy for the size of pack, but not ridiculously so. Marmot makes quality gear - hardly a frayed thread after my trip.

Customer Service

Nothing so far - supposedly they're great, though.

Similar Products Used:

EMS 5500, Lowe Contour

This is the De Lorean model of backpacks. All the right ideas, and then some, to the point of negative return. Too much foo foo. What's with the luggage rack things on the back? Very heavy. Better be carrying a load to justify the wt. of this thing. However, it does ride nicely when loaded fully. Rides poorly when half loaded.
Does not compress too well when not full. Best thing is the comfort. Worst thing is it's heavy, with too many straps and caca flipping and flying around beating you in the side of the face all the time.

Customer Service

Marmot, the co.. is good to deal w/.

Similar Products Used:

Mtnsmith. Osprey. LifeLink. Dana. Lowe.Arteryx. etc.