This is a great pack. I was skeptical after talking to others about getting this pack. Most people told me to go with Gregory, but I like the way the North Face fit me. It is a really well made pack and holds up well in all circumstances. The North Face also organized the pack's pockets and accessories well. I love the hydration sleeve, large picnic top pocket, and its summit pod is an awesome day pack. If you do a lot of mountaineering, then you will esp. appreciate the pod! Overall, this is a great pack and you can feel safe knowing that it is backed up by North Face's lifetime warrenty!

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Gregory Thru-hiker

I was very impressed with this pack the first time I took it out on the Tonquin Valley hike located in Jasper, Alberta. The round trip was approx. 4 nights and about 20 miles. The day we started on the trail it was raining and this created mud bogs all throughout the trail. The pack hugged my body perfect and remained very stable while jumping rock to rock throught various mud bogs. Some of the features which I found very impressive were the bladder system TNF company installed. It can hold up to 3 litres of H2O. The removable day pack was an excellent feature. I am 6'0 and 185lbs;This pack is very ergonomically correct for the lumbar of the back. The hip belt is very well padded and many adjustments can be made to the pack to accomadate different persons. Pack also has several storage pockets. This pack has plenty of room for a 4-5 day hike no problem.

Customer Service

No service required as of yet. Very well made pack!

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I am a long time car camper, and (formerly) did a lot of BWCA canoeing and backpacking. (8 years +)
I recently decided to get back into something a bit tougher. I bought this pack for a 6 day hike across Isle Royale. The first thing I noticed is that this pack is solid: it is very well made. It is also very comfortable, the back pad does not get too hot and the shoulder and waist straps are padded well. The pack is very adjustable, allowing for several configurations for tent packing, etc. On the down side, it is a bit heavy(comparing it to similar volume packs from other manufacturers), and oversupplied with lots of lashing points and straps. It is expensive, too. Get it on sale.

Customer Service

No need.

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none, unless you count army rucksacks and Duluth packs.

if want to look cool on the trail and spend too much for a pack this pack's for you! I see way too many people on campus sporting this stuff!

Try a real custom fit pack.

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Well I, also, had been told to look at the Gregory packs. But after trying them on, then The North Face Stamina it was hands down. The Stamina fit me like a glove. Of the many backpacks I had tried on, all of a sudden I realized what they were SUPPOSED to feel like. Then with all the features, and especially the built in day pack it was not contest. I have yet to abuse it, so its durability is still yet to be determined. But as of right now I am very pleased. Especially after finding the pack at mountainsports.com for 239 dollars, and free shipping, my mind was made up.

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