I''ve had the 4500 for goin'' on 2 years (it''s a US manufactured model). I''ve used it for backpacking, hut-to-hut trips & multi-days at Tucks. This pack is great! While I''m happiest with loads under 40 lbs, my gear for Tucks hits 70 lbs. The 4500 handled it with no problems (well outside of just being heavy). As with the last few posts, I find this pack to be extremely comfortable and stable if you fit it properly (kinda basic, no?). I''ve had quite a few folks do double takes at the design and amount of padding used on the 4500. The only thing I would like to see added would be ski-specific straps at the base of the pack

Customer Service

Excellent. When I ordered the pack, I received a medium waist-belt which turned out to be too large. One phone call and 3 days later, I had the proper sized small waist-belt.

Similar Products Used:

various EMS packs various Camp Trail packs

Ordered the 2001 4500 backpack from Vortex this Spring. I had the choice of ordering many different packs on staff order (Arcteryx, Northface, Dana Designs), but choice the Vortex after researching all of their features in comparison to the competition's.
I have used this pack on many 2-4 day trips this summer carrying reasonable loads, unlike one of the other reviewers I don't load my pack down with liquor. Who brings liquor backpacking anyway, sounds more like a car-camper to me. Back to the point, the 4500 is the most comfortable pack I've ever worn. After hiking all day carrying most of the load for 2 people, I was still comfortable at the end of the day. I'm no hulk either, I'm a pretty thin guy.
I feel sorry for the guys that had so many problems with their packs, maybe they don't have the proper fit or maybe they're just complainers. It does seem kind of odd that the pack scores 5s with everyone except for two guys. Did you lose your girlfriends/wives to the guys at Vortex and the bad review was your idea of revenge?
I don't think I need to explain all the features to everyone, the guys from Vortex do that quite well on their website and in their catalogue. I will mention that the front panel access is one of the biggest I've seen. My only complaints are: (1)top lids that turn into fanny packs, is this something that people actually use? A lot of packs seem to have this but I don't know of anyone who actually takes advantage of this feature.(2) It is really hard to get my 32oz Nalgene bottle back into the water bottle holder without taking the pack off first.

Customer Service

It would be unfair for me to comment on customer service for myself seeing as I work at a Vortex dealer, they have been great to me, exchanging my shoulderstraps for me after I originally ordered the wrong size.
My customers seem to be very happy with Vortex's customer service, so Vortex must be doing something right.

Similar Products Used:

TNF
Jack Wolfskin
Both decent, but no Vortex
Tried on many brands in store loaded with weight, but these are the two that I have hiked with.

I have had my custom 4500 pack for about 5 years now and I love it. When I ordered my pack, I had several special requests/alterations that were expertly taken care of by the Vortex team. Since then, I have backpacked and traveled with my Vortex everywhere from the Smoky Mountains to China and Europe and never been disappointed. Overall, this is a great pack with quality construction and superb materials.

Similar Products Used:

Kelty, Marmot, TNF

I'm Laughing right now after reading the lengthy reviews of the Vortex 4500.

It amazes me that someone who is so interested in backpacking, and apparantly well informed, would trash the Vortex suspension as uncomfortable.?. I have hiked for weeks at a time in the 4500 and have had no discomfort at all (except for the burning in my legs). My maximum load to date has been 80 lbs. and the pack felt as comfortable with that weight as it did with 40 lbs.
My thoughts are that those who had trouble with their Vortex packs did not adjust the pack properly. If you read the catalog/hang tag that comes with the pack it explains that the hip belt has to be firmly tightened on the hip bones - not your waist, the hip bones. It makes sense since this bone is the only portruding part on the lower body that this is where the pack's foundation is located. Most hikers I see on the trail in agony have their hip belt on their waist, as if they were wearing pants. This is the wrong area to wear a belt and when I help these people they are very grateful. The molded foam Vortex uses on their belts cups my hips and does not move - this is A HUGE BONUS over other brands I have used and then sold or given away - Dana, Osprey, and TNF to name a few.

Polycarbonate - the comments on this frame material are what motivated me to write. Polycarbonate is the best frame material because of its vertical rigidity. When you have a ton of weight and pull on the load lifter straps you don't want the frame to pull in towards your head. You want, as Vortex figured out, a frame that remains rigid and pulls as much weight as you want off your shoulders and spine. The other option is aluminum, whihc was cutting edge 15 yrs ago but is now outdated. It is outdated because it bends vertically and therefore does not draw the weight off your spine as effectively - THINK LEVERAGE - if you pull on something that bends you don't get much leverage as when you pull on soemthing that remains stiff.

If you have the pack fit correctly the polycarbonarte fits like a glove, on the other hand if you buy a Vortex pack for cheap - on a web site no doubt - and don't get the right size frame you will probably have problems. But if that is the case it is like buying shoes that are too small and complaining that the manufacturer makes shoddy gear.?.

It is correct that Vortex doesn't make their packs in Utah anymore. I have called the factory and talked to them about this because I was initially upset by the move. But as they explained to me, they could not compete with all the other brand packs that are made overseas and still offer all their sweet features: polycarbonate, molded foam, a warranty to kill for, and bomber construction. Also, as they mentioned - the vast amjority of Outdoor Gear is made overseas because we as consumers have come to expect good quality gear at dirt cheap prices. While my Vortex 4500 was not dirt cheap I can imagine that it would be $150 - $200 more if it were made in utah (it comes with a day pack that is great for running, biking, and general chillin in town after all) - so I see where they are coming from. I would propose that if you want a USA made Vortex you should call the factory and tell them you will gladly pay $200 more for the pack if it is sewn at their factory - but if you don't like that option then you should accept some responsibility as a person with buying power who time and time again buys foreign manufactured good because of the price and features and in doing so forces smaller manufacturers to follow.

My Vortex 4500 is the best pack I have ever owned. It is comfortable with a ton of weight and it has never caused me any grief - if your Vortex isn't perfect make sure it fits correctly and call the factory they are more than willing to talk you through the fit and trade shoulder straps and waist belts if you have the wrong size. This is the best pack company on the market, they are small and care about those of us lucky enough to be using their gear.

See you on the AT - I'll be the one smiling and easily carrying all my gear in my sweet 4500.

Customer Service

I talked with them about their manufacturing and gave them props on a great product. They were interested in how I used the pack and were awesome. Other friends of mine have had warranty work done, dog chewing on pack - airport damage etc, and have had no problems. In fact one of my bros got a free T-shirt sent pack with his pack that was fixed - that is killer!!

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Dana Design - Terraplane - JUNK

TNF - large volume pack that killed me

Osprey - pretty nice, but nothing compared to Vortex.

I obtained the year 2001 model of the 4500. From a comparison with the year 2000 model still viewable on Vortex's Web site and their catalog, the new version has two fewer attachment points on the lid and includes a detachable, combination shovel pocket and small pack (most likely for use as an hydration pocket) with independent set of shoulder straps and sternum strap. Also, the newer version no longer is made in the United States but in Sri Lanka (according to a tag sewn inside the pack). Although the pack came with an attached Vortex sticker, it did not come with a specifications pamphlet or brochure, which I would have found more useful and preferable.

The pack cost $300.00 on special sale but retails for approximately $436.00 (US -- March 2001). It is rated to have a volume of 4500 cubic inches unextended and 4850 cubic inches extended. The extension sleeve is 13 inches long, and I estimate the actual fully extended volume to be in the low 5000 cubic inch range, which makes this pack the perfect size for three day to week-long excursions under most circumstances.

With 46 pounds (combined weight of the pack and contents) the backpack felt pretty comfortable, but when I increased the total weight to 57 pounds, a gap formed between my body and the pack. No degree of load-adjustment strap adjustment, shoulder-strap tightening, or belt adjustment helped. The gap remained, and in a matter of minutes I could feel the additional stress on my back muscles caused by the pack failing to adhere closely to my 5' 8" and 140 pound body. I attribute this to the lack of flex in the polycarbonate frame. In my opinion, the frame material in the currently used dimensions is too rigid. Without the ability to flex, the frame remained essentially straight and would not bend forward toward my head to any appreciable degree when I tightened the load-adjustment straps. That, in turn, prevented me from shifting the combined center of gravity of my pack and me more closely to my body to enable me to carry the heavier load more comfortably and stably while remaining upright. Instead as I increased the pack's weight, the center of gravity migrated away from my skeletal structure pulling me off balance and causing my back muscles to work harder than they should have.

A threshold range of comfort for many people seems to be approximately 40 to 50 pounds. Although there are variables other than pack weight that also affect carrying comfort, it is in this range that loads often start to become uncomfortable in packs not truly designed to carry heavy weights. This is why it is important for people to test their prospective packs with at least this much weight prior to purchase -- twenty-to-thirty-pound test weights are not nearly sufficient. Of course, this assumes a person ever intends to carry that much weight.

In addition to the frame being too rigid (at least in this case), there are other considerations pertaining to the use of polycarbonate in the primary load-bearing or load-transfer components of a frame. Once shaped, the material cannot be reshaped to better conform to an individual's body. This means that if the original frame shape does not closely conform to your body, you are at a loss -- as I was -- to reshape the frame to fit your body more precisely. Additionally under certain extreme conditions, polycarbonate can crack or break. Although Vortex currently has a generous warranty, that warranty will be little comfort to someone with a broken or cracked frame miles from nowhere and carrying 50, 60, or more pounds.

The harness system is vertically adjustable by several inches to fit more than one torso size, and I found it rather comfortable except that the edge near one of the shoulder-pad ends continually wedged itself into my rib cage. It was not painful, but it was annoying. This only was a factor when I wore a single layer of clothing. With multiple layers of clothing, I could not feel the pad's edge. The hip belt fits well and is replaceable. The same foam padding appears to be used on the harness, belt, and back panel and is very comfortable.

I have strongly mixed feelings about the pack bag. The bag's shape is wider at the base and tapers toward the top. In order to permit greater loads, Vortex opted to design its packs taller rather than deeper. This is clever bag designing and helps to result in a pack that is stable with taller and heavier loads. (Were it not for the inflexible frame, I suspect this pack would have been very stable carrying 57 pounds in my test.) Additionally, the bag is designed in such a manner as to not require compression straps to help stabilize the load. This is fortunate since I usually would not see any need to carry the detachable hydration-shovel pocket, which doubles as a compression panel on the main pack bag.

The upper compression straps pass across the zipper of the panel opening. Why do manufacturers insist on designing zippers that have webbing passing across them? To reduce stress on the zippers? Please... if that's the case, then perhaps the bag and/or zipper design requires alteration. To enhance bag access by adding a zippered panel and then simultaneously impede access by crossing that zipper with compression straps, is (at best) a conflicting design.

A better designed feature is the single ice-tool loop that is located high enough on the pack so that ice-tool access and foam-pad access are independent of one another. Unfortunately if the small-pack-compression panel is left behind, there is no easy way to secure an ice tool at the other end. An additional daisy chain or two placed on the main bag would have been very useful. Inside the pack there is a compression strap that extends from the internal shelf on the back side, vertically up to the start of the extension sleeve, and then directly across the pack top to the opposite, harness side. This design helps compress loads without impeding access and is an improvement over the design Vortex used on certain models in the past.

The pack has a separate sleeping-bag compartment with zipper access, a large zippered panel for access into the main compartment, and top-aperture access. Except for the compression-strap issue stated above, I found the multiple points of access very convenient in loading and unloading the pack. The sleeping-bag compartment is divided from the main compartment by a shelf that is sewn in on the harness side, attached by three, ladder-lock buckles on the back, and unattached on the other two sides. This construction eases release of the webbing to let the shelf drop into the sleeping-bag compartment if a large, single compartment inside the bag is desired. However if the shelf ever needs repair, there is no easy way to merely order a replacement and insert it yourself.

Another negative aspect of the pack's design is the folding, side water-bottle pocket, which is difficult to reach, and once the bottle was removed, I found it almost impossible to place back into the holster. This holster is a complete waste of fabric. If you want to remain hydrated, I suggest placing a water bladder within the lower lid compartment, which also has an exit hole for the drinking tube. The upper compartment of the lid has about 200 cubic inches of available volume.

The lid also has only a single, rubber-gripped zipper slider instead of two. I found this inconvenient. A second zipper slider would ease access considerably. When fully extended, the harness-side lid-compression straps are too short. This might have been by design to limit the pack's height, but I would have appreciated several more inches of webbing to take advantage of the bag's full extension. Another almost useless feature -- at least when the bag is stuffed -- is the wand pocket(s). The fabric is so tightly compressed against the bag (when the bag is full) that only the narrowest and smoothest items can slip inside the pocket without risking fabric damage. One means by which this problem can be circumvented is to use a pleated pocket.

What might be a more controversial item is the detachable hydration-shovel pocket combination. Firstly, the shovel pocket part of the combination is not wide enough to fully contain a standard shovel's spade, say from a Voile. Why bother with a zippered pocket then? Why not merely use a flap of fabric? The hydration-pocket part of the combination has a volume of approximately 300 cubic inches. When attached to the main bag, it can be used to carry a couple small, light items. When detached from the main pack and combined with the lid/belt/hip pack, you have approximately 500 cubic inches of cargo space.

Although I found this combination cute the first time I tried it -- especially since I noticed that by threading the lid's one-inch webbing through the plastic rings on the lower part of the hydration pocket I could prevent the hydration pocket from bouncing when I ran, the novelty quickly ended leaving me convinced the combination is more a gimmick designed to amuse adolescents rather than a tool to be used by serious backpackers. My suggestion for the future would be to replace the hydration pocket with twin, folding water-bottle holsters on the sides of the lid (a more useful location for the tuck-away holsters), integrate the shovel pocket into the main pack bag, add a couple compression straps lost by that integration (not necessarily for load control but for lashing items to the pack's exterior), and double or triple the lid's volume to make it a more useful belt/hip pack. In other words, keep the pack simple and discard the gimmicks.

According to Vortex, the pack fabric consists primarily of single-layer 500 denier Cordura but also has 1500 denier Ballistics cloth on the bottom exterior, and 220 denier nylon pack cloth for the extension sleeve, bottom interior (liner), double-layered shelf, and lid interior. With the exception of the durable bottom fabric, this fabric combination is average fare. As with numerous other companies, Vortex appears to be designing lighter-weight packs by sacrificing some fabric durability. I would prefer that the customer have an option between heavier, more durable fabrics and lighter, less durable fabrics in bag construction. If more than one fabric cannot be offered for each pack, then perhaps two lines of packs can be offered: one line constructed with lighter, less durable fabric and the other constructed with heavier, more durable fabric to offer the customer a choice.

Overall, I would give this pack a mean (average) score. With light and middle-weight loads, the pack feels comfortable; the frame, harness, and belt combination can control the load; and it is relatively easy for a person to access the pack's contents. However with heavy loads, the pack becomes quite uncomfortable, and the design deficiencies stated above are less easily overlooked when your body is experiencing discomfort. Personally, I would not consider this pack for carrying heavy loads and would entertain other options even for light and middle-weight loads so that I might have a more versatile tool. Considering the pack's cost and its several useless or nearly useless features (I have a low tolerance for gimmicks), I don't consider this product a good value in backpacks.

Customer Service

I received conflicting information from a person with whom I conversed via telephone and another person with whom I corresponded via E-mail regarding the pack's fabric composition. The pack-fabric information I present in my review represents the points of agreement between the two customer service representatives and my own best guess (when their information was in conflict).

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I bought this pack 3 years ago and have used it extensively on backpacking trips ranging from 2 to 8 days.

The pack has some nice features. I like that the pack is both panel and top loading. This feature makes it easier to get stuff in and out. I also like the beaver tail pocket. I wedge my Crazy Creek chair or other misc. items behind the beaver tail pocket. I also like the side pockets for stuffing my fly rod or tent poles in. The materials and zippers are tough as nails as well.

Although it has some great features and it's fine with a light load, it becomes increasing uncomfortable with heavier loads. Antything over about 3 days worth of gear, food, & liquor and the pack will be too heavy and will not work well. I've tried adjusting it dozens of ways, it just won't hold more than about 35 pounds and be comfortable. Light loads it's great, of course so are a lot of packs.

The pack basically sags under a heavy load and starts riding more on your shoulders. Gravity and the trail loosen-up the hip belt under a heavy load. You'll have to hike the pack back up and tighten the belt every thirty minutes to an hour or pretty soon the pack will be sagging over your butt. After a long hike with a heavy load the Vortex feels like a knife stabbing into your back. On a 7-day trip in Wyoming the Vortex earned the nickname "The Punisher."

Don't get me wrong, I like the pack. It's a good pack (to loan to a friend you want to punish). It's a great work out for your shoulder and trapizoid muscles, and taking that pack off after a long hike feels almost as good as sex, but it not the right choice anything over two nights.

Customer Service

Vortex factory outlet in SLC is right next door to La Frontera Mexican resturant. La Frontera has an excellent small combination.

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Dana
Jansport
Lowe

If you have a backpack fetish, never try on a Vortex 4500. You will never want to look at another pack. The 4500 is loaded with features, is indestructable, and rides like a feather pillow. BTW, if you do happen to destroy it, Vortex fixes it free...no questions asked--forever. It has it all: polycarbonate, molded foam, kevlar stitching, detachable lumbar, hydration pocket, panel/top loading, pockets. The hip belt is as comfortable as a hug from your sig other. The Vortex is not just a backpack, it is ""the"" backpack. Sorry, Gregory and Dana Designs, when you weren't looking--you got your butt kicked.

Customer Service

Customer service is like calling home and talking to your brother or sister. They immediately worked out a sticky problem for me.

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Kelty, Camp Trails, North Face backpacks

A wonderful backpack! I went on a hike with my two sons, and ended up carrying a lot of my youngest son's gear in addition to all of my own. My pack was incredibly heavy, but once I got it on, it was great at distributing the weight. The only thing getting sore was my legs from the weight. I especially like the panel opening, enabling you to have multiple ways of accessing your gear. You can get at what you need without having to unpack the whole bag. The construction is bombproof. Everything on the bag is heavy-duty and built to withstand the rigors of backpacking. A lot of thought has been given to detail (like the zipper pulls.) Great bag! Phenomenal guarantee! Try one and you will never go back!

Customer Service

The customer service is good. I went to the factory to pick up my bag. They fitted me for the bag and made it to my specs (including colors. The only drawback is that they seemed to busy to bother with me as a customer from time to time.

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Vortex 5800, Vortex 7000 (Both were waaaaay too big. I like the fact that I have to pack the 4500 more carefully. It keeps the weight within reason.)

Excellent backpack. Very comfortable. Durable and good materials. I have used it the high Uintahs,Watsach mtns, and Glacier Park. It is a good 5Day pack.

Customer Service

good atitude and excellent service a little slow

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osprey north face

I hve used this pack on three to five day backpack trips in the Uintah mtn.s near my home. One of the great features is the panel load zipper which allows you to access your gear and clothing without having to pull everything out in order to get to it like you do with top-loading packs. The removable front pocket is also nice for storing the smaller stuff that you don't want to lose in the main compartment including snacks. You can also stow stuff like rain gear or a shovel between the pocket and the main body which is great here in the Uintahs because the weather can change very quickly so you want that kind of stuff to be quickly accessible. All Vortex packs also have things called ""Glove Grabber"" zipper pulls which are rubber tabs on the zipper sliders which make it very easy to access the pack even when your fingers are numb or you are wearing mittens.

Customer Service

Vortex offers all of their customers an unconditional lifetime warranty on all of their packs. Even if it is your fault they will repair it for free.

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None