This is the only backpack a serious backpacker should have! I have been trying to find a comfortable, large capacity, internal frame pack for two years. I have tried all of the leading products (Arc ‘Teryx, Dana Design, Gregory, North Face, REI, etc.). I even purchased two highly recommended packs (Mountain Smith Specter 5500 – “Backpacker’s Editor’s Choice” and the Lowe Alpamayo 90) and wound up returning them after using them with 50+ lbs, due to discomfort. I have a 17-18” torso and long legs and had almost given up on a comfortable, closely fitting backpack. But then came Vortex. I was so desperate that I actually traveled to Salt Lake City to be fitted at the Vortex design center. They really know their stuff. My wife and I were both fitted with 5800’s and were ready to put them to the test in the Capitol Reef National Park of southern Utah. After three days of very strenuous backpacking, boulder scrambling, and desert traversing the Vortex packs proved their worth. In fact, these packs performed so great they proved twice their worth. The fit was amazing. We had no painful bruising or discomfort and attribute the success of a very strenuous trip to the phenomenal Vortex product. If you are serious about purchasing the ultimate backpack then look no further than Vortex – there is no other product designed as well nor guaranteed as well (truly unlimited and unconditional). If you would like more detail then e-mail me at sonyaandjohn@yahoo.com.

Customer Service

See above. The Vortex staff was great and they knew how to fit a pack better than any I''ve experienced.

Similar Products Used:

Mountain Smith Specter 5500 and the Lowe Alpamayo 90

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I''ve owned my 5800 since 1998. I tried the Dana Terraplane, Lowe Contour IV, and a Gregory pack of similar capacity. The 5800 feels like you''re wearing a couch. It is so comfortable, I don''t even take it off at breaks most of the time. After 25+ mile days, my hipbones are free of all pain and toil. I can''t say that for any other pack I''ve used. Normally, my hipbones are bruised and sore. I can''t say enough about the fit and comfort. My 5800 is a joy to wear. The durability is second to none. I''ve watched my friends tear their packs up, but my Vortex is built like a tank. I''ve never had to make a field repair. Upon inspection, I can''t even find a single seam that looks stressed. When we go snowshoeing, we pack 50+ pounds. Loads do not effect the function of this pack. In the Summer, the design of the padding allows for great ventilation. It''s amazing how little the heat and sweat effect the comfort of this pack. It truly is a 4-season pack. I have a couple small complaints though. The fanny pack/lid is a bit ill conceived. The 4 compression straps are a nuisance when used as a fanny pack. It is still comfortable and useful. Those straps just get in the way a lot when trying to access the contents. The waterproofing film on the pack material is a bit on the light side. Vortex could have given the pack a more liberal proofing. In the end, you cannot find a more comfortable, durable, versatile, and fun pack to buy. Vortex is on the cutting edge of backpacks. Good luck finding a better pack. Osprey Backpacks may be close, but they''re still a step behind. Scuttlebutt is that they''ll be in charge of manufacturing a new Marmot line of backpacks. I just hope it doesn''t effect their amazing Vortex operation.

Customer Service

The customer service is second to none. I ordered mine direct from Vortex. I had purchased the lid water bladder, and I found that I didn''t like how it functioned. I called them, and they sent me

Similar Products Used:

Dana Terraplane Lowe Contour IV Gregory ? Osprey Silhouette

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I just recently guided a climbing expedtion on Denali. I had the choice of any pack on the market and choose the 5800 by Vortex. It provided neccessary volume and handled the extreme loads (65-85 lbs.) with no problem. The shovel/ice axe holder w/ daisy chain and two large capacity outside pockets made this pack super versitile day after day. Its bombproof materials assure me that this pack will handle the abuse Denali provides year after year. I suggest this pack for anyone requiring large load capacity and versitality.

Similar Products Used:

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I've had my 5800 for a little over a year know and I love it. The pack is the most comfortable one I've ever worn. It molds to your body perfectly. The thing is virtualy indestructable and even if I could damage it they have the best warranty in the market. An unconditional life time warranty, my fault our theirs. The best pack out there by far!!

Customer Service

Customer service was outstanding. Espcially Jennifer, she handled everything perfectly.

Similar Products Used:

Dana
Kellty
Mountainsmith

Superb fit and comfort
Quality manufacturing and durable materials
A waistband and shoulderstraps to die for
Top of the class

Customer Service

Check out their manufacturing facility in SLC, UT
The staff helps find the perfect fir for you

Similar Products Used:

None

I narrowed my choice down to two packs, the Vortex 5800 and the Arc'Teryx Bora 95.
Because there were no dealers in the area who carried the 5800, I ordered my pack from Vortex with the condition I could return it if it wasn't the pack for me.

The pack had a lot of pluses and a few minuses. The construction on the 5800 is solid. The material and stitching look like it can stand up to a lot of abuse. The appearance is sleek and appealing.

The pack has a single shovel tube, not a pocket as described on their website, and an ice axe loop below the pocket. The tube has a clip on the bottom that will accommodate those darned Voile 'D' handled snow shovels. It does mean that the shovel blade will extend above the pack where it can catch on trees or branches or that a wet blade may need to be carried inside the pack. The ice axe loop is too short to accommodate both a shovel handle and an ice axe. If an ice axe is used, it covers the daisyloop tie-offs, which could make it awkward to grab the ice axe available without having to undo crampons tied to the loops. The pack did not come with a strap to hold the shaft of the ice axe in place when through the loop. I often hike with two poles, with the single ice axe loop (assuming it was big enough), it would be difficult to tie my poles out of place while still carrying a shovel and switching to my ice axe.

I almost missed the water bottle holder tucked away in the right wand pocket. It's a clever design that folds out and holds a Nalgene bottle quite nicely.

The wand pockets angled towards the front with an opening at the bottom, presumably to let water and snow drain from the pocket. I was concerned that wands could sneak their way out of the pocket. I've lost quite a few wands with a pack having a similar opening at the bottom until I finally sewed it shut. Vortex could improve this by creating an opening not more than 1/4" in diameter.

The bottom access was large and accommodating. Unlike the Gregory pack, I tried, I didn't have to struggle to get my sleeping bag into the compartment. The bottom compartment also folds in nicely for collapsibility. The separator from the bottom compartment to the main compartment can allow small items to fall from the main to the bottom, on the other hand, it allows long items, such as tent poles, to slip down the side for better fit.

The top lid compartment had two zippered sections, one on top and one from underneath, and is convertible to a fanny pack. The lid comes off by unbuckling 4 buckles and feeding a strap through a cinch buckle. I thought the Arc'Teryx had an easier system for removing the lid. There is no padding if using the lid as a fanny pack, though, it saves weight and padding can always be stuffed in the bottom zipper if wanted. Tie off loops on the lid, like the Arc'Teryx could be a nice addition.

There are two good sized pockets on the back of the pack. Unfortunately, they're not removable. They have small mesh pockets inside for storing small items such as keys, cash, or pictures of loved ones.

The zippers were burly and had nice rubber grasps for managing with gloves. The only downside I could think of is that the rubber grasps wouldn't be as easy to self maintain should they eventually fail, which didn't seem too likely.

I don't know what the volume of the small 5800 is. I found the volume of the pack to be a bit squeezy when I loaded it up with 60lbs of winter and climbing gear.

Fit. I'm a small person. My torso is about 15.5" to 16". My waist is 28". Hat size is a medium. My weight, 125lbs after a beer. My looks, dashingly handsome. I was pushing the limits of their smallest size pack. The waist was cinched tight and the shoulder adjusters were as far forward as they could be. Still, the fit was comfortable. I started with 40lbs and found the shoulder straps to be a bit constricting around the neck until I lowered the sternum strap. A bit of tweaking and I was able to load it up with 60lbs of gear. The pack seemed to handle the load well. I wore it around for about an hour or so until legs complained that I was carrying way to much weight for them to handle. Not the fault of the pack in any way. It seemed quite stable with the load. The 5800 was a little more adjustable than the Bora 95. The 5800 had additional adjusters on the shoulders for fine tuning the shoulder straps that the Bora 95 lacked, though, my small size limited the amount of adjustment I was able to get from them. Wearing a helmet, I had no problem looking up and about. I can't speak for people who wear a large helmet.

In spite of 'Built in the US' claim on the Vortex website, the only tag I could find in the pack said, "Made in Sri Lanka".

The company. I was able to get through on the phone without any problem, both for ordering and returning the pack, however, e-mail response is pretty dismal. I sent a message on the 2nd of February with a few questions, and have not had a response to date. Great warranty (assuming they'll be around in 10, 20, or more years). It's difficult to find weight information for their packs. Size info is also difficult to find if the pack isn't their "standard" size (I assume medium sized packs).

No written documentation was included with pack on how to best fit and size the pack nor was there a list of all of the design features nor did it come with any written warranty information.

Overall. This is a well built, solid pack and well worth the money. Compared to the Arc'Teryx, I felt the construction was more solid and the fit slightly better. I'd recommend it to anyone who generally has non-winter, snow, or glacier backpacking needs. For myself, ultimately, it came down to the Arc'Teryx offering more of the features I felt I needed.

Similar Products Used:

Dana Glacier: Great fit. Too small for my needs. Concerned about ability to handle heavy loads. Didn't care for features.

Dana Terraplane: Didn't fit me too well. Didn't care for features.

Gregory Wind River (and most Gregorie's in general): Didn't like design, features, and some materials. Bottom compartment access too small. Too much mesh/net material.

Arc'Teryx: Very good fit, close to that of Vortex. Great volume. Love the Kangaroo pocket. See my Arc'Teryx review.

Wonderful fitting pack! Great size for extended weekends.

Customer Service

Great service from Vortex.

Similar Products Used:

None

I spent a week in the Snowy Mountains in Wyoming this summer. My 5800 performed like a champ. I carried 65+LBS and it was no problem at all. The shoulder and waist padding is excellent. It rained every afternoon and everything stayed dry as a bone.

It's the best bang for the buck. I wouldn't trade mine for any other pack on the market.

Similar Products Used:

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This pack is awesome. I've had it for a little over a year now. When i first opened it and examined it I was amazed at how well it was made. I don't think I could bust one of the zippers if I wanted to. I've taken it over 100 miles on the continental divide, and on the last day my hips and shoulders felt just like they did on the first. I even did some snow/ice climbing with it and it felt like an extension of my body. It didn't move at all. It's a great pack plain and simple.

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Alpine and Kelty and Gregory

What can I say? I love this pack. I've been through two weeks of carrying 50+ lbs. and I don't have a single complaint.

Customer Service

After two years I have never had the need to deal with customer service.

Similar Products Used:

There are other products?