Granite Gear are something of a force in the American outdoor market. Not as ubiquitous as Osprey or as intensely followed as Mystery Ranch, but gently getting on with their own thing: making strong, lightweight packs for long distance hikes for over 30 years. Their Crown2 is a ‘thru-hike’ staple, for backpackers spending weeks or
When it launched in 2018, Remote Equipment‘s first product, the Alpha 31 backpack quickly became a favourite in my collection. It was tough, comfortable and versatile, showing excellent promise from the new brand based in California’s East Bay. I could not wait to see what they had coming next. When we spoke to them earlier
One of the most versatile releases of the last 12 months, the ATD1 from Attitude Supply has grabbed a lot of attention – partly for its extreme expansion/compression capability, but also for being designed and manufactured in Italy, with some killer materials. When I reviewed it during the preproduction phase, I found a bag with
After reviewing Remote Equipment’s first release last year, the Alpha 31 has remained a firm favourite within my collection. The pack was funded successfully on Kickstarter and the full production run has gone on to sell out through Remote Equipment’s website, leading to a surge of ‘in search of’ requests through the collectors’ forums (including
Brand Introduction Mystery Ranch are a brand with a reputation, hard earned after decades of quality: their founder Dana Gleason began designing packs back in the 1970s before starting his company Kletterwerks. The problem with heritage is that it can restrict as well as support, and too often designers will look too much on their
Brand Introduction Here at The Perfect Pack, we like Mystery Ranch. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re a Montana-based manufacturer with a pedigree in the outdoors/mountain industry, who have grown to make packs for the military, fire service, and more recently towards the ‘everyday’ market for urban commuters and students. If you’re a regular
Brand Introduction Attitude Supply is a travel/lifestyle brand, started in Milan, Italy in 2012. They started out producing clothes but designer Michele’s love of travel meant they quickly moved onto packs. Their first carry option, named the ‘Packsack,’ was a simple drawstring design, but Michele’s skills grew, producing a series of ever-more-capable bags. Their newest
Brand Introduction Triple Aught Design is a brand who understand adventure. A quick glance at their website will show you climbers, covert photography, trips to archery and rifle ranges. Their community events involve road trips into the mountains, or code-breaking scavenger hunts around San Francisco, where they are based. In a world where, sometimes, less
For a bag to meet our daily needs, we all have a few things to look for. A small wishlist: most days I need padding for electronics, protection from wet weather, and organisation for small items. Nothing unique there. I also want a bag to be well built, carry comfortably on my body, and, y’know,
If you’re reading this, you probably own a backpack or two. You probably have an idea of what you like, and which companies produce the bags you like. If your favourite brand is bringing out a new pack, you can probably guess how it’ll look and function, to some degree. Every so often though, you
