Alpha FL 30 Rucksack

The pack I want to love but cannot trust! Between my girlfriend and I we have four of these packs. Three of them have serious defaming issues and inside pockets that have failed entirely. Two of the packs have had VERY little use. None of them have been abused. After contacting Arcteryx to see if they could repair just the pocket on one of the bags they stated they could not repair it and offered me a $50 gift card to use on their website. $50 for an almost $300 backpack... Arc gear and there warranty department are going way down hill. So disappointed! Buyer beware!

I used this for 3 summer hikes, very minimal design and not pockets to organize your stuff. Slim design was great for scrambling. Used it for one winter hike and I put my snowshoes in front of the pack and the next day I noticed a big hole in front of my pack. Customer service offered me $50 credit and return of the product! Ridiculous warranty! If this bag couldn't handle my snowshoes( the sharp edges where facing away from the pack fabric) how can I handle ice axes and crampon hanged in front of the pack as it is claimed to be used for?! The fabric material is awful and low quality for a 340 dollars pack, so disappointed with the arc'teryx and their customer service!

Perfect for both rock and ice excursions with plenty of additional space if needed.

Over the last 6 years, I’ve taken this pack everywhere with me. From simple trips to the crag, day long ski touring adventures in the Duffey, to multi day traverses along the tantalus Range… this pack has had my back. Two things make this the pack that I most often reach for above all others: 1) Its SUPER light - This quality makes it perfect for missions where I’ll need to pack a decent amount of equipment (ropes, climbing gear, harness, glacier gear, ice screws, etc) but will still need to be light and agile to maneuver myself along featured terrain safely. To give you an idea of some of the objectives I’ve completed with this pack - 1 Day, on foot, Joffre Peak, 1 Day, on Skis, Train Glacier traverse, 2 Day, on foot, CastleTowers Mountain, 4 Day, Tantalus Traverse 2) Waterproof dry bag quality. Having this pack be waterproof makes it all the easier to reach for when I know the weather is going to be crappy and/or I’m heading into the backcountry in the winter. It eliminates the use of a rain cover and I love that. Honorable mention features: The front strap system allows you to secure up to two ice axes The small straps on the side of the pack allow you to strap your skis to your pack with ski straps (not the most comfy for carrying but it’ll do the trick) Some cons: As a woman, the hip straps do pretty much nothing when helping to carry the load on your hips. The hip strap is simply a glorified belt to make sure your bag isn't going to jiggle around too much as you run along a ridge line or swing out wildly as you send yourself up a questionable climbing/ scramble route. The bag has near zero compartments for organization - pretty much a glorified dry bag with pack straps, if you need compartments to make your heart happy then this might not be the bag for you.

Using FL as an IFMGA mountain guide for 2 years. (Almost) perfect bag but one important missing point is, according to me, to place a vertical zip on one side of the bag. I know / guess Arcteryx designers wanted to make a simple/solid/no gadget bag pack and it is definitely the case with FL. But the "tube" construction of the bag with an opening system just on the top makes it very uncomfortable to use (not to carry!) as it it is quite deep : when full of gear and you need THE piece wich is at the bottom, then it's quite complicated. For me that could be a reason to give up FL in future, may be for an Exped one (they have the zip!).

Slim fit so your arm can move around while climbing and no bump into the pack. Waterproof material is a most. Hip belt is minimalist which is nice for climbing but not for long approach with a heavy bag. Small pocket keeps essential gear accessible. Bungee cord could be sturdier