Alpha FL 30 Backpack

This pack is just what I needed, rugged and simple, I will be using it for 3 seasons tatra mountains day summit trips, and propobly for regular light hiking in rainy and snowy conditions, for rough winter approaches I will still be using undefeated Naos 45 that has solid straps for equipment.

This is a great day pack for just about any alpine adventure. I've used it guiding alpine rock, ice and everything in between and found it to be quite durable. It's waterproof nature makes for reliably dry gear after mountain weather, and the material can get dragged over rocks and through chimneys with minimal marks. As a 30ltr pack, it's hard to overload it to where the minimal carrying structure would be uncomfortable. I added some home-made compression straps to the sides to be able to cinch it down when not loaded up. A dynnema/bungie system like that would be a good additional feature on the pack, but overall I'm quite please.

I‘ve used the Backpack full-time guiding year round and it showed off to be the perfect bag for most of the trips i‘ve done! Clean and slim on the back, very good to carry even when fully stuffed, durable on rock and ice and also 100% waterproof. What can you ask more of your everyday Backpack?

I have no words to describe this amazing ruck sack. Even Batman would like to have one of these in his cave! I can't believe I never came across this ruck sack in the past. I am more of a hiker / hill walker than a mountaineer even though I have conquered few in Lake district. I am planning to do a mountain climbing skills/course this year and a challenge next year so I thought of getting this ruck sack that will suit my needs. How lucky was I! I may have bought the last one online few days ago. I am currently using it for hiking / walking and carrying my strength training equipment to coach my clients. Not only it's light but it fits well on my back. I will have to wear it for few more weeks for longer walks and hiking to get used to it before I start using it for climbing mountains. It's very spacious inside. I don't think I will use this rucksack to it's full potential as I am not going to be climbing Mt. Everest anytime soon or ever, perhaps basecamp in the future. It took me slightly longer to figure out how chords work outside the rucksack in order to secure the contents. It's not straight forward if you are used to using rucksacks with zips and clips. Very simple rucksack. It weights less than a 1LB. Looks sexy, cool and Va va voom. As Da Vinci once said, 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication', I think he was talking about Arc'teryx :) Thank you Arc'teryx da Vinci...

The previous version of the Alpha 30 FL was a good light weight pack and now with the additional loops and new internal pockets the pack is perfect. By sliding a standard ski strap through the loops it creates side compression and the ability to carry skis which for me increases its 4 season usefulness. While the pack doesn't have all the padding and comforts, the weight saving and pure function of this pack make it stand out.

The photos make this bag look black, in person it it not. It's grey, not even dark grey, this product photo is misleading. Take a look at my black day pack for a reference,

Reviews I needed pack like this for my Bikepacking/Bikefishing trips. I owned FL45 version and used it and abused it while hiking and alpine scrambling. Still I was able to sell it to be able to buy FL30. I also bought Arc’teryx rain cover for it. But you can buy any brand! Cover is at the bottom of the pack. Especially on those questionable days. My wish was to have pack I can carry while in local river and have my rain gear and fly fishing gear packed in it. Along with lunch and water. Not necessarily fish with it on the back but I tested it and it is not obstructing my fly casting. My fly rods are all packable (6 pieces) and they can fit in pack nicely. They will stick out if this is 20 litre pack. For Bikepacking 20 litre will be perfect but for Bikefishing perhaps not. Previously I was carrying my fly rods in tubes, strapped to handlebar bag and I was concerned I could damage them. Now they are in backpack, on me. Arc’teryx made sling bag for this season but it is kind of small. Ideally for Fly fishing you need 15-20 litre pack. I can’t be happier with my FL30! It will be great if Arc’teryx design 20 litre sling out of this FL pack. I would buy it.

I’m very happy with the pack so far, using it for all sorts of activities. Though the 30l version is a nice size, I wish it were a bit smaller and more compact. A 20l version would be very welcome! As I understand, the 30l version used to be smaller…

This is a great new-style alpine (ultralight) climbing pack with a few caveats. 1. The drawstring + internal RT closure can result in water getting into the pack as the internal lining is not waterproof and there is no way to draw the drawstring tight enough. 2. The 2020 FL30 version is much larger than the previous year's (which was, a de facto, a 23L pack). I bought this to replace my venerable but heavy 2006 (yes, that old!) Arcteryx RT45 to use for ultralight trekking. Alas, after playing with the pack at home the pack is traveling back to Arcteryx and I will keep using my beloved RT. Wish that Arcteryx goes back to their own original RT designs - or gets an inspiration from the competitor Exped - and redesigns the top closure to make it watertight - plus makes a smaller version of the pack available again. Pack's bottom panel can benefit from extra protection as well. This pack is for you if: you are about ultralight, you climb or hike in dry conditions, you take very good care of your equipment and are always mindful where you place your pack. This pack is not for you if: you care about comfort padding, you climb or hike in wet weather, you like to throw your pack around.

I was really stoked to finally get my hands on a Alpha FL. I had hopes of seeing this bag through many alpine ascents, snowy descents, and although simple in design, I was initially sold on the robust and durable nature of the fabric. However, after about 3 months of light use, on my very first alpine climb this bag began to tear along the bottom - it appears along a seam. Very disappointed given the bag promotes a trade-off in features for durability, and it doesn't even have that.

Ok, so no joke, this is the best pack ever. The fabric is extremly solid, water proof and the fit on the bag is just perfect. The pack has no unnsecessary pockets, features etc. It's the most simple bag pack I ever had. Using it every day I'm outdoors.

I bought the Alpha FL 30 mid ice climbing season as I wanted something trim on features but balanced regarding comfort, packing ability, expandable volume, specific ice/alpine features, and durability. As I normal crag in the North East with a 40L pack which I can strip as needed, I wanted also a fully functional lighter and smaller ice pack, that gave me some options. The past 1.5 years I have converted my backpacking packs to UL, Zpacks and Hyperlite, so I’ve learned how to pack these efficiently and not new to UL anymore. The Alpha FL is a solid choice for ice crags, multi-pitch, alpine climbing, or winter day hiking. The ability to expand this 30L to 37ish helps a ton here as I can pack it in large and strip of down to climb as needed. I pack a light stuff sack if I want to put all my extra stuff at base and climb with pack for multi-pitch. If you pack it light with a partner, it’s great to alpine climb bottom to top with all your gear too. Carries great in the way in, maybe harder to pack at end of day when you are less focused on keeping it tight. I can carry my full crag gear in this, packing tight is key and takes some practice. Once packed the tip is a bit wider and can be filled out with harness, soft shell to fill gaps, gloves, lunch, and helmet pushed on top. Can roll the pack down on this now if you chose, or pack less inside and once rolled down, place food, glasses, under belt and place at top under the lip, then pull closed. I prefer the fist way as I use the rope strap under the top buckle, then over the rope. That way the rope doesn’t fall backwards while hiking and swings less. The 2 pockets can be hard to get to, the outside works well when the pack is not stuffed, better for hiking or once stripped to climb. The inside drop pocket is nice and I like this better. Although, you have to remove rope to get at and also helmet if you put that outside as I noted above. Packed worked well for a winter day hiking pack and I may try for basic 3 season day hikes too, but I feel it’s a bit larger than I need. I agree that a 23+ size here would be perfect for that, and maybe rock alpine too, but I don’t rock climb. The tool attachments work well at bottom and you have to wrk the bottom and top system with some practice. As you need some slack for attaching top of tool, I find it’s best to put crampons on last, which works fine and then snug all up. It’s solid but I get it if people don’t like bungee on the back of their pack. Also could use some custom removable side straps I feel. Top ones would be nice to start the rope down, maybe 4 fir day hiking with but the bottom is smaller than the top of pack. Just a thought there. Shoulder straps are very comfortable and small waist belt carries well in, and hides well ti climb.

Overall this is a great lightweight pack if you're looking for something minimalist that saves weight without compromising on comfort. But if you're looking for some details: This pack is my go to for single day objectives in the alpine, whether ice climbing, peakbagging or simply hiking. It is extremely light and comfortable to haul a moderate load. Don't be fooled by it's size, i was able to fit a 60m half rope at the bottom while still having 2/3 of the space left for the rest of my gear. If you like to move fast and light, this is the pack for you. With a minimalist design comes some potential drawbacks. The drawcord system can be finicky and even though it will hold crampons and ice tools, can be frustrating. I've had tool handles getting caught on brush to the point where the tool was basically flipped upside down and had to be readjusted. Your gear won't fall off but if you expect to get into crammed situations, you might need to watch out for snags. The front (and only) pocket is fairly shallow. If the pack is full, it won't hold much of anything besides a couple snacks or a headlamp, which might be hard to access with tools/crampons secured by the drawcord system. Keep in mind that my review is for the older model, so this issue may have been fixed with the updated version as it mentions adjustments to the front pocket. The pack can take some time to open as it is divided into two layers: a cord-cinched outer and a rolled top inner. I am not sure of the purpose of the outer fabric as even cinched tight, it won't be closing the pack all the way, which can bring water in between the two layers and let it pool there. The rolled top will keep your stuff dry however. I do like the added strap to secure a rope or helmet. None of these issues are a deal breaker for me however, as what this pack loses in functionalities more than make up in efficiency.

Going to an overall large size for the FL 30 was a mistake in my opinion. The original 23L + collar was a sweet spot for a day trip fast and light pack. It was small and sleek. The new 30L doesn't feel as tight and trim. The updated materials, shoulder straps, and other little changes are great. I would release a smaller version 23L + collar and add the features from the 40L (side straps) to make this a perfect climbing pack.

I own have owned around 15-20 different high end packs worth thousands of dollars from many companies and this pack is the best in its class. Its light, tough, comfortable to wear, waterproof and very flexible on what it can do. Whenever I need to go somewhere overseas or hiking or hunting (1-2 day trip) this is the pack I reach for over all my other packs - Mystery Ranch, Eberlestock, CamelBak, LBT TAD, nothing comes close to the FL30 with weight to carrying ratio. I don't know why this pack is not in the LEAF lineup, it would be an excellent assault pack with a few mods and I own 2 of these, one black when I want to blend in a little better. I wonder if Arcteryx know the absolute diamond they have with this pack? I know its meant to be an alpine climbing pack but it is so much more than that, I use it far more in the tropics that in cold weather - I hope you never stop making it Arcteryx, I just hope one day you bring out a few more earth tones and mulitcam colours.

leicht, und keine "Schnickschnack". Hat alles nicht, was man auch nicht braucht.

This 30L pack fits so well and snug against the shoulders and back of the neck, it’s light weight hip belt makes sense. As a woman who carries most backpacks on her hips, I was a little hesitant to order it due to the lack of a more beefy hip belt but it’s designed perfectly!

This pack is super light and comfortable for climbing, but the first time I used it and put my cams in it, they punctured the pack leaving several small holes in it, obviously destroying it's waterproofness. The cams are rough, yes, but not sharp in the sense that they should puncture an alpine backpack. Arc'teryx did however repair it free of charge, even though it took a good 4 months before I got it back. Definitely a good backpack, but not sure the quality meets the alpine lifestyle.

I bought 2 of these for my girlfriend and I and they do exactly what they are supposed to. They swallow up your rack, harness, food, rope for the approach then roll up nice and small for the climb, no floppy bits. The pack is tough and keeps gear dry. My only complaint is I wish they had included a way to make the pack friendly for skis.