I've got a few backpacking/climbing trips coming up and I am looking for a new pack. After trying to deal with packing and unpacking and compressing just one pack for technical climbs I decided I needed a separate climbing pack for water (maybe a hydration reservoir?), shoes, food, etc. Within the next couple months I will be going to the Wind Rivers and the Tetons and maybe a few more. Last year I used my Granite Gear Virga pack for climbing Pingora, Mitchell and Wolf's Head in the Winds. At 19 oz. it's a bit heavy and overkill for the application. My Petzl Bug is nice and about the right size but also a little heavy. I was considering the MLD Burn but the wait time makes it a less attractive option. A Cilo Gear NWD 20L worksack looks like it could also fit the bill. Any other suggestions?

So really not a climbing pack that needs to hold rope, clips, racks, etc, but a summit pack. A lot of options. Sea to Summit has a compressible 20L pack at 2.8oz.

Well, it needs to hold my raingear, shoes, water, snacks, and be able to hold my rack, rope, helmet, etc. on the hike back to camp. Like I said, a Petzl Bug, although small, seems about the right size.

It might be too big for your needs/tastes...
I love my Crux AK30 at 30L. Light (700g), simple and very strong. I do all types of climbing with it. (ice, rock, alpine)
Cheers
P

There was one of those on Gearswap here
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=32251
Not sure if it's still available or not

30L seems a little big. I like the weight and looks of the Sea to Summit bag but I am concerned that it won't hold up to climbing on granite.

The Black Diamond Bullet is perfect for this application. Just big enough, and tough enough to wear or haul up chimneys and offwidths. My 2003 vintage Bullet is still a fav.

I think I have narrowed it down to either the Arc'teryx Cierzo or the REI Flash 18. The Flash 18 is 10 ounces and is hydration compatible and less expensive but I am concerned about potential durability issues. Anyone have any experience with either of these packs?

"Well, it needs to hold my raingear, shoes, water, snacks, and be able to hold my rack, rope, helmet, etc. on the hike back to camp. Like I said, a Petzl Bug, although small, seems about the right size."

That's a tall order for the REI bag. I have the older version of it, and while it's a great little bag that sees lots of general use, I don't see how you're going to get all that in it.

You could certainly tie your rope and rack to the outside of the bag, but it wouldn't be a very stable load. But if your approach is fairly casual maybe that doesn't matter.

The flash and ciezro will get shredded on the rock in pretty short order.

BD Bullet or BD Magnum or Cilo 20L are better choices. And none of those will really hold the rope but that's what the rope backpack is for.

Check out Cactus Climbing. It is a Kiwi company and those guys know how to build stuff that lasts and works. I use to have the Alpine Henry and it was great.

http://www.cactusclimbing.co.nz/index.php/virtuemart-mainmenu-162?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=33&category_id=82

A little late to this party, but I am going to go ahead and recommend the BD Bullet as well. It seems pretty tried and true within the climbing community.

I have a lot of friends who 'biner an empty Osprey Stratos 24 to their backpacking pack for this reason...leave their camping gear in camp, then use the smaller bag for peak-bagging.

26L, durable as hell, and by just looking at mine, many ways to somehow rig it up to carry a rope if need be.

Sorry...I forgot you wanted something light.

Edited by DirtbagLiving on 05/30/2010 23:46:21 MDT.

I've been eying Cilogear packs a lot recently, and a couple months ago I decided to make my own 20L pack by basically copying the 20L worksack design. I've since used it for single day climbs of Longs Peak, and in the Tetons on Middle Teton, Cloudveil Dome (both rock/snow mountaineering) and Symmetry Spire (a roughly 10 pitch technical rock climb)(all this June). I've used it to carry a 3L bladder, food, headlamp, extra mittens, a 60m 7mm rope or my 60m 9.4mm rope (either in the pack or, with the little loop and plastic slider setup on the Cilogear packs, you can lay the coil over the top and snug it down with your removable compression straps). I've found it to be basically the perfect size for an all-day climb, outside of winter conditions. My mostly silnylon version weighs 8.8oz. If you go with the NWD from Cilogear, that is cuben fiber (I emailed Graham, the owner, a while back, and he confirmed). Be aware that cuben is a super-lightweight material, but may not be real durable over the long haul (like decades). It's basically like a trash bag reinforced with dyneema threads. I believe Cilogear aims the NWD mostly at fanatical fast and light gram counters, which may or may not be you. Happy climbing!

Take a look at the Mammut Nea/Neon Pro or Nea/Neon Element. Real climbing packs that will take years of abuse, designed and made by one of the world's oldest and greatest climbing companies.