Reviews by User: buzzby (4)

I carried this pack for the last two seasons. This pack's design is reasonably good, with the hose concealed within the shoulder strap to protect it from freezing, and a very solid snowboard attachment. The zippers are highly water resistant as advertised. Its low profile and broad waist belt make it a pleasant carry. But it has a number of little annoying flaws. First, the waist belt is 3-4 inches up the back panel from the bottom, rather than being down at the level of the bottom of the pack. If you ever end up taking a heel-side digger, it will scoop up snow between your back and the pack because of the 3-4 inches of pack below your waist belt. Second, the waist belt and shoulder straps are both lined with mesh. They both pick up snow and hold it, so if you drop your pack in the snow, you get wet. Other manufacturers have made this mistake as well, but it is still a bummer. Third, the main zipper isn't the easiest to move. I had to spray it with a copious amount of silicone to get it to move more freely. The cut of the top of the pack contributes to this problem more than the zipper. Finally, the pack seems small for its claimed volume, especially when you have a shovel blade in the shovel pocket. It doesn't do well at carrying a helmet internally when you have all your other stuff (shell, gloves, etc.) in there skinning back up.

My old Z/1 sandals were 10 years old, thinking it was time for a new pair, and the 20% off deal looked like a cool way to do it. The old ones were way too trashed for resoles, and the new decks looked like an improvement. They haven't disappointed. Thinner webbing moves through the decks easier, and the decks are less prone to trap pebbles and twigs and stuff under my arches for some reason, too. The sole has great traction, but is lighter than the old terreno soles. Still adjusting to the big toe thing, but generally extremely satisfied.

For backcountry snowboarding this pack is very well thought out and does everything well for me. The removable hydration unit can be carried by itself, and is good for inbounds use. The waist belt and shoulder straps are not lined in mesh, so they shed snow well. Pockets on the waist belt are good for little things like an iPod Shuffle, snacks, etc. The main zipper is on the back panel side, allowing the back panel to remain out of the snow. I had a BCA Stash BC Rider, but it was too small to carry my helmet as well as the rest of my BC gear (shovel, probe, lunch, extra gloves, etc. plus clothes removed when hiking). This pack is the ticket!

I carried this pack for the last two seasons. This pack's design is reasonably good, with the hose concealed within the shoulder strap to protect it from freezing, and a very solid snowboard attachment. The zippers are highly water resistant as advertised. Its low profile and broad waist belt make it a pleasant carry. But it has a number of little annoying flaws. First, the waist belt is 3-4 inches up the back panel from the bottom, rather than being down at the level of the bottom of the pack. If you ever end up taking a heel-side digger, it will scoop up snow between your back and the pack because of the 3-4 inches of pack below your waist belt. Second, the waist belt and shoulder straps are both lined with mesh. They both pick up snow and hold it, so if you drop your pack in the snow, you get wet. Other manufacturers have made this mistake as well, but it is still a bummer. Third, the main zipper isn't the easiest to move. I had to spray it with a copious amount of silicone to get it to move more freely. The cut of the top of the pack contributes to this problem more than the zipper. Finally, the pack seems small for its claimed volume, especially when you have a shovel blade in the shovel pocket. It doesn't do well at carrying a helmet internally when you have all your other stuff (shell, gloves, etc.) in there skinning back up.

Hugh Banner went out of business, so you won't be able to find these once they are gone. The old climbing magazines usually said these were good small cams, with the following caveat: the trigger. If you wanted to ensure that the trigger couldn't accidentally get actuated in the event of a fall, then these would be a good choice. But the single finger trigger and the size of the trigger make them unsuitable for use with gloved hands. I believe HB cams were as strong or stronger than comparably sized cams from Metolius back in the day, but I am not sure if this has changed.