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- Verified Buyer
Have a nice 50L for 3-4 day camps, recently did a ten day in some very rugged brush country in Montana this baby was well supported and had plenty of space for everything I needed.I few highlighted features I really like:-Side entry to main compartment-separate sleeping bag compartment-top storage compartment is great size-everything tightens down great!There are a lot of important things to mention about this backpack.First, it's listed as a 75L-80L, as though it's a 75L + 5L. This is incorrect. You get either the 75L or the 80L, which each have different features. (You can quickly tell which is which by zooming in on the white writing on the outside of the sleeping bag compartment. Currently, two of the colors shown are the 75L and two are the 80L.) Although each version has zipper access to the main compartment, the 75L has a smaller J-shaped zipper on the side whereas the 80L has a giant U-shaped zipper on the front. I'm not sure what other differences there are between the two versions.Second, these are incredibly similar to Deuter Aircontact backpacks. When my 80L Mountaintop arrived, I filled it up and took it into an REI to compare it to the various more expensive name-brand backpacks and get fitted (btw, definitely go get yourself fitted -- it's very helpful and it's free!) and the associate who did my fittings said it looked like someone who used to work for Deuter quit and took the designs with him and the only change he made was lowering the price. He was very impressed and said he'd try to get REI to start carrying Mountaintops. Until then, if you can find a place that has a Deuter Aircontact in stock, trying one of those on will give you a very good approximation of whether or not you'll like the Mountaintop.Third, you get serious bang for your buck with one of these. The Mountaintop is $260 cheaper than the name brand backpacks and Mountaintop offers free returns if you end up not liking it. After trying on several different Ospreys and Deuters, I decided to stick with the 80L Mountaintop for several reasons. Its giant front zipper access to the main compartment is fantastic. That alone put it in the lead among all of its competitors for me, because I hate having to take everything out of the top and put it back in again. It has just about every other great feature as well: adjustable height (works exactly like the Deuter Aircontact), YKK buckles, attached rain cover (tucks into the bottom), separate sleeping bag section (with removable divider), daisy chains, trekking pole fasteners, internal bladder pocket (with a little hole at the top of the pack to put the hose through), side water bottle pockets, big vertical side pockets (these are awesome and the Deuters don't have them), hip pockets (big enough for a cell phone), elastic chest strap, d-rings on the shoulder straps, tip lid zipper, and (removable) top straps for stacking something atop the lid. So far as I can tell, there's only one feature available in some other (Osprey) packs that isn't available in this one -- there's no detachable daypack. But there's definitely enough room to store one. There are several 5-star $20 daypacks on Amazon that are super light and fold up into tiny little squares. Even after buying one of those, I still saved $240!I tried packing my 80L several different ways and in my opinion the best way is to put your tent horizontally at the top of the main compartment. That creates a good shelf for the lid to sit on. Then you can pack your clothes and cooking equipment in the bottom two thirds of the main compartment and easily access them using the giant zipper. The sleeping bag compartment at the bottom creates a good shelf for them to sit on. The outer flat pocket between the daisy chains is perfect for rain gear, and the giant vertical pockets on either side are great for anything else that you want to be ready at hand (very convenient place to keep extra socks and food). This bag is sufficiently roomy that I can't imagine you'd need to strap something on top of the lid, but if you did, there are straps for that too.I got mine professionally fitted and have worn it a couple of times for 15-30 minutes to make sure all the straps hold and the balance is good and I can maneuver myself into different positions without any of the straps rubbing too hard against my skin. After I take it on some long hikes I'll add updates to this review. I've read (and watched on YouTube) several reviews from other people saying theirs held up fine over multi-month-long hikes, so I'm hopeful!I bought this pack for the AT which I will be doing next year. This review is based on the 60 or so miles that I have clocked up on it during practice hikes for 10-15 miles at a time. It is a comfortable pack to carry. The shoulder straps are sufficiently padded as are the hip straps and the back. I like that the sternum strap is adjustable and has a loop built into it to slide the mouthpiece of my hydration bladder through so it is close to my mouth. It has a removable brain cap that contains a considerable amount of storage in it(topside and interior). The hydration bladder sleeve inside against the back wall is full width so it swallows my 3 Lt bladder easily with room for my sun hat as well. There are two hanging clasps to suspend your bladder in place as well as a water tube opening on the left side to snake your tube out. The two mesh side pockets are OK but could be bigger(more fabric) so they could expand outwards some more. I would highly recommend that you put your items in those before filling up the interior as once the inside of the pack is fully stuffed the roundness bows out and makes it quite difficult to then fit water bottles etc in there. The bottom compartment can fit a 20-30 sleeping bag in it but I can't fit my 0 F bag regardless of loose stuffing it or using a stuff sack to compress it. The bottom compartment has a zipper to separate it from the main compartment or you can just leave it as one large open area. I would prefer that the pack was a little wider instead of being tall and narrow. It does limit how you can fit a more substantial sleep system in there. This is not an expensive pack so the plastic fasteners are a little lightweight. That being said, I have not experienced any issues opening and closing them repeatedly. The zippers are good quality and move smoothly and the fabric is also good quality with perfect stitching. I like the integrated rain cover that lives in a dedicated pocket underneath the pack which has a fastener so that you can keep it permanently attached to the pocket and then just extend the cover over the pack. I poured water from a gardening watering can on it and the water slid off just fine. I will spray waterproofing silicone on it anyway just to increase its' protection. The pack contains two hip belt pockets that hold a surprisingly handy amount of stuff in them. Bear in mind that once you strap yourself in, then the curvature of your body will eat into the usable shape of these pockets. Case in point having a phone or some other rigid rectangle will make it a little tricky to quickly remove it. I can fit 3 or 4 snack bars in either side but they will be a little squished(literally). The left side pocket is mesh while the right side is fabric. I would have preferred having an exterior pocket rather than the bungy cord but that does add weight. The cord does hold stuff fairly well though. I have put a fleece jacket in it while hiking and it was perfectly secure. The cord is also perfect for drying wet shirts, underwear or socks while you hike. The only issues that I have experienced have been that the load lifters slip a little bit and need periodic adjusting. Also if you are a petite body type(100-115 Lbs or less than say a 29 inch waist) you will probably not be able to get the hip belt to cinch tightly enough to take the load off of your shoulders. The pack comes with multiple compression straps to keep your gear in place and they all work as designed. I have used them to hold a camping stool but they would also hold an axe or snowshoes or rifle(with buttstock in mesh pocket). You could also use the trekking pole loops to hold an axe as well. Overall this is a nicely designed and inexpensive pack with with the same features as other packs costing 2-3 times as much.Love this piece of kit, used it for the first time last week on a camping hike in the mourne mountains, it holds so much and is really comfortable to carry, live itThis was bought last minute for a 188 mile walk, . Fitted everything in it that was needed.including tent.Works well as a camping rucksack for Scouts but I wouldn't use it on an expeditionI need to test it out fully but the quality is great, it looks great and I love its overall structure and support.This may be the best backpack I ever owned. the price is extremely low vs the quality you get. This pack has been designed by ppl doing expeditions, it shows all over. Quick access to main compartment, top pouch is detachable and adjustable, the shoulder strap system is sturdy and fits ppl from 4'6" to about 6'6", there are pre-made holes linking the 2 compartments for long tools if you ever want to carry those inside your pack, they use YKK zippers, the frame is flexible but reinforced with very lightweight non flexible bars. the padding on the back and shoulder is very thick, the clips are not flimsy, LOTS of possible outside configuration with straps all over ( bottom, middle, top, you name it, it has straps ) compressions straps well located and secured, extremely lightweight, adequate included rain cover also also, even if it's stated water bladder was not included, mine arrived with a water bladder. the bottom compartment is big enough to hold : my 3 season down sleeping bad, my inflatable mat, my tarp, my hammock and my rain poncho ( which doubles as a second tarp ) with a bit of room to spare.drawbacks : nylon is very thin, I doubt this pack will survive 5 years of abuse, but given the price, I absolutely do not mind buying one every 5 yrs, the water bladder pouch is actually the pouch to access the internal frame, so your bladder will be compressed on the actual pack frame although there are no pointy or sharp edges there. also there are no place to velcro your flag, I had to glue mine on.it is the best pack I ever bought, one of the cheapest as well.. I have been doing alpine expeditions and rock climbing for over 15 yrs. I can fit my entire sleeping system in there, all my gear and tools, 7 days food and spare clothing, I do not even have to strap anything outside the pack plus I still have room. just wow
