Very nice overview. The more I see of your pack the better it looks. Funny thing, until just recently I didn't realize that the base talon had a zippered compartment. Looking at it on the web site and other videos it looked like a straight compression panel. That zipper compartment would be way handy. Good job.
Jeeper, frame selection is done during purchase, so it is a choice the Standard or the UL. They are essentially the same and can be swapped out easily. The primary difference is the Standard Frame is a thicker walled material than the UL. I did most of my testing with the UL (well over 100 lbs, jumping etc). As far as recommendation on the frame, up to 100 lbs or more they are identical. The UL might be more likely to damage on a long drop, or fall on a fall with a big load but those are corner case scenarios (think rapid deceleration while heavy weighted, or huge impact while heavily weighted) . For most users the UL should be fine, for hard or extreme users they should get the Standard frame.
BBerg - I don't think carry on is an issue. I know for one customer we did a slightly shorter 22" frame with longer extensions for carry on purposes. That user is a member of this forum, so perhaps they will chime in.
Kevin
edited .. clarified where UL frame is more likely to fail. Thus far it has not failed in normal, heavy usage and I do not expect it to, unless I do something crazy with it
I have one ordered ,a 6300 roll top with base talon, vx 33 multicam. I have been using a Gregory for 15+ yrs. and anything over 60 lbs. is unfun. The belt on the Gregory does not stay put ,and I think the lumbar pad could be the culprit. Frame stays and such on the Gregory seem to start "collapsing" after 60 lbs.and there seems there is no way to get it to ride comfortable.
Not trying to start an ideological pack design war, but most 3 piece belts loose integrity around 60 lbs. If a lumbar pad fits you perfectly, then maybe you get a higher rating. The failure is at the junction of the lumbar and wings and is usually compensated for by just having a longer frame or using stiffeners at the junction. The problem is, a stiff belt has issues as well as they usually don't conform to your body and are prone to slipping (and often cause hip bruising). Manufacturers have been trying to solve that torso collapse at the junction for a long time. Our wrap style belt does not suffer that, instead it focuses on conforming well to your body, and when it does this, your body essentially becomes the stiffener. Our belt will settle some with a heavy load, but it won't suffer a collapse at the junction.
Not sure really. You might contact Nathan (Rockchucker30). We would love to get them in the production cycle, but the reality is we are pretty busy with packs right now, and don't have a lot more capacity at the moment. They are super easy to fashion on your own with duct tape, shock cord and a little carbon tube. I know that is not a "clean" solution, but it will work and honestly is what I would do myself, because I could stand to carry a little duct tape on trips, and I don't worry myself to much about style points. I wish I had a better answer for you, maybe something that was more salesmanship , but that isn't really my style. Kevin
This is my big "gear upgrade" this year. I've got mine ordered, just anxious to get it. I figure delivery time will be about the time I'm getting back to normal from an upcoming shoulder surgery next week. So this will work out okay.
One suggestion Kevin. Realizing you've spent a monumental amount of time updating your website and the videos are great but...
As a consumer trying to make an educated choice in packs, It would have been helpful to me to see a close up of the lid. I ordered without the lid. I wanted the lid, but based on what I could see of it, I just wasn't convinced how useful it would be for me. I would like to see a close-up of the lid in use, a 360� view, and your hands reaching in and out and gear being stuffed in and out. To me that would show the overall useful size, capacity, and usability. As it is, I've only got a superficial understanding of the lid in use, and thus didn't order it.
I offer this strictly as constructive. I'm redoing a website now and it is VERY time-intensive, and I realize the time you've spent on this. So please don't think I'm complaining. Just pointing out something that may help but it is just my opinion of what I wanted. Thanks for all the time you've spent trying to clarify!
Gloria In Excelsis Deo!
Originally Posted by Calvin
As far as gear goes.. The poorer (or cheaper) you are, the tougher you need to be.
Criticism is always encouraged. Criticism helps you get better. In the end, it is about presenting the information in a way that is honest and most easily understood by the majority of people, so I welcome any comments you or others may have.
Regarding the lid, once again being real honest, I had my hands on one really for a day here and a day there. All of the production lids are being used to fill orders and I have to stand inline !!!! When I get one, with a little time, we will get better photos and information.
Now here are my personal preferences. The lid is really nice, and easy to use, but if I am taking one item for day use gear and organization on a hunting trip, it will be a Talon because of how much it helps compression. I will glady use the lid on a general purpose backpacking trip, but for hunting it will be in addition to Talon and in which case at that point, I would probably down size the pack bag, and drop the side zipper on the pack bag as well to offset some of the additional weight.
The main difference between the UL and Standard frame IMO is cosmetic. The UL frame gets just a bit of crinkling in the past 90 degree bends in the bottom of the frame. That is the main reason we selected the standard frame to start out with - because it gives a nice clean appearance. I believe Kevin and I both sort of prefer the UL for the weight savings.
I've tested the UL frame past 120-130 lbs and the standard frame well north of 150. They both do well, but as Kevin pointed out the UL will be a bit more susceptible to shock under load. But really if you're taking a hard fall while loaded with 100+ lbs on a steep slope or boulder field then you've got bigger problems than the shock load rating of your backpack.
Snubbie, we're updating the site as we speak, and will continue updating more photos and upgrading media over the next several weeks.
+1 on what snubbie says about the website. Not pig piling or bashing but having to toggle between the products page, blog and web reviews to try to get a good "picture" of the options and various components available is a bit frustrating. I've been patiently waiting for the new products to be added.
Ahh, if I would have refreshed while I was replying to snubbies post I would have seen that you were on top of things with recent updates! My bad!
The web site has been updated. We will be adding more photo galleries over the coming weeks. Let us know if you have any questions. Lightweight Backpacks
