Arete 45 Day Sack
3.8
5
4
4
Great cragging bag
I've had this bag for around two years and used it exclusively for taking my climbing gear to crags, it's the perfect size and the few times I've had to climb with it on, it's been fairly good due to it being narrow & having gear loops.
Only thing I would say is that the back support system is pretty useless, having said that for most climbing around crags you never need to walk long enough to require a better support system IMO so the cost & weight saving are more than worth it to me for cragging.
As for build quality after two years for regular use (I climb an awful lot) and there are no holes or real signs of damage.
03 September 2011
Great lightweight pack
After being let down by a couple of cheap packs I decided to spend a bit more and go for quality. I have not been dissapointed. This has been all over the country in all sorts of uses. It has just the right level of attachments and gizmos without being bloated. The waist belt is very supportive. The straps can dig a bit with a heavy load after a while but that's the price you pay for a lightweight pack. The back system is very comfortable but is more sweaty than an Airflow back system. The plus side is that, because its very close to your back, it's very stable. After nearly a year of hard use there isn't a mark on it. Quality.
22 December 2010
Disappointing...
I got this bag, having heard of the reliability of the Arete packs of the past, and for the first time, I was disappointed with a Berghaus product... Let me explain.
The shape design and features are great, as expected - the attachment points, the compression straps, hip buckle, etc.
At 45 liters, it was large enough to pack my Gold DofE kit into (at a stretch!!), but it will comfortably take a weekend's worth of kit for a camp or climbing gear.
However, the whole thing is let down by the Fusion2 backsystem - a very thin sheet of plastic(??) sown into the back with a little foam padding, I think done to reduce the weight compared to other products in this "cragging pack" category by other brands. After a short while, the hip belt will collapse under any little weight (10kg upwards) as does the plastic sheet that makes up the back support - in fact the back support on mine and two friends' bags have crumpled into a z shape, at the point where the plastic is narrowest, that digs uncomfortably into your back!!
So, my problem with the pack is its lack of purpose - at 45 liters it is too large to be used as a regular daysack, but with the current backsystem, it has neither the comfort nor the support to able to carry kit for short camps, or the heavy metalwear and ropes for a walk-in to a climbing venue of any length. In the same way, I wouldn't say it's particularly great for mountaineering or alpinism, as again, both require a certain load to be carried.
It was a great idea and I like the concept of a fairly lightweight, yet usable cragging pack, but the weight loading system definitely needs to be beefed up, even at a slight weight cost.
15 November 2010
Great 45L Sack
Proven to be very tough, have used for everything from lugging gear to and from the crag to carrying up mountain routes.
Feels very comfortable once you set the straps and belts to suit your shape.
Lots of useful attachments and compression straps.
15 November 2010
