For this volume of pack, it would be great if Cilo Gear would beef up the waist belt a little. It would take this pack from good to awesome. The waist belt is great on their smaller packs (which the 60L waist belt is nearly identical to).
The 60L WorkSack weighs in with all its straps at 4 lbs. 3 oz. but it can easily be stripped down because of its exceptionally modular design. It is a little heavier than the South Col, but can be easily made lighter. It is even tougher than the South Col but might not carry heavy loads as well.
The suspension of this pack far exceeds the size of its waist belt and shoulder straps. Most people who buy this pack are looking for a lighter, more minimalist pack for alpine climbing, mountaineering and ski touring. The pack was a little heavier than we thought it was going to be and this is why: it features a burly stay plus a stout plastic frame sheet and beefy piece of foam. So if you want to shed a few ounces you can drop the stay or the stay plus the plastic frame sheet.
The climbing features of this pack are second to none. The WorkSack features easy-to-use ice axe/tool sleeves, a nice crampon pocket and a trim design. This pack is for minimalists as it only has two zippered pockets on its lid and nothing else.
The modular compression straps are color coded and are less complicated than they first appear. You can rig the pack in different ways to not only strap different things onto it but also to make the pack carry better. These straps attach in a slightly tricky fashion that can take time to figure out, but once you figure it out it's easy.
The lid doesn't fit over the pack once it gets pretty full. This doesn't seam like a big deal (other than it looks a little funny). But when it rains you have to be more diligent about using other measures to keep your stuff dry.
The 60L WorkSack comes in three sizes and has no adjustment other than the shoulder straps and load lifters. This pack as well as all the Cilo Gear Packs ran a little small compared with other pack frames on the market. If you are typically in between sizes, definitely go for the larger size. Some taller folks (taller than 6'2-6'3) won't fit very well into the Cilo Gear Packs. The flip side of that is the fact that smaller framed men really like the Cilo Gear packs; they also work well for smaller narrower shouldered women.
Cilo Gear even makes a women's specific waist belt for all their packs.
