Black Diamond Touchstone Haul Bag Review

Likes

This bag has a very simple and clean design that makes it easy to get in and out of whether on the side of a cliff or at the crag. The process of opening it, accessing gear, and closing it, is about as fast as it gets.

It is a great size. I take this on one-day El Cap ascents of routes with mostly aid. It is quick to get things in the bottom of the bag (you are not diving down head first to find things). As a crag pack, it is a perfect big size — it will fit everything and stand up on its own so you can access stuff easily. The suspension systems are one of the best and easiest to use when carrying the bag.

Dislikes

The top of the bag is not watertight. It's difficult to improvise a way to keep water out in a storm if the bag is hanging. You can try and use a trash compactor bag and accessory cord and "make a big version" of using a ziplock bag and rubber band on a mason jar when you lose the lid.

While the haul straps are a nice length for big walls, they are a little long for crag pack (they are more likely to get hung up on branches and snag). Because there are no big compression straps across the top it is not an ideal travel bag or a substitute for a bag like the North Face Base Camp Duffel. Although you can check it in on airplanes, you have to be extra careful about closing it up in a bomber no-snag way. By contrast, a bag with big compression straps and a "lid" like the Quarter Dome is much more travel-friendly.

Best Application

For most applications, this haul bag is too small for single haul bag use. It will likely need to be paired with a bigger model, such as the Metolius Half Dome Haul Bag, on steep routes.

Value

While this is less expensive than it's Metolius counterpart, we think its also a lot less featured. We would still lean toward spending more money on the Metolius.