We took these backpacking packs out on real-world adventures, critically assessing them along the way. We took into account five different metrics: comfort, suspension, adjustability, features and ease of use, and weight.
Comfort and Suspension
We walked set distances over similar terrain and assessed how we felt after 1, 5 and 10 miles. We took note of any hotspots on our hips and shoulders as well as the quality of the ventilation on our backs.
We loaded these packs with between 25-70 pounds to get a sense of the range of each ones carrying capacity. With these different weights, we then assessed the quality of each component of a pack's suspension and its ability to appropriately distribute the load across its waistbelt, back panel, and shoulder straps.
Adjustability and Fit
We took note of the range of adjustability of the waist belt and shoulder straps of each pack, and how well each one adapted to different layers we wore and how easy it was to dial in the fit.
Features and Ease of Use
We took note of the number, usefulness, and ease of use of the features on each model. We packed our packs in a variety of ways and attached different gear to get a sense of the versatility of each pack. We assessed things like water bottle pockets, secondary storage pockets, lid accessibility, rain covers, waist belt pockets, trekking pole/ice ax loops, etc.
Weight
We weighed each pack and compared it to its comfort and volume to get a sense of how much the weight penalty is for any given model.
