Black Diamond  Distance 15 Pack - Men's

Just upgraded from my pack of the same model. Amazing upgrades from past iterations, addressing small issues I had in the past with it (emphasis on small). Looking forward to having this pack for many years of alpine adventures.

The BD distance 15 pack fits quite nicely and has well thought out features. I particularly like the capability to carry one collapsed pole along each side of the pack. However, I used an osprey 1. 5L water reservoir, and the dedicated reservoir pocket is slightly small when filled to capacity. In turn, the back padding has shifted, which creates bulk at the top of the pack which is perceptible at the top of my back/bottom of my neck. BD could solve this by stitching the foam padding in place behind the mesh back panel.

Overall I loved this pack at first. It's a great size for longer distance runs or mountain endeavors. The material for the main compartment is pretty water resistant and durable. You can set it down on rocks and whatnot without too much concern unlike many other vests. It balances weight well, though sits a bit lower on the back than other options. My main dislike is the shoulder strap material, otherwise this would get a 5 star review. It's thin which is nice and breathable, however it isn't very durable. After about 1000 miles I had tears begin to form along some of the seams. I made some repairs and continued to use it but after maybe 1300 miles the straps were basically disintegrating. They ripped in a bunch of places and the material is so thin that repairs are futile. That seems like a shorter lifespan than a vest should have. Maybe I could have washed it more frequently to get the salt out from sweat, that may have reduced the lifespan a bit. But it's disappointing when the entire pack is still fine, but the straps just fall apart.

Overall I loved this pack at first. It's a great size for longer distance runs or mountain endeavors. The material for the main compartment is pretty water resistant and durable. You can set it down on rocks and whatnot without too much concern unlike many other vests. It balances weight well, though sits a bit lower on the back than other options. My main dislike is the shoulder strap material, otherwise this would get a 5 star review. It's thin which is nice and breathable, however it isn't very durable. After about 1000 miles I had tears begin to form along some of the seams. I made some repairs and continued to use it but after maybe 1300 miles the straps were basically disintegrating. They ripped in a bunch of places and the material is so thin that repairs are futile. That seems like a shorter lifespan than a vest should have. Maybe I could have washed it more frequently to get the salt out from sweat, that may have reduced the lifespan a bit. But it's disappointing when the entire pack is still fine, but the straps just fall apart.