Mountain Hardwear  Scrambler 25 Pack

I quote enjoy this pack. I bought it as a day pack to be used while climbing and snowboarding, and so far it excels at climbing. The waterproofing is nice, and while not infallible, is a great way to help prevent soaking your gear. Plenty of attachment points on the outside keeps chalky gear from the rest of your stuff. Only issue is the hook that holds the brain closed its terrible unless you absolutely pull the strap as hard as you can. Easy fix to replace it with something else if you know how to sew. Overall, I love this pack and its looks.

I purchased this bag after trying and returning both the Exped 25 and the ULA dragonfly. I wanted a waterproof or water resistant day pack for hiking, traveling, and carrying my work stuff (although I didn't need it to be "professional" for that purpose). I like how the scrambler has a brain, and pockets, is water bladder compatible, and clearly cleverly designed hooks for organizing gear if you're climbing or otherwise using carabiners. I have not tried it in the rain yet, but it appears to be made of material that can withstand it. I got the version with the colorful straps, and I like the pop of color against the black. The brain is removable and you can just use the little flap instead. HOWEVER, the clasp used to hook either the flap or the brain is an almost fatal design flaw. It does not stay hooked, no matter how tightly you pull it or how full or empty your pack is. So the brain unhooks and flops about against your head as you walk if there's any amount of stuff in it. It's infuriating, and I still can't wrap my head around why it was designed this way. However, I do like this pack otherwise. I purchased a sea to summit field repair buckle (.75 inch) and replaced the stupid little clasp with a proper snapping buckle that solved the problem. I hope Mountain Hardwear listens to the reviews (I'm not the only one) and fixes this in future incarnations.

Nice backpack after you remove the top pocket. The top pocket only stays closed if the pack is fully loaded, otherwise it flops open constantly while scrambling or working over boulders. The soft internal frame is also prone to bowing and unless it's cinched down tight the hard bottom edge is prone to rubbing just above my belt line, a more functional/robust hip belt would also improve this backpack by a huge margin.

I was specifically looking for a waterproof bag for my canoe trip on the boundary waters and only looked at the bags listed as waterproof. This bag was listed as such. Its a great bag, little spendy for what it is bug great bag, love the colors and how it looks, just not what I need at all as its not waterproof. It is likely water resistant but its filling with water through the top cinch that doesnt cinch all the way closed if it were to be submerged or found itself in the river/lake. Returning and getting the one I should have gotten in the first place for less than half the price.

This bag provides me more than I thought I would get from it, from the many gear loops and pockets both inside and outside of the bag. As well as this, the bag has a variety of different customizable features, including but not limited to the variety of tightening straps, the removable pouch cover, and much more. The bag is a little smaller than I first thought it would be, and the sides of the bag’s bottle holders are too small to fit anything of significance when you have your bag filled, but I am happy regardless.

This is a fantastically designed pack. The material is very thick, durable, and water resistant. I’ve used this pack for half-day, full day, and overnight winter mountaineering objectives. The main compartment is very easy to pack and organize, and the exterior straps are extremely well designed to secure gear to the outside. This bag has more than held up to beatings on harsh trips in harsh conditions. The top pouch design makes it secure when on, but easy to remove as well. The built-in cover flap makes using the bag without the top pouch just as solid. The straps and hook loop take a second to get used to using while wearing thick gloves, but once you get the hang of it they work well. Great pack for mountaineering, rock climbing, and multi-use day pack. And to top it all off, it looks awesome.

Very good bag. Quality seems to be there. More room than I expected

I've had the Scrambler 25 for 3 years now, and it's my go-to backpack for day trips. I've taken it on nearly all of my climbs in the European Alps, like Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Dufourspitze, and Grossglockner. It's super light, easy to pack, and has all the features I need for mountain climbing. These features make it effortless for me to attach my climbing boots, rope, ice axe, and crampons to the exterior without any hassle.

I love this bag so much! Not only has it been the perfect piece of gear to organize all my climbing equipment, but it also looks amazing! I’ve gotten so many compliments on my new Scrambler and I couldn’t be happier that I purchased it. All of the organizational hooks and gear straps really make this my new go to climbing bag.

great backpack BUT major design flaw in the hook that closes the brain and top of the backpack. It does not stay done up no matter how tight you pull the strap or how full or empty the backpack is. With the hook continually opening, the other technical features of this backpack are useless.