Arc'teryx  Alpha FL 20 Pack

I really wanted to like it this pack. And it's disappointing, reaching out to Arc'teryx, which makes many products I love, justify this pack while ignoring my comments pointing out leakage in light drizzle/sleet/snow while they focus on heavy precipitation. The pack: great size, light weight, and the outer fabric seems durable. Two improvements would be making the zippers actually water tight and having a removable waist belt. Used for the 1st time on a trip in Oct where I encountered very light rain and light snow/sleet. The external pocket according to the website says "External WaterTight™ zippered pocket". I had items in this pocket including phone and tissues that got wet. On a 2nd day, in the same conditions, I purposely put tissues in the top of this pocket which all got damp again. I did this as a test so that I could be 100% sure I zipped the pocket all the way. Nothing got wet in the internal zip pocket, however, based on the bag design with only a drawcord and no external roll top I'm not sure the internal pocket would keep items dry if there was heavy precipitation and the collar filled up with water. You definitely cannot count on your gear staying dry in even light precipitation! These were the customer support responses to the issue: "While the fabric on your backpack is waterproof, water penetration will always be a small possibility under certain circumstances on any zipper. Our zippers pass rigorous tests to meet their standards of extreme wet weather, but for instance, if there is water pooling up on the zipper teeth, there will be some moisture that seeps through. To add some extra context, there are no completely waterproof zippers on the general outdoorwear market today (except on specialized dry suit products, however, they are very heavy and are stiff/difficult to operate)." A response from their website: "Hello, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We understand how disappointing it can be when gear doesn’t perform as expected, especially in wet conditions. While we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the outcome, we’d like to clarify a common misconception around the term “WaterTight™.” As noted in the product description, this backpack is weather-resistant, not waterproof, and the zippers are designed to be water-resistant, not fully waterproof. WaterTight™ zippers typically feature a coating like Polyurethane or DWR (Durable Water Repellent) that helps shed moisture. They’re built to resist light rain, splashes, or brief exposure, but they aren’t sealed tightly enough to block water under pressure or prolonged contact. We appreciate your feedback on the design and understand your concerns about the waist belt and internal protection. Your insights help us continue to refine our gear and improve how we communicate its intended use. If you have any questions about alternative packs or gear better suited for heavy rain, we’d be happy to help."