Mountain Hardwear  Alakazam 60 Pack

I really wanted to love this pack. Always excited to celebrate new innovations and someone coming up with something different. But this pack failed the mark in my experience. I'm actually surprised this version of the product made it to the public. I fear they didn't field test it extensively. I took the pack on a 10 day hut to hut hike, the Tour du Mont Blanc. Before this trip, I had only taken it on 1 day hike to make sure I liked it. It was a pretty big fail and here are the issues I experienced. 1. Hip belt where the padding is, created a rub wear and exposed metal. 2. The pack must be packed perfectly balanced or the gimbal hip joints will become lop sided no matter what you adjust 3. You cannot reach back and grab your own water bottle 4. The friction in the hip belt also blew a hole in my arcteryx rain jacket that I've had for 8 years and took on plenty of trips. So I'm surprised this is what finally broke it. 5. The hip belt is so small even when fully loose, that cannot be a large person. This pack is not forgicing to a chubby waste 6. Condensation inside the pack was a real issue on humid sunny days What I DID like is that it's so light, good coloring, and very water proof.

I own many backpacks and this one has quickly become my go-to. Is it perfect?...no, but it's really close. The craftsmanship, design, and materials are topnotch. I really enjoy the oversized side pockets. I think this will become common across all brands. It rides very comfortable with a 20lb load. I have yet to test the max weight and don't plan on doing so. I understand that the price could deter some people but this is an item where, "you get what you pay for" actually applies. It's worth every penny! Keep up the great work Mountain Hardwear!

I used this pack over the course of this past summer guiding various overnight trips ranging from alpine rock rock climbs to multi week hikes in the Eastern Sierra. The first thing I will say is this pack is not for everyone. If you’re looking for either the plushest support or the lightest pack on the market, this is not that. In my opinion it’s the perfect balance. It fulfills the niche of being an ultralight pack that carries well and has lots of really versatile features that makes this pack a good contender for the “do it all” pack. It does everything from comfortably packing heavy loads to packing down to what feels like a 40L compact fast packing pack. Some details that stood out: The running vest style shoulder straps are compatible with soft flasks and are very comfortable without being too bulky. The synching system across the whole pack is exceptionally versatile. This is probably my favorite thing about this pack. Everything is detachable and able to rearrange in various configurations without being bulky. It’s worth playing around with. I found some neat ways of attaching awkward items such as snow shoes or a wet tent to the outside of my pack. Some other things worth mentioning: yes the hip belts are small but you can easily fit 3 bars on each side. I personally like putting my phone in the shoulder strap pocket regardless. The size of the two big outside pockets make them more susceptible to catching and tearing. I ripped mine in a couple places but that was 100% my fault for climbing one to many chimneys. If you’re a solar panel user, there are limited places to clip on top of the pack, making it potentially difficult to catch the midday sun. The last few years I’ve mainly been using custom made packs because I could get particular with the small details. I’ve found that most ultralight packs lack basic versatility as well as a solid load bearing frame, but with the alacazam I don’t have to worry about the difference between a 3 day or a 10 day food carry. I know the pack will fit me and size exactly the same regardless of the weight. This is my new go to. The price tag is a little hefty but I do feel that you get what you pay for.

Just received the size sm/med in the mail, and loaded it up with my gear. The capacity and fit are good (so 3 stars) but there are some significant shortcomings that will have be returning this bag, given the price. 1. The chest pockets look like those found on a running pack which had me very excited. The reality is that they do not fit a standard 500ml hydraflask soft water bottle. The zip pocket is actually deeper than the bottle pocket so only have the water bottle fits in the pocket. 2. The hip pockets are barely big enough for a clif or hornby bar. They are sized to fit an inReach mini. They should have more volume which can be achieved without adding much weight. 3. While the side pockets are very generous in capacity, it is very hard to get a tall smart water bottle in and out.

***NOT WATERPROOF*** Mtn Hardware changed the product description to now say water resistant. I've owned this pack for several months. I recently finished a multi week trip in which I finally experienced extensive rain events. The pack fabric may be waterproof but several construction details allow significant water entry. Top was rolled and buckled correctly. No rips no tears. No bushwhacking through thorns or thistles. About 30 days of use. I'm long beyond the retailers return timeline. A pack advertised as waterproof at this price should actually be waterproof. Others frequently complain about pockets, padding, and sternum straps... Sure the waist belt pockets could be larger but you shouldn't store food in fixed pockets in bear country. Same for the shoulder strap pockets. They were functional for sun gloves, head nets, headlamp, sunglasses, even an umbrella handle, etc... The sternum straps are easily removed for adjustment if strap end is folded back and then pulled through. Padding is minimal but acceptable given the ultra light nature of the pack and expected weight limitations. I used an 1/8" sleep pad folded inside against my back to improve comfort. The presence of load lifters is very helpful. It would be nice for shoulder strap attachment options for larger items like a phone or camera but it's all about keeping the weight down. This pack comfortably carries 45lbs on resupply days and longer water carries. Side pockets are not easily accessible while wearing but great for hydration systems with hoses. This pack carries way more gear than advertised volume. As others have stated the idea is good but not perfect. Huge potential for an awesome pack.

Great pack. I have used this in many different occasions, from travel to backpacking, and this pack has faired well in all aspects. Love the giddy up system and how it can actually help with load lifting. Great pack for most occasions for sure!

Awesome lightweight pack! Holds all my gear for winter or summer. Everything you want and nothing extra. Super durable.

Very light but comfortable. The adjustability is wonderful making it easy to squish the bag down for smaller trips.

Weight, durability and capacity are the primary reasons I picked up this 60L backpack and it does not disappoint. I like to backpack to remote lakes for trout and bass fishing and need a larger pack to carry my gear that includes a UL float tube, waders, fins and all the various equipment needed to fish remote lakes. All of my gear fits including 6+ days of food comfortably all coming in ~32lbs including water. Total weight of 30-40lbs this pack is comfortable and the gait keeper hip belt feature works as designed. The vest style straps are secured by 2 sternum straps and have dual mesh pockets (which are nice touches) PROS: VERY light for a pack that can carry ~80 liters using the spacious exterior pockets. Aluula is a super awesome material. Easy to pack (I am a fan of roll top packs). Vest style straps and gait keeper system are nice features. Giddy up compression system works well and easily accessed when pack is on. CONS: Difficult to get a water bottle out of the side pockets with pack on, necessitating using two 250ml soft flasks accessed from the vest pockets. Vest pockets to hold water are not deep enough IMO. No need for an internal hydration bladder in main compartment since there is not output for hydration hose. Overall I recommend this pack for the ultralighter that needs more storage to support their remote activities.

***NOT WATERPROOF*** I've owned this pack for several months. I recently finished a multi week trip in which I finally experienced extensive rain events. The pack fabric may be waterproof but several construction details allow significant water entry. Top was rolled and buckled correctly. No rips not tears. No bushwhacking through thorns or thistles. About 30 days of use. I'm long beyond the retailers return timeline. A pack advertised as waterproof at this price should actually be waterproof. Others frequently complain about pockets, padding, and sternum straps... Sure the waist belt pockets could be larger but you shouldn't store food in fixed pockets in bear country. Same for the shoulder strap pockets. They were functional for sun gloves, head nets, headlamp, sunglasses, even an umbrella handle, etc... The sternum straps are easily removed for adjustment if strap end is folded back and then pulled through. Padding is minimal but acceptable given the ultra light nature of the pack and expected weight limitations. I used an 1/8" sleep pad folded inside against my back to improve comfort. The presence of load lifters is very helpful. It would be nice for shoulder strap attachment options for larger items like a phone or camera but it's all about keeping the weight down. This pack comfortably carries 45lbs on resupply days and longer water carries. Side pockets are not easily accessible while wearing but great for hydration systems with hoses. This pack carries way more gear than advertised volume. As others have stated the idea is good but not perfect. Huge potential for an awesome pack.