As I sadly stored away my MEC Alpine Crag Backpack for the end of the season, I wasn’t surprised to glimpse the accumulation of mud and dirt that had settled on my pack. This was due to two reasons. The first explanation is that this bag has seen a lot of use. In a short period of time it’s been to numerous local crags in the Rockies as well as on my trip to Thailand, where it was bashed by sea spray, mud and sand on a daily basis. The second reason for the dirt layer on my pack is that I am a terrible hiker. If you’ve ever hiked anywhere with me you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m slow, (bound to turn your “quick approach” into a 2 hour ordeal) and I’m prone to falling if I carry anything heavier than a watermelon on my back. Although this pack is very lightweight, stuffing it with a days worth of gear ends up weighing a little less than half of my body weight. When I fall, I fall backwards onto whatever I’m carrying. As a result, my poor backpack has served as a cushion many times when I’ve slid down shale/dirt/snow hills in the Rockies, as well as many hills of very red and very moist mud in Thailand. The bag also endured a daily soaking of salt water as our group hiked/swam through high tide to get to the crags in West Railay. Thankfully this pack is extremely burly in both construction and fabric (kept my gear nice and dry despite frequent baths in the ocean) and without the layer of grime, it would look as good as new.
Tide coming in on Tonsai Beach. I managed to keep my bag away from the rising water most days…Photo Credit: Sheri Hendsbee
My friends often scoffed at my tiny red MEC bag that I brought along to the crag, only big enough to fit my harness, chalk, snacks and shoes (still my favorite comp bag).
Just to give you an idea of what my old “crag bag” looked like. This bag is older than I am and still going strong!
Being rather cheap, I never bothered to replace it until early april, when my friends bought me the Alpine Crag Backpack as a birthday present! Obviously the first thing I did with it was trip and slide down a rocky hill. But what impressed me most about the pack was how much stuff it could hold! This bag comfortably holds a 60m rope, 12 draws, climbing shoes, a harness, a grigri, a litre of water and extra clothes. Plus the top pouch in the lid of the pack is really convenient for holding anything I need to access often, like guidebooks, snacks, camera, sunscreen, sandals (if you have the tiny feet I possess) and sunglasses. My only wish is that this pack had mesh pockets on the side, as my water bottle sometimes drowns under all my other gear and it often takes me a while to find it.
Winter fun! Photo Credit: Andrea Morgan
Packing lots of supplies on our two day snowshoe trip. Photo Credit: Dom Mallette
However I can’t complain, this backpack is way better than my old bag, with it’s broken shoulder strap and nutshell-sized capacity. Another one of my favorite features includes the sheer comfort this pack provides. The padded shoulder an waist straps coupled with easy adjustability kept the bag snug to my body during rougher hikes. Thanks to the Alpine Crag Backpack, I can comfortably load up with as much gear as I can carry to the crag! Check it out here at: http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/AlpineClimbingPacks/PRD~5024-265/mec-alpine-crag-backpack.jsp?pdtTab=3
Leading the hike.
Photo Credit: Andrea Morgan
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