Up an out at 4:30am for a quick 3.25 miles prior to work. First observation is the belt is awesome. I am still carrying a little too much weight around the middle and have no ass. Every pack I have owned (and that is many) I have problems with the belt not staying put, even when very tight. Today I pulled the belt tight and honestly never thought about it again. That is a first. The belt pulls where excellent, no slippage at all, once pulled tight they were rock solid. I detected no pack flex at all. Now granted this was a light load of 35lbs, but it was very solid, no sway, no flex. There was a little noise, but the noise subsided as the hike progressed. I attribute that to a brand new pack with strong material and it just needs a little use. There were no squeaks or any other annoying noises. Lumbar pad was awesome, for us flat assed folks, it is perfect. I felt zero pressure, only snug fit and stability. For the first trip, I was not focused on the pack, very unusual, as it seems I usually have to work at getting things settled down, so I would say that is the goal, a pack you aren't thinking about. Next I will drop about 30-35 more pounds in it and see how it goes. At 55 years old I will not be going over that weight (65-70lbs), I will leave that to some of the younger crowd here.
Ron
