Mountain Hardwear South Col
One of the new backpacks for year 2008 is South Col from the respected gear manufacturer Mountain Hardwear. At first look I must say that this backpack indeed looks really good. After packing the pack with some weight and walking around, it also felt really good. South Col is developed with direct input from Mountain Hardwear's athlete team.
South Col has some special features. It can be stripped down to a really low weight backpack. Hip belt, frame sheet and lid are removable. When fully loaded, South Col can carry 75 liters. And when stripped down it will still carry over 70 liters (while weighing almost 1.3 kg less). Outside the pack are numerous attachment points to attach tools and other gear.
Mountain Hardwear's South Col is managed to keep light but still very strong and durable. The highly adjustable compression straps allow leashing sleeping pads and tents on the outside of the pack. Dual-density foam shoulder straps and padded waist belt guarantee comfortable and secure carrying. South Col has also new type of buckles, which are designed to ease of use even with your gloves on. South Col's hipbelt is designed to distribute the load evenly and provide maximum carrying comfort.
Mountain Hardwear is managed to design a backpack which certainly will find many buyers. It's not the best choice for the easiest treks but definitely a great choice for summiting some mountains. We took a look at the medium size model; also available are small and large models.
Photos
Details
- Volume 75l (4600 in)
- Weight 1.75kg (3lbs 13oz)
- Material 420D Cordura / 100D Cordura / 210D Spectra Ripstop
- Frame material HDPE and aluminum
- Hydration compatible Yes
Available colors
- Black
