ALPS Mountaineering Wasatch backpack?

[TheYoungOne]

I my quest for a lightweight pack, I have seen the ALPS Mountaineering Wasatch 3900 pop up a few times during my searches. Its 64L, and weighs only 3lb 8oz, with an adjustable torso. The weigh and cargo room is almost the same as the Osprey Atmos 65 but since the Wasatch is one sale, its almost half the Atmos $240 price tag. I have a ALPS Mountaineering tent, that has served me well, but I never used any of their packs. The online reviews for the AM Wasatch are sparce, most are good, but some buyers have typical illogical complaints about not being able to fit enough gear or that it did not look strong enough to carry 60lb of gear in it.

That said anyone have one, or knows someone who used one?

http://www.rei.com/product/849659/alps-mountaineering-wasatch-3900-pack-2013-special-buy

http://www.rei.com/zoom/zz/fc0077a5-49e4-44fb-94b9-46632b8894ce.jpg/440 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=ALPS%20Mountaineering%20Wasatch%203900&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=cuRLbIYDrAcSjM&tbnid=JbRJINtFglU0hM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F849659%2F alps-mountaineering-wasatch-3900-pack-2013-special-buy&ei=K3p1Uf2mLMTA4AOsk4HICg&bvm=bv.45512109,d.dmg&psig=AFQjCNH5ztA92hWyaITnenE2YzDnaATl5A&ust=1366739875005165)

[Another Kevin]

I haven't tried the Wasatch, but I have an ALPS Mountaineering Orizaba 3900. (The REI Outlet still has a few on closeout for $90.) I've had it for a year and a half now, and been on a number of weekend trips.

It's a terrific pack for the money. The torso adjustment accommodates me - I'm long-waisted, so that's an issue. The frame is comfortable, and the 3 lb 12 oz weight includes a pack cover that comes with it. The REI web site says that it comes without a cover, but it's wrong! For a 65-litre pack, it's got a really tall and narrow shape, but I actually like that for maneuvering through brush. I daresay that an Osprey or Deuter would be a little more comfortable or lighter weight, but the ALPS has served me well so far. My only complaint so far is that the waistbelt buckle broke on my second trip with it. A few bucks at EMS got me a new buckle. I know that the legendary REI customer service would have taken care of me, but I needed the buckle right away, and there's an EMS store near where I live. I've been out a bunch of times since with no further issues. The pack is durable enough. I've taken a header down a steep slope while wearing it, ending in a shoulder roll paratrooper-fashion so that most of the impact was on the pack, without injuring more than my pride. (In retrospect, it was probably that fall that broke the buckle.)

Looking at the pictures, I think I like the Orizaba better than the Wasatch because it's got more places to lash gear. I've had my Orizaba out snowshoeing, with the usual metric *****load of stuff needed for a snowshoe trip lashed on. It's got a full daisy chain and a good-sized shovel pocket, as well as the two gear loops.