The North Face Terra 65

After trying on about a dozen packs I went with The North Face Terra 65 liter. I really wanted a 50 liter pack but none of the ones I tried had enough torso length adjustment to fit me correctly. I tried Osprey, Kelty and some no-name/store brands and all the 50 liter packs had the hip belt riding way too high. I was really reluctant to order a bag without being able to try it on first and now I'm really glad I didn't! Relying on local retailers limited my selection but I was able to find a bag that's comfortable loaded. The North Face bag is a little heavy but feels sturdy and I really like the way it rides. I'm at twenty four pounds with five days of food in a BV500. The only weight I have to add is spare batteries and two liters of water which will still bring me in under thirty pounds. All my gear, including the BV500 fits in the main compartment and there is still room to stuff more clothes on the sides of the canister if I decide to add a piece. The non detachable top compartment holds my rain gear and pack cover and I don't have anything in the two back panel zipper pockets. The hip belt pockets are too small for a smart phone but I don't hike with a smart phone so it's not a problem for me. I thought I would mention it since a lot of people do carry smart phones with larger screens. None of my gear is ultra light but I set out to put together a package I could through hike the AT with at thirty pounds total weight and I think I did ok. I have a 20 mile loop in Bienville National Forest to do PT on till hunting season starts. No elevation changes on the trail but there are a couple of fire towers that have car access in the forest so I plan to spend some time going up and down those with my full pack. Now that I have all my equipment I'm getting super excited for 2020!

I actually have one and I like it. It works great and the price is throw and go.

In fairness, the Osprey packs I looked at were inexpensive and I could have worked with the Rook 65. The one I tried on was a Rook 50 and I was hoping to find a 50 that would fit well. By the time I made it to the third retailer I decided I would have to go up to the 65 liter and between the Terra 65 and the Rook 65 the Terra felt better. I want to get some mileage out of it but when it comes time to replace it wont break my heart.