I reviewed this pack as follows in 2018. I purchased the Summit Expedition in Heritage Black from Frost River after having inherited the simple Summit Pack. I cherish both bags, but hands down, the folks at Frost River built a beautiful pack for me in the Heritage Black Expedition. As an investment, I upgraded to buckskin shoulder straps and had a sternum strap installed. Both upgrades look sharp, and make the pack extra-comfortable to carry. The features—the carefully stitched and riveted premium full-grain leathers, the antiqued solid brass, the charcoal briquette colored waxed canvas—all make this pack a treasure to behold. Yet, its great design follows function, and even when lightly packed, the Expedition stands up and carries flat against the back. The side pockets can hold my 32 oz insulated growler (and still fasten down to their tightest). The 2-in-1 side pockets between the pack body and the buckled side pockets are extremely useful too. Depending on how much is packed in the main body, these side pockets can securely stow a surprising amount, keeping things like wallets concealed yet easily accessible. Features aside, I can also testify to the burliness of this pack. I’ve used it daily, and on several occasions have been caught in downpours without an umbrella. Even after 20 minutes of waking through the rain, the pack repels water very well! It does begin to penetrate the fabric, but the contents inside the main pack compartment and inside the buckled side-pockets remained dry! I emptied the pack on such occasions, wiped the beaded water off, and the fabric dried quickly. There’s only one design element that doesn’t handle water well; that’s the zipper on the front outer-pocket of the pack. Water will get through it, and begin to pool in the bottom of that pouch. My humble suggestion to Frost River: consider making a lapped zipper on that pouch, so that waxed canvas covers and can protect that one susceptible area from rain water. And a tip to those who are interested in this pack, when full, picking it up by the shoulder straps may seem convenient, but to insure their integrity for years to come (particularly the soft buckskin), my recommendation is to pick the pack up by the solid brass yoke or the grab handle utop the back of the pack. Enough said. To the good people at Frost River, thank you so much for the stellar goods and your undying commitment to quality. I love my pack!
Update: I still appreciate this pack for all its gloriousness as described above. It seems Frost River has stopped offering buckskin strap upgrades in Heritage Black. Too bad, because those black padded straps took this pack over the top in terms of coolness and comfort. The bag does require careful consideration in packing in order to ride on the back comfortably, particularly for longer stretches (over 5 miles). I used a piece of foam in the back of the pack to add a little rigidity to pack against, and that solved most issues with discomfort. If loaded heavily the pack does tend to pull away from the body with yoke-strap attachment design (despite use of the hefty sternum strap). I tend to pack this one light, with no more than I’d carry in messenger bag, for optimal comfort. I still would love to see a lapped zipper redesign on the front pocket. In fact, a version with only the side-pockets would look and work superbly I reckon. This pack still remains a favorite, and I cherish the work that went into crafting it when I put in my order—with all its bells and whistles included.
