I've had my Summit Expedition Pack for ~2 weeks and felt I have enough 'real world' experience with the pack to offer a review. To begin, I'm a big fella; a former avid backpacker who went to seed and now looks more like a bloated pear than anything else. The years have not been kind.
TL;DR
An outstanding pack that exceeds expectations as a duel purpose EDC/multiday camping pack. When suggesting this pack to family and friends I definitely recommend purchasing the sternum strap as well. I feel this is a heirloom item that will serve me without flaw and eventually my son.
DETAILS
I've been following Frost River for years and always wanted to own an Isle Royale backpack, but, I could never justify the cost at the time. And now that I'm older and rotund, it seemed a bit foolish to me to order one (even though I rationalized the expected expense as motivation to get back on the trails and hike off this excess weight). However, I recently realized I needed a pack that could be multipurpose; an EDC bag plus a weekender bag for camping trips and such. My mind immediately went to Frost River. After a lengthy review of the various offerings on their site, I eagerly settled on the Summit Expedition Pack. This bag seemed to meet my every need so after a short spell of hemming and hawing I pulled the trigger and ordered the pack.
When it arrived, I found the pack was smartly compressed and packed down. In addition to the pack, a Frost River catalog was also shipped and this was a very nice surprise. This catalog has a retro vibe going on with the artwork and definitely added to the mystic of Frost River.
First, I have to say I absolutely love this pack. The build quality is in a word, superb. The waxed canvas has a pleasing stiffness to it that will likely loosen up as I use the bag more. I found zero stitching defects with the pack and straps. The heft of this pack lets you know you are wearing quality materials expertly crafted to make a pack that will last a lifetime and with care, could be a heirloom to be passed down to later generations. There is one minor exception though. The drawstring cord lock is made of plastic and very likely the weakest component of this pack. The drawstring itself is made of stiff cordage and after multiple weeks of daily usage I fear the cord lock will eventually breakdown.
As noted in other reviews of this pack, it is unstructured (meaning there is no support for the main pocket to give it a fixed shape). Others have mentioned this as a minor complaint but this is a feature of unstructured packs and not a byproduct of how Frost River built this pack or the materials used. I like that I can open the pack and just stuff and go. As an EDC pack, there is spacious room in the main bag for my laptop, accessory hardware, lunch and a good book to read during breaks. You just have to give attention to how you stuff your gear in the main bag so you do not create pressure points that will press into your back when wearing it over both shoulders (a one-strap hang does not have this issue but is also not recommended).
But where this pack really shines is when taken into the 'great outdoors' for adventure. I cannot speak of longer hikes or multi-hour carries with this pack but I can tell you once you get to camp, this bag is as tough as your mother-in-law's overcooked roast! When I backpacked, I was always having to be careful of my synthetic-material pack getting a rip or tear. I have no such worries with this pack. It can be strapped to a barky tree or dragged thru the dirt without any concerns of jeopardizing the integrity of the pack, especially the well-constructed bottom. The ~39L bag is beyond spacious enough for a long-weekend getaway with extra room for the creature comforts we all travel with these days. The two 1L side pockets feel bigger than their volume would have you believe. With just this pack I can carry clothing, personal hygiene stuff, food, a cook system and sleep system for an extended weekend with some room to spare (yeah, I was into the ultralight backpack scene so I have gear that allows me to compress it down to sizes conventional camping gear could never achieve). There is a trade-off, however, with weighing down this pack with gear in that the main bag will sag and could create an unpleasant wear on your shoulders. I have never owned a pack in which the shoulder straps come together at the top (affixed to a solid brass ring) so I had some trepidation how the pack would hang when worn. There was a 'breaking in' period for me to get used to this design but I expect each wearer will have a different experience. I admit I regret not getting the sternum strap as I now realize this would help redistribute the weight off my shoulders and help pull the pack closer to my back when weighed down with gear. If you're still reading this lengthy review, I would strongly recommend you purchase a sternum strap when ordering this pack.
In closing, I believe...
