Great climbing pack - Mountain Hardwear Scrambler 30 OutDry Backpack

Even though this pack is called "Scrambler", I bought it exclusively for long multi-pitch or alpine rock climbing when I'll be carrying everything with me. For a backpack to work relatively well for leading, I wanted something that will sit pretty high on my upper body so it won't interfere with my harness, and the top needs to be low enough so I can look up without hitting the back of my head. This pack works perfectly for this purpose, it's big enough that I can carry a light trad rack, climbing shoes, harness, plus other essentials inside, and the rope and my helmet straps to the outside of the pack for the approach. When I'm leading, I carry my approach shoes and some layers in the pack and can still climb relatively well. The hydration sleeve allows me to use a bladder, so I can drink water while belaying my second. The extra gear loop on the pack itself is useful for carrying extra gear that I won't need right away, when the gear loops on my harness is full. The hip belt is thin and small, not designed to carry a lot of weight, but perfect for climbing since it stays out of the way of my harness. The only improvements I'd like to see on this pack are some extra attachment options on the outside of the pack (like a dasiy chain), and extra compression strap to really compress the pack when it's nearly empty (when I'm climbing).

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.