There's a lot to love about the Speed 40. It's the perfect size for overnight objectives - I've used similar packs for up to five days. The fabric feels light but is durable. The hip belt has the perfect amount of padding to carry the load that the pack is capable of. It hikes and climbs extremely well.
I've come back around to really wanting a lid - everything I keep in the over/under pockets are things that I am forced to keep in stuff sacks in packs without a lid. And those stuff sacks inevitable drop lower in the pack throughout the day and become less accessible.
I would prefer it have a single lid buckle like the Speed 30 - so much that I went ahead and also bought the Speed 30 and switched lids, which required me to add a loop through the ice axe pick sleeve to attach the single-buckle strap from the Speed 30.
I also wish the lids were somehow fixed to the pack, eliminating two straps that flap around in the wind to slap me in the face. I'm actually looking for a hook attachment (S-carabiners are probable the most likely) that I can then remove these straps altogether. I don't like overpacking, and when I do I can usually strap things onto the outside (on the compression straps) or over the top of the entire pack.
I also wish it had lower ice axe velcro straps, or the ability to remove and adjust the velcro. All of my ice axes of choice are the shortest available on the market, and I can actually slip them out of the velcro while the pick is still secured in the sleeve. A cord daisy running down the outside of the pack from the current velcro to the pick would be perfect.
The crampons straps are superfluous for most of my use and the aforementioned cord daisy would give me the option to strap crampons, helmets, or whatever else on the outside. Thanks for making them removable - that was the first thing I did when I started adjusting the pack.
Finally - I do wish the side compression straps were removable too. Like a certain competitors' pack (their name rhymes with "Blue Dice") these could be easily removed, stowed, and brought out when needed.
This pack is good enough to replace my previous 40L, and I'm happy enough with the lid switch to be satisfied with purchasing both. I'm even considering doing some DIY / warranty canceling work on the pack to make these changes that I outlined above, because the rest of the pack is Just That Good. It only needs a few more tweaks to really be the One That Rules Them All.
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