REVIEWS
24 Reviews
Hanah M.
This backpack has so many features and is awesome overall. I will say, one issue is how low the bottom back frame goes. It rests on my lower back making me worried to carry a lot of weight in it. I tried adjusting the straps to make it sit better, but it’s just a little too long. I compared it to my osprey and the bottom of their frames is rounded up and shorter to prevent lower back rubbing.
Anthony S.
Great backpack for hiking/mountaineering/alpinism. Very strong build, feels like it'll last a lifetime
Brock T.
Love the simplicity of this pack and very comfortable. Fits a lot more than expected and great for stayin on the move!
Nicholas G.
I bought this for my first mountaineering excursion. A nearly 9000 foot elevation in Patagonia of Cerro Creston. Held my crampons and ice axe perfectly during the 1 hr+ hike to the base of the mountain and super comfortable to wear. Love the attached gear loops around the waist band. Side straps held my mountaineer boots very solidly until needed. Functional, lightweight, simplistic, and efficient.
Chris S.
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.
Patrick M.
This pack has everything you’ll need, rock snow or ice. Fantastic product! Shoulder strap adjustments are in a bit of a weird spot when the pack is loaded but pretty minor.
Sue R.
Pack is amazing at what it's built for, alpine climbing. No nonsense purpose built that holds strong in alpine enviroments.
Duncan J.
Great pack for weekend trips. Definitely feels like it carries more than 40L. I love the ice tool carry, it works way better than the loops that a lot of other packs use. The crampon straps are excellent as well. I think it really carries the weight nicely and climbs super well. 35# feels great, I over loaded it to 45# and it was still super comfy and relatively maneuverable. I left it on very wet ice for 2 days in a row and it stayed dry (though I don’t think it’s fully waterproof). The only criticism I have is I would love some sort of external hip pocket and water bottle carry. I think I’m going to strap a soft flask to the shoulder strap, but it’d be nice if I could access a smart water bottle on the outside.
Annie
Both the fit and the quality of this pack has been really disappointing to me. I do not think it was designed with women in mind- I have the smallest size and the frame fits my body poorly. I cannot carry more than 15 lbs before this pack becomes extremely uncomfortable (especially in comparison to other packs I have used, like those made by ULA). For reference, I am not really that small- 5'5" 135 lbs but the frame feels too large. Also, when I tighten the load lifters my shoulder strap buckles and folds over on one side (not the other though, cannot figure out what is going on). My pack also started falling apart immediately. After less than one month of use the plastic frame started ripping out of the fabric. It's sharp and digs in to my back at times. It's now completely ripped through and sticks out a few inches from the fabric. I know other people have liked this pack but it does not work for me.
Valarie F.
This pack is great so far. Ample external straps for everything. Packs for day trips and multiple days. Fit is comfortable on the back and on the waist. Works great with a bladder too.
Ian
Wife and I each have older 40L and 50L speed packs which have been our goto packs for years for alpine climbs. But the hipbelts have always been horrible so we always swap in padded hipbelts customized to rack alpine gear on. But this new design made the hipbelt slot about an inch narrower and our custom hip belts can't be fit into the new pack. Would have given it a 5 star if they hadn't screwed up the hipbelt slot.
Matthew T.
I think one of the pinnacle features of a good alpine pack is the ability to overstuff and keep the weather out. The last iteration of this pack with the long double collar was excellent for this and worked really well. This is a real bummer for me....but I'm a super die-hard alpine light fan so...maybe I'm just jaded. Great pack otherwise!
David
I had to borrow a pack on a trip to GTNP this summer and was loaned this pack for a overnight to the saddle below the Grand Teton. I liked it so much that I bought this pack to replace my other pack which was ripped along the seams. I have used this pack on several day climbing outings and this pack carries a 25 lb load comfortably. I am very happy with this pack.
David
I've had this pack for 6 months and I've used it for many sport cragging days and two mountains (Adams South Spur + Rainier DC route). Everything on this pack works as intended. It fits my whole kit for an overnight climb, although I still need to get better at distributing weight properly for the heaviest loads. This pack does it all and shows few signs of wear.
Chris T.
Excellent, versatile overnite pack. I only wish it had tool loops, at least one.
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