Mountain Hardwear

PCT 70L Backpack

PCT 70L backpack

Took this pack into the bush, absolutely loved it. Really a quality product at a fair price. Despite the 70L size, I found it comfortable to wear and not too cumbersome. I would highly recommend it for hiking / portaging.

Thoughtful design and very comfortable.

Very impressed with this pack. I needed something a little larger than my lightweight 58L back for an upcoming trip. I was a little hesitant due to the base weight difference, but absolutely satisfied with this pack. It carries weight extremely well. I've had up to 45 lbs in it without discomfort. The organization is fantastic. 3 compartments on the brain. Main section with bottomed access for sleep system. Outer pouch holds a lot of gear-perfect for rain gear and camp shoes, plus there's a zippered compartment. Side pockets swallow 2x 1L smart water bottles, and my camp chair fits in the other. Easy access to the side pockets with the pack on, with a slit for reinserting the water bottles. The only thing I'd wish for are pouches on the shoulder straps for bear spray or a phone. All in all, to many great features to list. My new go-to pack for longer trips.

Great pack so far

Bought this bag to get me through the west coast trail, haven't gone yet but in my preparation I have carried some heavy loads (3 climbing ropes, climbing hardware and some camera gear) no problem. Genuinely surprised at the comfort of the pack while hauling that much. Large pockets and openings make it easy to load the pack to capacity and the front flap is great to be able to access specific items without having to take stuff off the top. Only thing holding me from a perfect review is that I haven't gone on my trip yet and have only used it to haul gear to the crag :)

Not for me

About me: 5'4 with long torso, 125 pounds, purchased M/L. AVID outdoor enthusiast and outdoor professional--meaning I use my pack for work all the time. I have thousands of miles under my belt (most being from weekend to extended 10 day trips). I expect my gear to be streamlined, durable, functional. I have high standards, as I love the Earth and want my investments to last (and not pile up in a landfill). I bought this with excitement, as my 15 year old pack needs retirement. Having great success with the Mountain Hardwear BMG 105 (winter) pack, I thought this would be perfect for smaller loads in summer. Upon receiving it, I was extremely disappointed. Here's why: Pros: *It fits like a glove. (See sizing above) Comfortable. I can tell it wouldn't need a break in period,, and makes the deal-breaking cons that much more of a bummer! Cons: *Sleeping bag compartment? Last I checked, my sleeping bag is far bulkier than my 4 year old's blankie. It is abysmally small and compact. I can't imagine what I'd put in there. What a waste of space. The inability to fully open it to match the main compartments size is frustrating to say the least. It gives me the same feeling of when the car seat belt locks on me inappropriately. "This. Isn't. Supposed. To. Be. So. Tight!!!" Argh! To be clear, it's stitched in a way that the frame of the pack bulges into what should be the compartment, and is super tight on the frontside as well, as it seems they took space out of the bottom compartment to compensate for huge side pockets.... this creates a tight bottleneck to squeeze stuff though into the compartment only slightly larger than the bottleneck. You can see this in the photos. Why, MH? Why?? *Straps under sleeping bag compartment are too short to carry much of anything on bottom-outside when pack is loaded. Where will I put my tent? I like it bottom center for balance and lower weight load. *Speaking of weight load...the stuff it pocket in front might be a quarter to a third of the bag's capacity. It sticks so far off the pack that it feels unbalanced. Not for me. *Water bottle pockets: not super easy to use or convenient to retrieve/return when loaded. I gave it an "okay" on quality, since MH gear is usually tough and lasts, but quality of design on this bag (IMO) sucks. I don't usually leave reviews, but this is an honest one....those are becoming harder to suss out with all the 'bot reviews. This pack might be great for you, but it's not for me. Disappointed. (Also, tried to add photos but it isn't working. With my sleeping bag (up and down, because I sure can't squeeze it in that tiny bottle-necked compartment ) and bear canister in the main compartment, I have about 6" of space left.)

Great pack for hot weather

i love the trampoline back panel which helps with load bearing but especially helps keep your back from sweating

Near Perfect Camping Backpack

I bought this backpack right before a weekend camping trip at Garibaldi in Whistler. I packed 45lbs worth of gear into it and still had room leftover. Definitely the most comfortable backpack I've used with such a high weight load. The design is amazing as well. There are so many intelligently placed pockets and the straps and zippers are high quality. Only wish that it had a designated spot for a hydration pack water tube to come out of and for the hip pockets to be slightly bigger. It's not quite big enough for a newer iPhone with a case. Overall, this backpack is close to perfect and I highly recommend it

Nice bag. Horrible design

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

Med/large

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

168

Used on an 8 day backpack trip in Alaska. The issues below are deal breakers for me even singularly. 1. The side pockets were a pain to get water bottles in/out with bag loaded. 2 hands needed 2. Hip pocket zip wouldn’t open/close without using 2 hands 3. Pack top not easy to remove. Needs buckle clips 4. Hip belt pockets too small, clumsy adjustment of belt Overall fairly comfortable if you stay on top of tightening the load lifters. I’m going to try a different brand as this pack was a total pain to use.

Revolutionizing backpack design... and succeeding

The most spectacularly thought out feautures on a backpack I've ever seen. The duffel bag opening is convenient and the tightening straps easily cinch down the load from a bazillion angles. Double brain zipper is genius too. You'll just have to see the rest for yourself. Oh and did I mention how comfortable the hip/back/shoulder straps and padding are?

The Sweet Spot

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

MD/LG

Height:

5' 8"

Weight:

162

I'm 5'8" Male 162lbs. I tried both the SM/MD and MD/LG. Wish Mountain Hardware made more sizes! If you're expecting to carry heavy loads 40lbs+ for extended trips I hope you're not much taller or skinnier than me. The primary reason is to get the load lifters high enough for a proper fit I had to move up to the MD/LG, but I'm a diet away from being at the limit of the hip belt. I'm lucky that the pack fits and is comfortable for my use case, because it truly is an outstanding pack. Pros: - Storage, size and layout! - Suspension, aside from crazy loadouts this will handle extended trips with ease. - Water bottle pockets are huge for your stuff - Back ventilation - Material is very premium Cons: - Sizing - For me and my fit the frame squeaks pretty good Overall the pack hits a sweet spot in the market. Lighter, more storage, and better load capacity compared to Osprey Atmos. Also lighter than the Gregory Baltoro with roughly equal capacity and load carrying abilities for extended trips. I tried the Sierra Designs flex capacitor as well which felt like a garbage bag compared to this. Although I was impressed by flex's load capacity, the organization was a deal breaker for me. The Osprey Aether Pro has better comfort and load capacity, but the amount of storage is considerably less than what the PCT can fit. MH, great job - I'm a big fan of this one.

A very good quality pack that does it all

Very light, excellent quality, great adjustability