Mountainsmith Apex 60 Backpack

Awesome pack extremely well made, just tested it on a 4 day hiking trip at the San Rafael Swell in Utah. The only complaint I have is that the description stated it had a removable lumbar day pack. The brain of the pack does come off, but there is no straps that I could find that could be used for turning the brain into a day pack. After looking at the mountain Smith website, I realized it does not list this as a feature of the 60l apex series pack. I was able to purchase the pack brand new for $125....steal of the century! Worth every penny of the 200 dollar list price. I would highly recommend this pack, buy it.... You won't regret it!

This is the most expensive backpack I have ever bought. It looks like a Osprey, but half the price. It is made of high quality fabric and very sturdy. The space is pretty appropriate for my 3 day hikes in Grand Canyon. Enough for food, clothes, tents, and sleeping bags. Water bottle can be reached easily, but it falls out sometimes even though the fixation strap is fastened. I love the backflip zipper pocket design a lot, it enables me to reach items at the bottom of the bag easily. I use the side pocket with elastic mesh to put my gopro so I can grab it easily. Most importantly, it has very good padding at the back and waist, and the ventilation is good. 5 stars

I am just getting back into backpacking. I had not been in nearly 20 years, since I was in boy scout, when bags used to measured in cubic inches!Mountainsmith was a big brand back then, so when I was looking to buy a new bag, they were one of the first brands I looked at. Although Osprey now seems to be king now. Naturally, I was debating between a 65L Osprey and this 60L. I was worried I might need the extra 5L given the size of my old school tent, sleeping bag/pad.I ultimately when with this option as the price was very good at $137 and I had great experiences with the brand 20 years ago! I also watched a few YouTube videos and seemed like it had everything I was looking for in a bag.I bought this bag to do a 14 mile two night hike. I brought a moderate amount of food, cloths, and gear and still had what I would say was plenty of extra room for more cloths and food. Even with my old, larger, and heavier gear I was able to fit everything with ease into this bag (including my full 3L Camelbak).The bag held up very well and after some adjustments, it was very comfortable, and exceeded my expectations. The material is high quality and very durable with lots of straps and cinches to tighten down your gear. None felt flimsy or cheap. In the end my only grip with this bag was that one of the what I would call water bottle pockets was not as easy to get my nalgene into, pretty minor.Love the bag, and I now have the matching color Mountainsmith Clear Creek 18L!

Bought this bag recently for a 4 day backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park and was very pleased. Nice hip belt, very comfortable. The wishbone design really does seem to help position the weight solidly on the hips. Has almost all of the features one would look for on a much more expensive bag. I have an Osprey 48L that was considerably more expensive than this bag and I see no less attention to detail or lesser build quality from Mountainsmith. I will definitely be looking at more Mountainsmith products in the future.

I just got back from a 4 day backpacking trip using this pack for the first time. The waist belt is comfortable and well padded. My lower back hurt after mile 8 on the first day but I think that’s to be expected. The should straps were comfortable even when wearing a tank top. I also really appreciated having the straps at the base to secure my sleeping pad.The front stretch pocket is not accessible with the brain clipped in and secured but having th hip pockets and side pockets was enough storage for my cell, bug spray, water, etc.Overall it seems to be a very well constructed pack and I can’t wait to use it again!Also I was picking huckleberries and the bag ruptured, leaking juice all over the material. Not sure if it stained or not but I love the color!

Great pack built to last. My last Mountainsmith pack lasted 25years and by the looks of this one it should last just as long. The lid is easily taken off, and with a spare strap laying around it can be turned into a nice sling pouch. The hip belt is not 48” as advertised— it’s more like a 40”, but Mountainsmith will send you an extension if you call them. The U shaped zipper is perfect for getting to the items in the middle of your pack. This is a feature the Apex 80 is lacking. I had a 30lbs load in this last weekend on a 10 mile trip, and it carried the load well and transferred most of that weight to my hips. It’s a great pack, for those that don’t want to spend $300, but want a quality, well thought out pack.

Accidentally ordered the WSD pack. Think it makes a difference in the belt being a little higher on the hips and more narrow? Not sure. I am 6’5 and found it to be not fit me as comforatably as I would like. For the price I guess it is okay, but I wish I would have spent a little more time and money looking for something that more correctly fit my frame. Also, not a lot of attachment points for things on the outside of the bag, and only a few nooks and crannys for gear stow outside of the main compartment...

Great pack! Perfect for weekend hikes or through-hikes. Lightweight and comfortable. The attention to detail and the level of quality for the money is amazing. I did a lot of research before buying this and I couldn't be happier with my choice.