MANASLU ND50:65L

Intended use:

Multi-day hiking

Materials: Mini ripstop fabric and 500D nylon base

Extendable lid: Yes

Compartments: 3, plus a lid

Weight (as tested): 2.38kg

RRP: $459.95

More info: rab.equipment

NEED TO KNOW

Weight (Men’s US 11):

236g (each)

Lining: Fleece

RRP: $130

More info: thenorthface.com.au

BACK TO MY FIRST pack-buying experience, I was quite clueless. I walked away with a big, blue and boofy 80L canvas pack, and I was thrilled. And while it’s still a good pack, if you fast forward four years, I’ve come to realise that I usually just don’t need something that big. Enter Lowe Alpine’s Manaslu ND50:65. (There’s also a men’s 55-70L version of the pack, but I had the women’s-specific ND50:65L.) Although its ability to increase its capacity to 65L makes it still sound like a ‘biggish’ pack, it also compresses down to a neat 50L when the hood isn’t extended. Combined with the narrow-dimension frame—hence the ND—this pack is a versatile option if you just want to buy one pack that does it all. Swift little overnighter? You betcha. Seven-dayer, with extra room for puffy jackets, thermals and trackies to stay warm in the snow? Easy done!

Weighing in a tad over 2kg, this pack isn’t as heavy or as robust as that first canvas pack, but nor is it a flimsy, featherweight one either. It’s a happy medium. It has lumbar support, padding in all the right places, an easily adjustable back harness, and a thick and secure hip belt. And with its extendable 15L lid, packing for a longer trip isn’t a chore. To test its limits, we loaded up the Manaslu with an array of items (including fresh vegetables and naan for our curries) for a seven-day walk in Kosciuszko NP. Despite bailing on Day Five due to weather, this pack was comfortable and carried the load really well.

Apart from comfort, this pack exceeds in the way of ‘extras’. It has three separate compartments, and three separate entry points: zipped front entry, separate bottom entry—which leads you to an internal zipped divider if you want to separate your wet tent from other