Three to 10 pitches to go. Gotta carry shoes, water, and a jacket. The approach was short so no other bag needed. What bag do you bring?

Low profile is cool. Light is nice. Carries well is essential.

The BD Bullet?
The Jansport that carried your calculus textbook?
The cargo pocket on your pants?
Goo in the chalkbag, map in the helmet, water in a nalgene clipped to your harness?

I've seen all of the above. What's your take on the best way to carry your non-climbing gear up a route?

Bullet, Arcteryx Cierzo 15 both work well. Small so you'll carry some stuff on your body though.

I use the BD RPM for a bigger pack. Great pack but it sucks for rope carrying. No "lid" or rope attachment, so I have to run it through the should straps.

BD Bullet.

I abhor carrying a pack... I usually clip my shoes, one water bottle, and a small jacket (in stuff sack) to my harness. For up to an 6-8 hour day it seems to work fine!

You might also consider the Cilogear 20l worksack. Not too expensive, hand made in Oregon, and this guy sure likes his.

Link: cilogear.com/20lws.html

I have the REI Flash 18 and I like it. It's very simple, just a sack with a sleeve for a hydration bladder, it weighs next to nothing and it's cheap. Just stuff your shoes, jacket, energy bars and water bottle/bladder in there and you're set for a long day of multi-pitch.

JL

Another choice if you are in or near Canada is the MEC Blitz Crag -- cheap ($20 CDN)

Patagonia Pocket Pack. If you have a small torso this bag is great because it doesn't get in the way of your chalkbag. BD Bullet and any camelbak i've tried are too long.

BD Magnum is like a bullet with a bungie cord on the back and stretch side pockets. I've been using that and it's really nice. I chopped the waist belt off mine too.

bullet looks nice, too small to fit it much of any rack though. To me, it would be ideal if it was a tad bigger to fit a small trad rack in, but have really nice compressibility to not get in the way while climbing. Its not bad if you have a bigger pack to get your gear to the climb though, or climb close enough to the road to be able to rack up at the car.

Cilo 20L Worksack is my choice, . It weighs nothing, swallows up the gear and is made of burly fabric. Not having a waistbelt has not been an issue for me, the pack hugs my back when climbing. You could easily rig a waistbelt if you want.

Here is my review.. www.mountainproject.com/v/climbing_gear_reviews/cilo_gear_20>>>

BD Bullet is great. Here is my wife on All Two Obvious up in the park. Hard climbing but the pack carried well and she had no problems with it. Two rain jackets some food and her shoes in the pack.

Crux pitch of All Two Obvious, IV 11d, The Spearhead, RMNP. Submitted By: Jeff G. on Jun 4, 2010

Petzl Bug

Cilogear=ordered. Time to see what all the fuss is about.

I have a BD Speed 30, and I love it. Large enough to haul a full rack, gear, and has a great rope strap. Strip the waist belt, top pocket, and frame sheet; it weighs just over a pound. It has good compression straps and sucks down nice and small for climbing. Hydration compatable, holds skis, and carries weight well.

I have a Camelback Rogue that is pretty small. It has a flap that can hold your jacket and a zipper compartment for small items like a lighter and food.

It really depends on the route and your strategy. I have about 5 different packs in perhaps 300-500 cu in increments from a Camelback Mule up to a small Fish haulbag. I have a Bullet, but it's only good for perhaps grade IV or routes where you are hiking in with another larger pack. If you need more water or you need to hike in with your rack in it, a bullet is too small. An 1800-2000 cu in pack is the most useful size, IMO - a little bigger than a Bullet.

My BD Bullet pack finally wore out after many many years and thousands of vertical feet. But I replaced it with a Petzl Bug, which is just a better mousetrap.

There's an extensive review at

www.outdoorsmagic.com/product-reviews/petzl-bug-pack-tested/>>>

I'd add a few comments:

(1) The back guidebook pocket is a really nice idea. It also works really well for maps and passports when the pack is used as an urban travel bag.

(2) Ditto the square shape and excellent high chalkbag/harness clearance.

(3) Simple compression straps on a small pack like this are a really good idea. When you aren't carrying much, it is great to be able to flatten the shape. The straps also hold a jacket or fleece for immediate use.

(4) The reviewer doesn't mention several things:

(a) The waist belt completely tucks away. You don't need it for climbing anyway and having a dangling waist belt just adds to the cluster. During the approach/descent, if you are carrying more stuff, the waist belt is a minor convenience. On the other hand, I think the sternum strap is helpful while climbing.

(b) There's a small "valuables" pocket at the top for keys, cellphone, etc.

(c) There's a small elastic pocket and keeper strap on one of the shoulder straps, intended for a topo drawn on ordinary paper and folded to fit.

(5) I agree with the reviewer that the straps at the bottom for carrying a rope on the approach/descent are not ideal. On the other hand, with a neat coil and perhaps a sling or two, the rope in this position can be turned into a big waist belt and then supports the pack, which might in those circumstances have the hardware in it.

Is the BD Shot supposed to be the replacement for the bullet? what is the difference between the two? From the pics the shot seems taller and lower profile, while the bullet looks shorter and less low profile but this is just speculation from the photos. Would a normal sized guidebook fit in the outer pocket?

Mountain Tools Jet pack is also quite excellent and built to last forever.

+1 BD Speed pack. The old ones were burlier, but for a pack that I'm climbing with, light is right. Compresses down to nothing, fits a rack+more, keep patching the fucker til it falls apart. BTW I have used one of these for 2 years as a bike bag commuting to work with tools, hard hat, lunch, etc., and it's still in good enough shape to rock in the canyons as long as I'm not jumping on OW/chimney. Got a Bullet but I'm really not that sold on it. I like carrying my rack down in a pack when I'm done, prolongs the life of your rack not getting scrub oaked to death on every approach and descent, packs are way cheaper than racks in the long run. Same with your average $200 cord or two.

Couloirman, I hope you enjoy your Cilo pack, mine has been ideal for multi-pitch routes. I would be curious to know what you think after you put it to the test.

One of mine came in white fabric and one boring winter night I customized it with a few Sharpies, which is nice....

Customized 20L Worksack Submitted By: Lynn S on Jun 5, 2010

most of the time a old Camelbak HAWG, before they turned into legitimate trekking packs. And when you need more room and weighing in at only 8oz. the Cilo Gear NWD20 (pricey) or, far cheaper and only 2oz. heavier, the normal 20L WorkSack.