Osprey Variant vs Black Diamond Epic 45

I have never owned a BD pack. I am an Osprey fan. But if you want something simple w/out many bells and whistles, then their packs will be over-engineered for what you seek.

In negotiating through low-hanging tree branches on the approach, I got tired of my rope getting caught when hanging on top of my smaller Lowe pack, so I bought the Osprey Variant 52L. (Yes, I’m an overpacker.) I can now shove a 10mm 60M bigger rope in the Variant when approaching, which I like. And the pack’s width across my back is narrow, which I really like (for squeezing b/twn tight spaces). But the lighter material will end-up getting shredded if I continue to use it as a crag pack.

It’s been an absolutely terrific winter pack. For ice climbing, I can pack-in plenty of extra layers w/ the rope and gear, again, inside the bag. And the external features are terrific for securely holding my crampons and two sets of ice tools, which I’m a big fan of. And I prefer the Variant over the Osprey Switch 36 for bigger days backcountry skiing b/c I can easily access my extra clothes in its one big compartment and don’t need to take everything out to find that one item on bottom (which is really nice when standing insecurely or on windy days). The Variant also securely holds my skis when bootpacking.

My only complaint w/ the Variant is that I’m between sizes so I struggle w/ the proper fit and keeping the weight on my hips versus shoulders.

How are the BD packs holding up?

Opinions on Arcteryx? Seems the Miura is highly is recommended but pretty heavy

coop wrote:How are the BD packs holding up? Opinions on Arcteryx? Seems the Miura is highly is recommended but pretty heavy

Get both.

I have the Miura 50 and it has taken everything I have thrown at it. Super durable and I am personally a fan of the roll-top design. Test one out if you can, to get a feel if it would fit for you or not.

Why does Arc'teryx not use their pivot system on their smaller volume packs?

whats the point on a pivot system for a pack that carries much less weight??? ... it just adds to the weight of the pack

i used to own a dead bird 40L arrakis with the pivot belt ... never found it useful at all

It seems Black Diamond has jumped on this band wagon pretty hard.

bearbreeder wrote:whats the point on a pivot system for a pack that carries much less weight??? ... it just adds to the weight of the pack i used to own a dead bird 40L arrakis with the pivot belt ... never found it useful at all

bandwagons come and go with outdoor gear ...

if an idea in the outdoor industry is so great, everyone would copy it ... its not like osprey is running off to get out those kind of packs, nor is ueli pestering MH for em, etc ...

for a climbing pack i personally dont see the point of it and ive used and owned one

let me make it an easy choice:

i have a brand new osprey variant for sale,
?bump?