Southwest

The 5 stars are provisional because I have not been able to get out with it yet but I hope to in the next few days. The size of the roll top came as a surprise. This sack reaches my waist when wide open but shrinks to half the height when the roll top is closed. I like the taped seams. They are a major reason for my choosing the Southwest 55. A friend’s recommendation was the initial stimulus. Bought for winter backpacking, given the sack’s capacity, and I have yet to work out how rolled down the top needs to be to achieve 55 litres, an Apex Thermarest drops in easily beside my down sleeping bag, leaving plenty of room for the rest of my gear on top of my sleep system.

I have been using a waterproof Crux AK47 but it lacks the range of external pockets I became used to in summer when using my Atom Packs 35 litre Atom. Also, the Crux has a design flaw. The toplifters pull the shoulder straps wider, too wide for me, and I’m fairly broad in the shoulder. The greater comfort of the Southwest was immediately noticeable and it provides those external pockets I wanted for stuff I will need during the day. I don’t expect the SW 55 to be as water resistant as the Crux but it should be good enough in most situations. And what use is a waterproof sack when it lacks external holders for damp equipment?

The friend who recommended HMG rucksacks to me has recently completed an epic 3000km hike in Scotland and she said that the one thing she would not change was her pack. That’s quite a…