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Showing 1 of 111 reviews about:
DeputySean
46
Jun 19, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
A good product, but not for me.
Drop 40L first impressions:
I loaded it up with 6.5 pounds of gear, 2 liters of water, and some snacks then walked around my house/treadmill for an hour. I have not actually hiked with it, so take all of this with a grain of salt. I've also been spoiled by my perfect Cutaway. The Drop 40L seemed to better fit my (barely ultralight) needs a year ago when I ordered it. Now that my baseweight is rarely more than 6.5 pounds, I don't think that this is the backpack for me.
I got the size M/L. Mine weighs 928.3 (advertised at 876 g). The stitching/workmanship is topnotch. The capacity is smaller than I thought it would be (which is a good thing). It does fit my weird/long body (my torso length is technically 20.5 inches long, but my hips are crazy tall. I'm 6'2" but my pant inseam is only 29").
I don't like the size nor ergonomics of any of the pockets. The zippers are all very nice, though, and work well opening/closing with only one hand.
The pockets on the shoulder straps are narrow, tall, and side zip. I was definitely hoping for a top-access pocket here that can hold a small water bottle (like was originally advertised). It can juuuust barely fit my 5.5 inch cellphone, but it's so tight that I would not put it there. If you put something like like a cellphone or PLB in these pockets, it makes the shoulder straps quite uncomfortable. These pockets do work well for things like granola bars and snacks. I'm confused with why these pockets are not wider.
The side water bottle pockets work, but when I grab my smartwater bottle with a Sawyer on top of it from the right side, it awkwardly bumps into my armpit, so I have to pull it out at just the right angle. My left arm is slightly less mobile, and the left water bottle pocket is higher up, so it is very difficult for me to grab the bottle in/out of it at all. The pocket that is built into the left water bottle holder is quite nice to have, but doesn't work too well if there is a water bottle there. The left water bottle pocket I think is actually supposed to be for gear/clothing, but it is difficult to grab that also (and I highly prefer balancing my water with one bottle on each side of my backpack). I wish the left pocket was the same as the lower right side pocket.
The hipbelt pockets are nice for items like a PLB, flashlight, and snacks. It fits my cellphone, but zipping it closed with it in there is sometimes awkward and catches my phone. The hipbelt pockets are big and right at your side, which means your arms often brush against them. I prefer my hipbelt pockets to be closer to the front to avoid that, but I assume this was a weight saving measure. When I put my glasses case in there, it makes the hipbelt less comfortable.
I do like the hipbelt itself. It is comfortable and easy to use.
I like the pack material. It seems to be very durable, waterproof(?), and well made.
I like the roll top, the top handle, and the side compression system. Their designs are well made, very user friendly, and functional.
I like the daisy-chain system on the back of the backpack because you can attach different items, but I would definitely prefer a normal stretchy mesh pocket to be back there. A jacket fits there nicely, but I'm afraid that the items I like to keep back there could fall out (gloves/flashlight/skull cap/trekking pole baskets, etc).
I wish it had a bottom pocket (either Pa'Lante or Cutaway style).
The Drop 40L mostly fits comfortably, but I definitely prefer my hipbeltless Cutaway, or heavier Flash 45, for comfort.
I'm not going to make one of my long-format imgur posts about this backpack because I am returning it.
Conclusion:
This backpack is well-made/stitched. Its price is incredible, especially for a VX21/VX07 backpack. I will continue to recommend it during shakedowns to people that are almost, or just barely, ultralight. However, this backpack is not for me at this time. The design of the pockets are the real deal-breaker. I am returning this backpack, mostly because of the pocket designs, but I also can't justify the 13-20oz weight increase from my Cutaway. My Cutaway has probably spoiled me. If a revised version of this backpack came out, with a better pocket layout/design and less weight, I will likely re-buy it then.
dandurston
5116
Dan Durston
Jun 19, 2020
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DeputySeanThanks Sean. Appreciate the thoughts. Glad your impressions of quality, value, comfort, load carrying, and materials are good.
Indeed it would be nice if the shoulder strap pockets were larger so plus sized phones worked more readily. This material is a bit tight when new and will relax/stretch out with a bit of use (that process can be accelerated if you store the pack with a few items in there). If we do a v2 I'll see if we can get some more space out of it for the ever larger size of phones and maybe switch one to top access. As is, the shoulder straps should work for plus sized phones but the zippered left side pocket is likely the best place for larger phones in cases.
The left side pocket isn't intended to be top accessed while on the move, so I can see why you'd find that awkward. The idea is here is that the right side pocket provides normal on the go access to bottles, bear spray etc, while the left side trades that for more secure storage for stuff you don't really need access to (e.g tents, fuel bottles, etc). Then the side zip on the left pocket is for medium sized items you might want to grab on the move - mitts/beanie/map etc - the same kinda stuff you might put in your Cutaway's bottom pocket. Similarly, this would work for the items you list as not working in the front stretchy area (skullcap, pole baskets, flashlight etc) except here they are more convenient since they can be grabbed on the go. I prefer the side zipper access into the side pocket for items like these over a front pocket (because it's more handy) and over a bottom pocket like your Cutaway, because the side zip area is more secure and durable than a mesh bottom pocket, easier to see what you're doing and more protective of the items (e.g. a camera in a bottom pocket is quite vulnerable to getting smashed if the user slips).
Regarding the hipbelt pockets, their position is going to depend on the girth of the wearer. For someone closer to the minimum hipbelt size (26-27") they will be right up front as the belt is cinched small, whereas as they would be further back for someone with a larger waist since a larger girth is accomodated by lengthening the webbing, which adds distance up front. That's a normal way of doing a pack hipbelt, but since we only have one hipbelt size here it does mean that users with larger waists would find them back further than ideal. This hipbelt can extend to about 55" but is ideal for users more in the 28 - 38" range. These pockets aren't particularly deep, so even for people where they end up further back I don't think that brushing these would be more pronounced than most packs. We've never had anyone else report this.
Anyways, the Cutaway sounds like the right pack for you. At 6.5 lbs baseweight, I would be using a frameless pack too.
(Edited)
octavecat
392
Jun 22, 2020
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dandurstonYeah, that's what I was saying in my comment about totally getting these amphipod-style shoulder pockets. Keep working them, they stretch out over time and even get saggy. Additionally I would not recommend putting a cellphone in the shoulder strap anyway. Hip belts are more accessible and better protected.
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