Talls has the Zpacks Arc Scout backpack. I have used it a few times and I absolutely love it! So does Talls. His review, ” It is really light. Air passes between your back and the pack so that you don’t overheat. You can fit a lot of stuff in just one pocket because it is so large and it has smaller pockets for all the small things.”
This pack is one of Zpacks short torso packs so it is designed for those with a torso less than 17 in. Don’t let it fool you though, this is a 50L pack that can hold enough food and gear for about 5 days of backpacking. This pack is made of Gridstop although looking online now looks like it is only offered in Dyneema Composite. It weighs only 19.2 oz even with the ‘Arc Frame’ system that transfers the weight of your pack to your hips while creating a gap between your back and pack for ventilation. The shoulder straps are well padded at 3/8 in thick and 2.5 in wide as well as adjustable in so many ways to get a good, comfortable fit for everyone. Like I said, this pack was purchased for Talls when he was 8 and can be adjusted for me to use as well. It has the roll-top closure which I like because it adjusts as you use food or add gear. There are plenty of compression straps as well to compress the pack for short trips. The side pockets are large enough to fit 1.5 liter bottles. There is the large mesh center pocket where you can put frequently used items for easy access or wet items to allow them to dry.
This is such a versatile and well built pack. I highly recommend it! I would definitely add the hip belt pouch to at least 1 side if not both. I typically keep my phone here and sometimes a snack.
Smalls and Talls Outdoors 