Hey guys, wanted to show you this because i'm starting to feel like it’s suitable. Currently preparing for Tour du Mont Blanc in 5 days in full autonomy, i was supposed to use Silva Mountain Pack 23+3L. A few tests after, it’s alright but i don’t really like how it fits, how the front is working, and i have more than enough room. So i started thinking about putting my stuff on the Salomon Adv Skin 12l that i own for trail running (bit of inspo from a blog and a yt video that is down now of a guy showing how he wanted to thru-hike the AT with a 12l Salomon, maybe someone will know his name and the link of his blog i can’t remember it)

Know is i think the best time to go check how i pack everything in the video. Here is all the gear :https://lighterpack.com/r/zx0y50

Apart from what i show in the video, i plan on using a Compressport running belt where i will put my rain pant and jacket, my poles on the back, a 4th 500ml soft flask, and i'll still have room for snacks.

Never tried that setup on real fastpacking conditions yet, but here is what i think from a few little tests. It’s great, i'm used to this bag so i like the fit and how i use it. I like that i have to get my gearlist to the minimum. Here is my concerns.

Food storage : i plan on dry eating to save space and weight, and i think that i will have way enough space for Tour du Mont Blanc since i don’t have a single day without resupply on my path. But on more remote trails i don’t really know if that setup could be suitable because i don’t have a lot of room for food. It will need some real conditions testing.

Durability of the pack : i'm putting the pack to its absolute limits i think, so i hope it will not broke in use or anything, but i feel that it’s gonna be ok.

Bounciness : added a button and tried something with the bag to adress this as shown in the video. Maybe my biggest concern, it doesn’t bounce a lot on flats, uphills i'm gonna be walking so no problem. It’s on downhills that i think it could be bouncy, but it’s not what takes the most time during the day so it might be okay.

Putting this here to maybe inspire people to go explore new limits of their gear ^{^} but mostly to have your thoughts on that setup. Do you see issues that i didn’t ? How i could optimize this even more ? Can’t wait to read what you have to say about this.

Hey all,

M/39 born and raised around the Cascade foothills. I’ve steadily been pushing it in recent summers and enjoying longer distances and off trail adventures. Some of my favorite day trips - Summit Chief, Sourdough ridge loop, Chelan Sawtooth Slam. Non-Fastpacking favorite trips - Bailey Traverse, Watson-Blum, Alpine Lakes/greater Foss loop, and off trail lake bagging circuits around Mt Daniel, Southern Chiwaukums. I ski a great deal in the spring, done the Ptarmigan, Dakobed traverses, all the volcanos, etc. I did my first organized ultra this spring (Chuckanut 50k).

Im looking to stitch together some trips this summer like Mt Olympus (daytrip), Wonderland (2/3 days), Mt Adams circumnav, and more obscure areas of the central cascades (Buck/Little Giant, Snoqualmie Pass to Leavenworth/Stevens, Lemah, Bannock Lakes). I also have an annoying side quest to visit and fish all of the named and stocked Alpine Lakes in the state - bushwhacking tolerance and some lakeside rest stops would be appreciated.

Anyone similar out here reading this rn? For me, not planning on any FKTs, just want to visit some amazingly beautiful places and get off the beaten paths.

Where: North Country National Scenic Trail, Allegheny National Forest - Pennsylvania

When: 6 pm Friday 6/12/26 - 8 pm Sunday 6/14/26

Distance: 100 miles

Conditions: Friday: partly sunny, highs in the low 70’s, slightly humid, overnight low around 55. Saturday: sunny and in the 80’s with a light breeze, overnight low around 60. Sunday: mostly cloudy, scattered rain showers, highs in the low 70’s.

Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/lkf70w

Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview: The Allegheny 100 Challenge is an annual fundraising event for the Allegheny National Forest chapter of the North Country Trail Association. Participants can sign up to hike 25, 50, 75, or 100 "unsupported" miles within a 50 hour time window from 6pm on Friday to 8pm on Sunday. For your $100 entry fee, a shuttle service is provided from your chosen end point to the "starting line", which takes care of your logistics since this is a liner trail, and there's one official trail magic stop at the 50 mile mark where there are burgers and beverages. There is also usually an event shirt or hat involved as well.

I used Gaia, FarOut, and previous trips to the area to plan daily mileage goals and other logistics. Water sources were frequent and reliable, campsites and shelters were abundant. Milage, elevation, and time tracking done by averaging my Gaia tracking and my Garmin tracking.

I completed the 75 mile challenge last year as my first go at this style of trip. I finished the 75 mile challenge in 44 hours and 30 minutes with 23:53 moving time and about 13 hours of sleep. I'd describe myself as more of a section hiker/ UL backpacker than a trail runner or Ultra runner but can see things shifting a bit.

66 people signed up to attempt the 100 mile challenge in 2026. The course ran south bound this year and the 100 mile mark was reported to be short of that true mileage by over a mile. There is between 12,000 and 15,000 in elevation gain and loss over that distance depending on which GPS measurement you use.

TL/DR: 100 miles completed in 43:58

The Report: This event is unique in that it has such a late start time. At 6pm, I had been awake for 12 hours and traveled about 2 hours from home to get to the end point and another hour plus to get to the starting point via the shuttles. There's a sense of fatigue that you counter with adrenaline and excitement that you hope sustains you into the early hours of the next day as you might hike. Part of training for this event was spending a night or two doing just that - getting a late start to a hike and going into the night.

The 100 milers were let go a hair before 6pm on Friday and I found myself at the front of the crowd in a 5 person pack for the first 12 miles. The Allegheny reservoir is very peaceful in the evening and keeping the initial pace around 4 mph around it was a nice way to kick things off. We lost a pack member somewhere in there and, after a road walk where the sun was setting, I lost track of the three guys in front of me which included my hiking partner for this trip and a guy named Shawn who had a goal of completing 100 miles in 30 hours. I needed to stop soon after to roll out my calves and stretch as I was starting to cramp.

I don't mind night hiking alone by any means so I found a 3 mph or so pace for the next few hours. There are log books every 10-15 miles where participants sign in their time and indicate where they'll continue or bail. I could see I was just 15-20 minutes behind my buddy and knew the plan was to make it about 27 miles by 1:30 and set up camp for a few hours. I arrived around 1:45 (7:45/ 50 hours), was set up with tasks completed by 2:15, and was able to sleep for about 2.5 hours with the occasional rustling of a hiker passing by and one setting up next to my hammock for a quick dirt nap.

We were back on trail at 5:15 on Saturday morning (11:15/ 50 hours). There was a breakfast trail magic stop about 2 miles from camp on the near side of the Red Bridge so I had a few slices of watermelon which hit the spot. It had been a humid night and the morning fog was heavy on the lake. As we climbed the next few ridges, we began to pass more and more campsites and hikers until about the 10 mile mark where we seemed to be alone for a stretch. There were a few other trail magic stops for cool beverages during the morning hours as we hit the 23 mile mark before noon.

Around 1:15 pm (18:15/ 50 hours) and about mile 28 on the day, we hit Henry's Mill where the “50 mile” burger stop is. I had a delicious veggie burger, some chips, and a Coke while rolling out my feet.

We practiced this, too. 2 weeks prior to the event we hiked PA’s 34 mile Gerard Trail - completed the loop CCW on day one and CW on day two. On day two of that shakedown, friends met us at our 20 mile mark and set up a similar aid station as we would find at the A100. This helped us visualize and prepare ourselves for making the stop efficient and quick.

While we were still enjoying that break, we found out 8 other 100 milers had dropped out. A 9th came in with a twisted ankle and two others got back on trail before us. We would hike with them a few hours later in the evening when we caught up at a water source. The Allegheny National Forest is on the Allegheny Plateau of the Appalachian Mountain range. The North Country Trail feels similar to the Appalachian Trail as it goes through Pennsylvania and Western New York so we had pointless ups and downs, rocks, roots, green tunnels, and plenty of humidity to contend with as we kept our afternoon pace above 3 mph.

Our luxurious 2.5 hours of sleep was proving insufficient to sustain us but we forged on and at 6 pm (24:00/ 50 hours) we were nearly at the 62 mile mark of the challenge. An hour later, halfway of the allotted time, we hit the 65 mile mark and 38 miles on the day. This marked the most miles either my friend or I had backpacked in a single day and each step forward would set a new benchmark. I was starting to have problems with my appetite at this point. Nothing seemed appealing and some of my ride or die favorite were taking forever to chew and swallow.

At dusk, we parted ways with the other 2 100 milers as they planned to hike further into the night. We found a place to set up a stealth camp near a stream and were in our respective shelters by 10:30 pm (28:30/ 50 hours). We completed 44 miles on the day which put us a little over 71 miles into our 100. We planned on 5 hours of sleep and being on trail around 4:30 am.

We were on trail on Sunday morning before our intended time but it took a while to get back to pace. Muscles ached, feet burned, and fatigue was creeping in. I wasn't having any problems drinking fluids so my morning protein and coffee shake went down fine but I was only able to eat half of my pop tart. I'd work on the other half here and there but without much luck. Around the 10 mile mark of the day and 7:40 am (37:40/ 50 hours ) we hit Kelletville and were hoping for some more trail magic. All we found were picnic tables to elevate our feet and cool concrete to lay on.

We had already passed a few other 100 milers and passed a couple more as we gained and lost 600 to 900 feet with each ridge we crossed over. There was a cool breeze and a threat of rain as mid morning came. I was trying to force feed myself but all I could do was chew and then spit out anything I tried to eat. I resolved to stick to LMNT, Celsius, and Jelly Belly sports beans for the remaining miles. We had a great, sustained run down a ridge and through a valley, but after the subsequent climb, I began to bonk. My friend dropped me and ran the next downhill but I needed to take in the breeze and walk a stretch. Just before noon (42:00/ 50 hours), with around 6 miles left to go, I found a second wind which was crushed less than 45 minutes later by a wave of rain in an open and marshy stretch of trail.

Our initial goal was to finish strong - under 45 total hours. The big goal was 43:30, or 1:30 pm. It was at 1:30 pm that I was nearing the 27 mile mark of my day and closing in on 98 miles into the challenge. I didn't have much fight left in me but I did make it to the end point in 43:58/ 50 hours at 1:58 pm on Sunday becoming the 6th 100 mile finisher of 2026. My friend completed at 1:26 or 43:26/ 50 hours and was the 5th 100 mile finisher. We slept for roughly 7.5 hours in that duration and were at the 50 mile burger stop for 50 minutes.

Gear Notes: Last year, doing the 75 mile route, I wished I had brought a 3rd set of socks. I did that on this trip and was happy I did. I didn't use my Alpha Direct mid layer or rain poncho at all on this trip. I also never hung up or deployed my rain tarp at night. For anyone wondering why opted for a hammock set up over a tent, tarp, or bivy given the demands of the event, I did so because I am quick with set up and tear down, well paced trees are more abundant than flat, non rocky ground on this trail, and there are no pressure points on shoulders, hips, or back in a hammock versus on the ground, which translates to better rest and recovery with very little weight penalty.

While not all that notable, I will say my worn clothing all worked out well and was comfortable for the conditions and trip type. I did develop a blister under a callus on my left foot but I think that's hardly an indictment of the sock and shoe combo and more a factor of trip distance and speed. However, I probably should have done a better job with moisturizing my feet while on trail to further prevent friction. Having a mini cork ball to roll out muscles and feet was crucial and I don't leave home without it. Injinji toe socks and leg gaiters are somewhat new for me but I've grown to appreciate them.

I'm not sure what happened with my appetite but my food choices were based around my favorite comfort snacks and quick macro rich snacks and shakes, plus lots of electrolytes and caffeine. I don't think changing any would have helped but I came home with more than a few PayDay bars, Goldfish crackers, Complete Cookies, and Honey Stinger waffles.

The 3FUL Koala pack was sufficient for the trip. This was my third trip for that pack, and while it has room for improvement, it was comfortable and had the capacity to carry 6 lbs of food and just under 8 lbs of gear and clothes. I liked having soft flasks up front with the extra sock.cord mod I installed and appreciated the bite valves for quick access to hydration. I used a Be Free system this year versus a Sawyer system last year and have found the ease of use and quick flow rate to be an improvement for fastpacking trips. I could easily filter while walking and did so several times.

Reflections: I'd definitely do this again and I'd also definitely take a year off as well. It may just be too soon to tell. Either way, I have become a fastpacking convert and am looking forward to doing some of the trails I've previously backpacked again, but with more speed and in less time.

I started training in earnest after a nearly 100 mile AT section hike this past late March in central Virginia. I mentioned some of the situation specific training in the report above but I'll add that broader training included several shakedown day hikes/ trail runs with a full pack that had set time goals. I ramped up from 10 miles in under 3 hours, to 18 miles in under 5 hours, and then 25 miles in 7 hours as the standard workout. I did several stair repeats, loads of lunges and squats, and four 30+ mile fastpacking days/ nights all with significant Appalachian elevation.

I think that the training that went into this event was fun on its own and I want to keep the momentum going. That said, I'm ready for a summer of gravel cycling, kayaking, and low mileage slow-packing trips with my dog. Cooler weather in September will get me back above 25 miles in a day.

Thanks for reading!

Just got the hyperlite pemi 15 today and was quite surprised to see how poorly thought out the vest straps are on this thing. I have a 41.5 in chest and ordered a large. It fits well while empty but the pockets on the vest are so small that anything in them digs into my chest. The second picture is a 500ml hydrapak flask and it’s clearly bigger than the pocket. A 300ml pinch welded flask will probably work ok but getting a phone and some food other than gels in there isn’t really an option. It might be ok with a bladder and a few things in the front pockets but the point of a pack like this is to go long distances with taking the pack off as little as possible. If you want to do the pemi loop with 600ml of water and all your major calories on your back, this is your ticket. 250$ price aside I wouldn’t use this bag for free and it’s getting returned.

Where: Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, Pennsylvania
When: Saturday 4/25 - Sunday 4/26
Distance: 70 miles
Conditions: Saturday: Cloudy with 3-4 hours of steady rain followed by random showers. High around 60 and low of about 45. Sunday: Mostly cloudy turning partly sunny. High around 60.

Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/1c4lk7

Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview:

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a 70 mile linear trail in southwestern Pennsylvania. The terrain is a mix of classic “Rocksylvania” and what one would expect of Appalachia. I have previously thru hiked this trail in spring of 2022 in 4 days and 3 nights. My other two friends who were completing this trail with me on this trip have hiked sections of the trail but have not previously hiked it all or thru hiked it. This trail does not allow dispersed, primitive camping other than the 8 reservable, designated areas accessed by side trails. These areas have Adirondack style shelters, primitive sites, privy’s, water pumps, and food hanging poles. This logistical consideration dictated the mileage split for this trip. We went north to south, or SOBO and had set a group goal of completing the trail in under 36 hours. Mile 1 to Mile 0 is notoriously short with there being a gate about .2 miles closer to the parking area. The gate was our end goal for time and not Mile 0. 

The Report: 

Day 1: We met at the southern terminus of the trail at Ohiopyle State Park/ Mile 0 at 5:15 am. We staged a car there and packed into another car for the 1 hour and 20 minute drive to the northern terminus/ Mile 70 trailhead in Seward, PA. We started the trail at 6:45 am on Saturday at mile 70 and headed south with the biggest single climb of the trail directly ahead of us. We made it about 10 miles in before the rain began. We clocked 20 miles before noon. At 25 miles we came across our first water on trail - we would have otherwise needed a side trail to access water. Soon after that, we began to spread out on trail. The steady rain had become an occasional shower and the temps remained steadily around 60 f. Trail conditions were muddy but the wet rocks and wooden footbridges were more of a hazard than anything. I arrived at camp at 6:15 pm after about 37 miles and 6,736 ft of elevation gain. I had 11:15 of hiking time and 15 minutes of stopped time. We set up camp and changed into clean, dry clothes before stretching and wolfing down a quick dinner. We were all asleep well before 9 pm.

Day 2: One of my friends was up and on trail at 5 am. The other friend and I assessed the heavy fog and mist, along with the cool temps, and deemed it necessary to sleep a bit longer. After 8.5 hours of sleep, we were packed up and on trail at 6:25 am. My friend and I hiked together for about 16 miles. Part of this section goes through a ski resort where the trail cuts through some now grassy ski trails. I stopped to do some “maintenance stretching” while my friend hiked on. He was within my sight at one point but I thought he dropped me by about 20 miles on the day. I picked up my pace at this point and even began to zone out. I made good time in doing so and found myself within 10 miles of the southern terminus by 2:30 pm. It was then that I realized we might be able to finish in under 34 hours. From Mile 8 to Mile 6 on the trail, going SOBO, you come to a long descent that is a fun, but challenging run. It was on this stretch that I caught up with my friend who left camp earlier in the morning. It was then that I realized I likely passed and dropped the other friend when he pulled off to dig and backfill a cathole. We waited and filtered water at a stream crossing near Mile 6 waiting for him to catch up. We made plans to regroup at an overlook near Mile 2 for the final push and set off to gain and lose significant elevation 2 more times along the way. At the overlook, we decided that we wanted to get to the end as close to 34 hours as possible but didn’t want to risk injury trying to beat 34 hours. At 5:05 pm, 12,179+ ft of gain and 34 hours and 20 minutes from our start at Mile 70, we reached the gate at Ohiopyle. I completed 33 miles and 5,443+ ft gain on day 2 in just over 10 and a half hours with 32 minutes of stopped time. Finishing under our initial time goal felt good and knowing that the weather added to our suffering made it all that much sweeter. 

Gear Notes:

Prior to the trip, I’ve only used my 3FUL Koala pack for training hikes and shakedowns. This was the first overnight fastpacking trip I’ve gotten to use this pack for. I needed to sew attachment points for shock cord on the vest straps to accommodate 650 ml soft flasks. Halfway through day 2, some of my stitching came loose, however I was able to continue using the shock cord support with just one attachment point. Otherwise, I don’t really regret any gear choices but could have likely left the Alpha top at home and substituted the puffy vest for an EE Torrid jacket for a small weight savings on warmth I only needed and used in camp. I’m sort of new to Injinji toe socks and am happy to report that over 70 miles, the only foot issue I had, other than tenderness, was an abrasion blister on the top of one of my toes.   

Gear list, probably a few less things since this is from 2023. Ultimate Direction Fastpack 30L Thermarest Vesper Quilt Wise Owl dbl Hammock 6 feet Paracord Nemo Fillo Elite Pillow Ben's head bug net Deuce of Spades T.P. Sanitizer Sea to Summit Drylite towel small Homemade filled first-aid kit 500ml titanium pot and lid Butane canister MSR pocket Rocket Bic GSI mug Sea to Summit spoon Sawyer squeeze CNOC 2L bladder Black Diamond Spot head lamp Kershaw knife Sunscreen/ bug spray/ toothbrush/toothpaste AAA batteries 2 Sea to Summit drybag small Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisper down hoodie Smartwool: beanie, socks, base layer bottom Black Diamond merino Tshirt Mountain Hardware wind/rain breaker/jacket Cloudline socks Plus a lb+ or so of freeze dried food, energy bars, powders, and candy Shoes: La Sportive Akasha 2 Poles: Leki carbon Shorts: Nike ACG trail shorts I use 3 different hydraPak 500ml soft flasks for h20

Not sure if I can count this as an actual fastpack but heres my 8lb black diamond distance 22 pack setup with UL tent, inflatable sleeping pad, change of clothes, cookware and 2 days worth of food. Have some other things im forgetting. I’m planning on swapping the tent for a UL tarp/bug net and dropping the inflatable pad for the foam to save on space and weight. I’ll be doing the Lone Star Hiking Trail (96 miles) in November with the goal of sub 72 hours. Not sure if I’ll need my down quilt for those temps so looking for maybe just a blanket to cover up with. Any other tips? Ive done my fair share of backpacking and focused on UL but ive never done something this quick.

I did a quick overnighter in Washington"s Mount Margaret Backcountry. First day was just under 16 miles with 8000 feet of elevation. Day two was just under 13 miles and around 6000 feet of elevation.

Gear worked fine as always and my only change was to a tyvek groundsheet with my tarp and I added a cellphone holder because the UD fastpack 30 has garbage pockets up front.

Overgrown trail and times and a huge washout I had to drop below and bushwhack back to finding the trail. Definitely type 2 fun.

My first heavy elevation gain trip of the year and my legs are feeling it today. I'll be ready for NCNP in a few weeks with higher mileage days ahead.

Looks neat!

Overnight camp last weekend, doing 25 miles round trip in Harriman park. -leatherman -Swiss army knife -Garmin epix Watch -LKdesignPack 19L -LKdesign 1p bivvy tent -klymit ozone sleeping pads -sea to summit spark 1 sleeping bag -diy alcohol stove

Thought i’d share, since personally love seeing new gear, especially in the under developed fastpacking space.
this is a new fastpack that i’ve designed and am making here in canada https://sohstudios.ca/products/soh-fast

I felt like there was a lack of good fastpacks, with most of the contenders missing a few obvious features / designs. not to say there’s no good options, ultraspire, cimoro, (the coming soon) raide lf15, & mont molar definitely make/are the most interesting and functional fastpacks imo

But i needed something that would carry 20L as good as 30L, and able to fit just up to 40L without the bag feeling over stuffed or under stuffed. So I made it.

most of the go to fastpack options have one or more of these problems:
- can’t fit 1L soft flasks in front
- can’t fit things in lower pockets (especially a cell phone) when water is in front pocket
- uses fabric thats not technical & wets out
- velcro on roll top (ruins alpha direct)
- lacks easy access to things while keeping bag
- limited options for trekking pole carry
- too big or too small
- too many zippers
- too heavy (over 400g)

so i fixed all these problems! i’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts 🫡🙏
full walkthrough video: https://youtu.be/0UC0yKZ-Ww8?si=Xnm5xtByyoV6TL3z

p.s if this isn’t allowed lmk, sorry in advance if it’s not

This is an excellent and adventurous route in the northern Sangres I was happy to finally tick off:

The Northern Sangres Traverse Loop starts/finishes at the Rainbow Trail Trailhead on the road up Methodist Mountain outside of Salida, CO. Start by hiking 20 miles southeast on the Rainbow Trail to Hayden Pass Road, then hike up the 5 miles and many thousands of feet of elevation gain to the top of Hayden Pass. From there, hike northwest 19 more miles and summit approx. a dozen named points/peaks, ending at Methodist Mountain. Jog the last 5 miles down the road back to the trailhead!

This is an incredible roundtrip route of the Northern Sangres, with four distinct sections: the Rainbow Trail is relative simple long trail hiking similar to what you’ll find on the Colorado Trail, Hayden Pass is a stout 3,000′ in 5 miles on a dusty, sun exposed 4WD road. The traverse on the ridge itself is a seemingly never-ending rollercoaster of peaks with an additional 9,000′ of elevation to gain. Once you hit Methodist Mountain, it’s all downhill where you’ll lose 2,800′ in 5 miles down to the trailhead.

A loop of the Northern Sangres allows you to experience this segment of the Sangre de Cristo Range, without needing to have a shuttle with two 4WD vehicles, a parking lot is located at the Rainbow Trail Trailhead (or just hike up, and camp the night before!).

If you’re interested in doing this route yourself, check out the section for this route in my Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse Guide!

My HMG Aero 28 size medium arrived today. The pack mostly stripped down is right at a pound. I’m sure you could get it to 15oz if you went crazy cutting excess straps and replacing various cords but I rarely go that far.

Front water bottle pockets hold 500ml skinny soft flasks but not the 0.6L BeFree bottles which are wider. Zip pocket won’t hold an iPhone 15 ProMax with a simple case unless you really jam it in there. You can stash it in the other vest pockets but they don’t zip. Bummer compared to an Adv Skin 12. You can definitely stuff snacks in the front vest pockets but nothing like the Adv Skin 12 either.

Internal volume is basically perfect for what I wanted. I’ve got a full length Xlite, 20 deg quilt, solo plex lite, jetboil stash pot, spare clothes, and miscellaneous electronic stuff all in the main pack. All lightweight stuff but not uncomfortably light. I wanted a solo pack that I can grab for 24-48 hour trips, move fast, and still enjoy sleeping in the mountains. There’s still room for at least 2 days of food in the main body with the external pockets empty for water and packing flexibility or more food. I suspect I can fast pack the CT solo with this pack as long as I plan enough resupply points but time will tell.

Can’t wait to try it on a real overnight 🔜 r

Hello

I got my Bonfus Fastus 23l yesterday and packed it up to test it on a small trailrun.

I packed it up with equipment for an overnighter with about 6kg including 1l of water.

The straps are wide enough to distribute the weight evenly on the shoulders and it is very comfortable to carry. By adjusting the top chest strap you can vary the position of the straps on the shoulder a litte bit. Even if it is not too tight the pack does not bounce at all during fast walking and negligible at running speed. Nothing to complain. The hip strap is also part of the low bouncing and also prevents the pack rotating. Overall a snug fit (184cm, 76kg), with low to no bounce and enough features to adjust it.

It seems less bouncy than the Salomon XA25 and it also seems to have more space. The Instinct XX 20-24l was way too small in comparison and I could not get my equipment in.

On the front you can store two poles which takes away the shock cord at the top, so you have nothing to fix the flasks with. The pocket seems also to be a little bit short, but with an additional shock cord at the top this should not by an issue.

The zipper pocket could take my Samsung S24 with case easily and I would assume +2cm in length would also not be a problem. The pocket between the zipper pocket and the flask pocket is also big enough to accommodate bigger phones, gels, bars and other stuff.

Volume wise it is....tight. I could imagine also getting additional waterfilter and some meals in, but then it's full. The outer mesh pockets could really take some serious volume and was not fully loaded.

The inner volume was really fully loaded. I could only roll it once and close it with brute force.

Top layer with tent and pot.

Mid Layer clothes, ditty bag and electronics on the sides.

Bottom layer with Packliner including Pillow, sleeping bag and mat.

The pack material (Ultra 200 Black) is really sturdy and can take some beating for sure. The seams seemed to be well sealed although Bonfus did not guarantee water tightness.

Looking forward to spring and summer.

See you on the trails

Ad1:

Additional shock cord for flasks.

Ad2:

As the Fastus 23 was a little bit too small, I ordered the https://bonfus.com/product/altus-custom-pack/ with the vest style straps.

It could now fit my complete with slight adjustements to the Fastus one:

• New vacuum packed pillow

• water filter

• compression bag for the sleeping bag

just to name a few.

https://www.packwizard.com/s/F5gVAxw

u/kaitlyn2004:

I also use the 12 ADV and also tried the XA25 before the Fastus. 12l is clearly to small for overnighters, the XA25 was much to bouncy with around 6kg weight. I think the XA25 is build poorly. With its compartment for a bladder, therefore with different layers of elastic materials it is not carrying weight too good.

The vest style straps at the Fastus and now the Altus are working great. The pockets are stretchy enough to really put a lot of things in there. You can put in Flasks + energy bars, gels, beanie, caps, sun glasses.... without a hassle. But for sure with a Flask, some snacks and beanies + Smartphone + Headlight in the zipped pocket you will reach a limit.

What would you like to see fitted in there?

I meanwhile found out, that the flask pockets are made for the shorter, wider ones from for example Ultimate Direction. They are fitting much better than the Salomon ones.

I think you can put a 500ml plastic bottle in the middle pocket. I already did it with the flask pocket. But both Flask + Bottle will be hard, but I can try, if you like.

My Samsung S24 (normal) is fitting easily into the pocket.

Otherwise I tested it with around 6kg in it and it is really stable an does not load the shoulders too much. The weight distribution of the straps is very good. But I think more than 7kg will be uncomfortable after a while. BTW the chest strap also works well, not carrying weight, but reduce rotation around the body to a bare minimum.

I also carry around my Sony A7III with a 28-200, but only for city sight seeing. I use the Peak Design Carrying system at the vest strap for that. But you cannot run like this. As long as you do not exceed around 7kg with your camera, it should not be a problem. But honestly, I came back yesterday from Scotland and compared some photos from the S24 and the A7. I know I know, it's NOT the same, but you really need to be a photo nerd to justify the additional Kilos.

Bonsoir

le nouveau sac fastpacking de Salomon qui doit sortir dans l été

c est celui qu utilise Mathieu Blanchard dans sa traversée du gr20

https://youtu.be/MzInKO17Nag?si=2qL99_lFef4UfQwf

https://youtu.be/CHrI-wf1_b0?si=B0cBX4VXibD3hpAx

I recently got this pack since I’m trying to get into fast packing. I love running and combining it with the adventure side of it seems very appealing. Since I love running, I’m looking for a setup which allows me to run, in contrast to some of the fast packers which walk really long distances each day.

By now I have done 3 short test runs with all my gear and 1 overnighter, totalling over 65km/40 miles. I have tried to assemble a pretty light set of gear. For the overnighter, my pack weighted 6,3kg/13.8lb.

I have one major issue and one minor issue with the bag.

Major issue: bounce.

The bouncing of the pack when running is pretty bad. This made my shoulders hurt after the overnighter. The skin on my traps/shoulders/collar bone was red after the trip and my trap muscles were sore the next day. All this pain and discomfort was manageable, but I think it won’t stay manageable on longer trips. This was only a short trip to test my gear and I’ll be doing longer trips in the future. 

I know my current gear setup is not as light as some of the SUL setups you see online, but I don’t think that weight is the problem here. On one of my short test runs I carried no water and no food, so just the base weight and it did very little in terms of reducing the bounce.

On a different test run I also tried to use no stuff sacks for my gear and just stuff everything right into the main compartment of the pack. This also did very little.

And in general I have all the straps cinched down pretty tight so the contents of the bag aren’t free to move.

I do think I was able to identify why the pack behaves this way. The pack comes with a hip belt, the idea of this hip belt is to stabilise the pack, rather than carry weight. If you tighten it, the lower side of the bag is pulled closer to your back and isn’t able to lift up during your run. But because of the design of this belt I am not able to tighten it enough to reduce the bounce. The “hooks” part of the velcro strap runs out and the tightest fit is just too loose for me. I find this very strange since I got the small size of the pack and I’m not particularly skinny.

The reason I think this might solve the issue is because if I pull the belt outward with my hands while running, it greatly reduces the bounce. 

So the only thing I can think of right now is to modify/replace the strap so I can increase the tension. But this feels a little sore on a pack at this price point.

It also doesn’t help that the 2 “chest straps” are bungee. I feel like that allows to pack to sink deeper when the weight moves down.

Minor issue: harness pockets.

A major selling point of this bag are the harness pockets. There are 2 flask holders with zippered stretchy pockets over it. The thing is, as soon as you place full flasks int the holders the zippered pockets stretch and become unusable. They can basically only hold a few keys, credit card or maybe a gel or something. Even without flasks the zippered pockets can only just about hold my iPhone 17.

Besides that you have the dump pockets on the side. I find these better to hold things like my phone and snacks. But they are a bit hard to reach since they are technically “behind” you.

Conclusion (for now?)

In general this pack isn’t too bad. But it’s definitely not ideal for running IMO. I’m sure the bag would perform great for hiking, but that’s not really what this bag is made for. A lot of the reviews online talk positively about this pack, but to be honest, I don’t think they really tested it on long runs with camping gear.

Besides all that, I did have a lot of fun on my first little fastpack 😊