Wrangler 35L Ultralight Backpack

Love this pack! First of all as a native Washingtonian and lifelong Cascades climber I'm just stoked to rep High Mountain Gear out there. Pack gets a lot of compliments and I just really like the "alpine" look it has. I feel cool when I wear this pack. I've used it for ice climbing, ski touring, day hikes, and cragging this winter. It performs well in all of those uses. Excels in the ice climbing category, obviously. It's designed primarily for ice but works very well for light/fast ski tours w/ minimal transitions. The stretchy front pocket works great for stashing wet skins.

It's extremely durable, simple, and light. Fits everything for small to big day trips or an ultralight overnight. Typical of HMG products, it has all the essential features you need w/ none of the fancy bells and whistles that are sometimes fiddly/easy to break on other packs (I'm looking at you, side / back panel access zippers....)

I have used this bag for ice ever since I got it. It’s super light and durable, no worry about sharp points, it can fit everything and more that I need for a day or day+ of ice climbing or touring. Ice tools and skis are secure on the outside.

This might be the nicest backpack I’ve ever owned. It weighs the same as a much smaller pack, yet I can fit everything needed for a multi-day climb, including bivy gear and a double rack. The side pockets are perfect for snacks, sunglasses, etc and are easy to access without taking the pack off, and the rear pocket can stretch a huge amount, so there’s always room for more stuff. Some suggestions for future iterations: include an option for a padded waist belt, include a port for a hydration bladder hose, and change the cut *slightly* so it’s easier to access a chalk bag in the rear.

This pack works best as a traditional ultra light backpacking pack as well as a great mountaineering pack. It has just enough pockets and attachments for these pursuits. For an on route rock climbing pack it’s maybe not the best design but you can still make it work however I wouldn’t want to be pulling this things through chimneys and doing too much real climbing movement with it on.

But for the applications that I mentioned earlier this thing is sweet.

I’ve used this pack almost every day for the last two years. It’s my main work pack, my ski pack, and a decent light backpacking bag. It’s been overloaded with climbing gear and recording equipment. I think I’ll get a few more years out of it and I’ll get another one when this finally dies.