I hike several days a week, year round, over rough mountain terrain. Good experiences with my 1400 cu. in. Camelbak military tactical H.A.W.G. hydration pack led me to look to Camelbak for a larger pack with more gear capacity for long or cold weather day hikes, or shorter overnight trips. So my next purchase was a Camelbak Motherlode. Although it was well constructed, and probably adequate for use as a tough travel pack, it was poorly balanced and uncomfortable on extended hikes.

I'd heard that the renowned Mystery Ranch suspension system and design had been incorporated into the 2100 cu. in. Camelbak Trizip tactical pack, so I purchased the Trizip. Everything favorable that I've read about the Trizip seems to be true. Although it is not light in weight, the exceptionally comfortable and adjustable suspension makes it seem relatively light even when heavily loaded. Properly loaded and cinched up, the pack balances very well even when scrambling over rough, rocky terrain. The Trizip is somewhat short on compartmentalization and pockets, but Molle webbing makes it easy to attach Molle compatible accessory pouches, and I find these much more useful than the typical pockets that come on packs so equipped.

Something I have never understood is why pack manufacturers almost universally design their packs so that it is all but impossible to access any of the pockets or compartments while hiking with the pack on your back. Some even put the zippers facing back on the side pockets, when putting the zippers facing front would allow access en route. The small Trizip side pockets share this fault of being hard to reach when the pack is on, zippers in exactly the wrong position. But when aftermarket Molle pouches are added to the Molle webbing on the Camelbak tactical packs such as the Trizip, the added pouches can be positioned so that the pouches can be opened and accessed without taking off that pack. This makes it possible to grab a camera, GPS, handgun, knife, map or snack without the bother of unfastening the hip and chest belts and unslinging the pack. The only such pack I've seen with useful built-in compartments that could be accessed while hiking is the REI Lookout, good in many ways but not especially well adapted to hydration reservoir use.