MoutainSmith Apex 100 Backpack Review

I wanted a bigger backpack to handle family backpacking trips where our little ones would be coming along and not yet able to haul the bigger stuff and for cold winter backpacking trips where I would get to pack some extra essentials.  In to my life came the Mountain Smith Apex 100.

It's an upgrade from my other MountainSmith Cross Country 70 backpack that I love.  The Apex 100 is a beast, it hauls it all with ease.  I have only tested it on weekend trips and have found it to be very comfortable and handles the load as if it wasn't even there.

My few complaints are that I don't have it dialed in perfect yet, it feels as though it's slipping off one side of my body and I'm pretty sure that's just how I am wearing it.  I am a little disappointed that with a pack this big the waist straps don't extend much larger, but it works fine.  I'm on the bigger side, 6'3" and 260 pounds, it fits my profile well.  The shoulder straps are also very short on adjustment as well, but it is okay.  If I had known they'd be changing the design I'd have held off until getting the newer design that has side stash pockets and back panel instead of zippered side pockets and no back panel pocket.

I'm hoping to get to use it much more often, it's a great pack and I feel very comfortable wearing it.  I just need to find more adventures suitable for it's immense carrying abilities.

Annual Brother's Backpacking Trip

Normal people, if they know of backpacking at all, associate it and camping in general for the warmer or mild months.  And as it's been pointed out more than once, we're not normal people.

It was supposed to be warmer in March than February, however my brother's and I happened to pick the coldest weekend of the year to get out and freeze our asses off backpacking on the great Appalachian Trail in Southern Pennsylvania.  Michaux Forest to be exact.

However, this year was different.  Last year set the marker for trips here on out I think.  While my younger brother and I are more than willing, partially able, to do high mileage backpacking trips in whatever mother nature can throw at us, our other two brothers prefer the basecamp and dayhike type of trips now.  Last year we just dayhiked, ten miles to be exact... in soft sand most of the way.  This year my younger brother and I scoped out a shelter on the AT, close enough to the road that we'd only have a short hike and then stay at at nice shelter and dayhike a loop to a look out point.

The forecast was to be in the upper teens, but we prepared and went on with our adventure.  I was the only one ready when I was told to be, a first for me, we met at a park and ride in KOP and piled into one car and headed southwest towards the forest.  We loaded up, like we were summiting Everest for the first time, then within a 20 minute walk, we were there.

Unpacked and set up camp.  Scoped out the area and headed up the blue blazed trail past some giant boulders and alongside a very pleasant creek.  Changing to a forest road, we were nearing the top of the ridge.  We ran into the shelter caretaker, his wife and their dog there.  We had a nice conversation and headed to the lookout.  A brisk and brief stay was had due to the wind and cold temps.

Going back to camp, this time on the famously white blazed AT, it was almost all downhill.  What goes up, must come down was proven and before long we were back at camp getting the fire going.

It was another great trip of conversations we should have more often, awkward moments that should only happen there, snoring and passing the time glancing at stars.