Zpacks Arc Blast 60L

I recently purchased, and returned, a Zpacks Arc Blast. This review is of my limited time with the pack (20 miles of hiking), carrying about 25 lbs.

I won't go into the specifics about the pack; you can get all that info from Zpacks.com. The options I selected are:
1. The camo cuben fiber material (way cool)
2. 22.5 inch shoulder strap/pack size
3. hip belt pouches (very nice)
4. Large hip belt size
5. Top stabilizer straps
**The pack weighed 18 oz empty

(I'm 6'3" and weigh 222)

The 20 miles of hiking I did with the Arc was actually done on 2 seperate hikes. I hiked 10 miles with the Arc, and then hiked 10 miles with my ULA circuit, and then did another 10 miles with the Arc (that's 10 miles a day, for three consecutive days).

Enough with the preliminaries, here is the review--

   The quality and workmanship of the Arc is second to none (as with all Zpacks products).

   The rolltop closure at the top works very well at keeping out water (it rained on one of my hikes).

   The stabilizer straps are connected to material on top of the pack. A possible improvement would be to move the straps onto the frame of the pack so that when you tighten them, the frame moves forward instead of the pack material.

   Next, I'll talk about pack fit- I've always been led to believe that a pack shoulder strap should fit like this--(pic from www.outdoorsports.com)--



 

 

Notice how the shoulder straps curve all the way over the top of the shoulder, and slightly down the back to where the strap connects with the pack? Also, the stabilizer strap should connect to the shoulder strap either right on top of the shoulder or slightly towards the back. I've read on several websites that this is how a shoulder strap should fit on an internal frame pack, and I assume the same is true for an external frame like the Arc blast. Maybe someone could clarify...

 

I also have an internal frame ULA Circuit pack. It is set up this way and is very comfortable.

 

If you go to the pack fitting instructions at Zpacks.com, they suggest you measure with a yard stick from the bottom of where your hip belt would sit to the top of your shoulder, and then use this measurement for ordering their pack. I did this measurement, and came up with 22.5 inches.

 

Here are two pictures of measurements, comparing my ULA circuit and the Zpacks Arc Blast--

 

ULA circuit - 15.5 inches

Zpack Arc Blast - 18.5 inches

 



  Before I get into these comparisons, I should tell you that the ULA Circuit is a size large for 21"-24" backs. Also, I've measured my back from my C7vertebrae  to top of my hip bone and it's 22.5 ".

 

 As you can see from the pictures, the CLA circuit measures 15.5" from where the shoulder straps connect to the pack to the top of the hip belt. The Arc Blast measures 18.5 inches.

 

 So, what does all this mean? I'm not really sure. Here's what I do know- The ULA circuit, which weighs in at 41 oz empty, carried 27 lbs more comfortably than the Arc blast (which weighed in at 18 oz-and carried 25 lbs total). The mesh back of the Arc did lend itself to a more comfortable and cooler back. Both packs were very similar in size and features, but the circuit is about $100 cheaper.

 

  Here's my bottom line question--If the Arc Blast's shoulder straps were the same as my ULA Circuit's, would the Arc be just as comfortable (or more so because of the weight savings)? That would mean lowering the Arc's straps 3 inches! So I would need to order an Arc with a frame size of 19.5 inches instead of 22.5. Is the large difference because of the different type of frames (internal vs external)? Just food for thought...

 

 Lastly, I've ordered and returned a few items from Zpacks. Their customer service is excellent, and they have always offered to fix or customize the product in question.