ENDURO PLUS PACK

I like that the material is gentle enough to allow for the pack to be worn without shirt (personal preference). The pack weights next to nothing and allows to store all your clothes and bars with still some space left for the family Bible :)

I used the pack in preparation and during the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon and it worked great. However, the big issue is durability. I am already on my third pack with the first two literally falling apart only after a few months of use. I have never had a pack before that literally started to disintegrate so quickly (for comparison my old North Face Hammerhead still looks like new after almost 10 years of use and abuse).

My second gripe is that although I am far from barrel chested (around 41-42 inches) the chest strap barely closes and I have to keep it too high to avoid restricting the flow of O2. I have never experienced chafing with the first pack but the replacement caused severe chafing on my back (when worn without shirt) guess it was some small change in the material.

My recommendation for future revisions would be to make the pack in two sizes and improve durability even at the expense of adding 50 grams of extra weight.

I like to think of myself as an ultra marathoner and as I was training for The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler. I found myself planning my training so that I would pass by friends and family so that if I needed to fill up I'd be able to do so by simply using a garden hose or knocking on their door. This pack put a stop to all that and gave me back my freedom to stop running in circles and run in any direction I wanted. The bladder size and extra water bottle sleeve made it easy to carry water in one and my Noon tablets for the other. The interior of the bag allowed me to pack extras like second skin, sunscreen, sun glasses, rain gear, a headlamp, and a reflective vest. At 6'3" when I first put on the pack I felt it was shorter than I'd like but after the first couple of miles I don't even notice it. The Enduro Plus Pack has opened a whole new world for running and I love it.

This is the third pack I have owned. The updates on the interior appear to have improved the area where the water bladder inserts. Previous models the material was much thinner . This one seems more durable. I haven' t tried the "Boa" , previous models tended to bind and could be difficult to release. Product support is great.