A Review of the WorkSack 45L   

Tester Information:

I used this pack primarily for alpine endeavors while ice climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park in -10F conditions and mountaineering in Ecuador up to 19,000' from October through December of 2009.

WorkSack 45L Info:

Manufacturer:  CiloGear
Year of Production:  2009
Website:   www.cilogear.com
MSRP:  US$195

Pack Review:

I've been a proponent of 'light is right' since living out of a pack for five years while teaching Outward Bound courses full-time in the late 80's.  These days, whenever I have a new pack, I typically pull out my trauma shears and go to work removing all of the 'bells and whistles' that the designer has added to provide 'extra value'.  What I really want for value is to have less to carry while getting the job done, and the greatest tribute I can give this CiloPack WorkSack is that I didn't need to cut anything off this pack before taking it into the peaks.

CiloPack is billed as a lightweight alpine climbing pack designer and they have garnered great reviews both from hard-core alpinists and reviewers from Alpinist to the folks over at SplitterChoss.  The versatility of this pack is one of it's biggest attractions as with it's easily removable internal frame, removable attachment and compression straps, easily removable top lid and even hip belt- this pack can carry a heavy multi-day load and be used in the same day as a small climbing pack.

If you like being creative with your packing system and having options for attachments or not, this pack is certainly the most adaptable that I've come across.

I wore this pack primarily on approaches to ice cragging days with loads up to 50# and on high altitude summit days in Ecuador while guiding with loads in the 25# range.  The compressibility and adjustability of this pack, with it's four sets of Dee-clips and slip-locks that are spaced up the sidewalls, allow the pack to be compressed to hold smaller loads close to the back. As well, the extension sleeve contains two closure cords, each with a cord lock., which allows for easy height adjustability and enough room that you could slip it over your lower torso to make for a 1/2 bivy sack should the need arise.

There is a small zippered 'Ninja Pocket'  on the inside of the pack (10" x 7") that allows for easy and secure access for smaller items, such as wallet or car keys, which is nice as I hate to drop those essentials somewhere in a snowdrift in the middle of the mountain. This pouch also serves as a flap that Velcros over the water bladder pouch and holds the removable plastic frame sheet and foam bivy pad. Just above this zippered flap is an opening for a bladder hose, which is not included with the pack, and which many alpinist would forgo as they tend to freeze in the average alpine environment.

The hipbelt is easily detachable and contains a large swatch of velcro that allows the user to adjust the hipbelt higher or lower to fine-tune the fit of the harness system.  The option of having a larger hipbelt available for the really big loads could be a nice feature since both the hip belt and  shoulder pads have relatively thin padding  which make this pack less ideal for loads over 70# or sustained (multi-week) primarily backpacking type trips such as the Denali West Buttress.

Overall, I found this pack to be very comfortable once the internal frame is adjusted well to fit the user and this may require the assistance of a pro pack fitter to make sure it is properly done. It's easy enough to adjust, that with a little trial and error and knowing that optimal fit can be achieved, this is a very comfortable alpine pack.

I highly recommend the CiloGear WorkSack and believe it to be excellent value for the price.

BONUS:  We found on a recent WFR recertification course that this pack deconstructs easily and works great as an improvised splint for an arm or lower leg injury.  Hopefully this is not a use that will be necessary, but nonetheless, a great feature to have when you're out there pushing the limits in the mountains.

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