The Bora was one of the first packs ever made by Arcteryx back in 1994. The Arcteryx Bora quickly became a legend in the expedition pack category, winning the Backpacker Magazine’s editors choice award. 13 years later, Arcteryx has updated the Bora 80 pack, making it even more comfortable and functional.

The Bora 80 isn’t the biggest offering in the Bora line from Arcteryx (that would be the Bora 95), but it is a great size for weeklong plus trips. It will carry your load in comfort with its dual aluminum stays and Thermoformed shoulder and hip-belt straps. The large front pocket, sleeping bag compartment, full-length side zipper and internal laminated pocket keep everything organized and accessible. WaterTight zips and coated 420D fabric add toughness and repel the elements, allowing the Bora 80 to last for years and years. Like a lot of other big backpacks, the top lid comes off and doubles as a fanny pack for day hikes away from base camp.

The Bora 80 comes in 2 colors, deep blue or mercury (grey) and 3 sizes: Short, Regular and Tall. With interchangeable mens/womens dual density shoulder straps and interchangeable mens/womens thermoformed hipbelt, you can dial the Bora 80 in specifically to your body type. The specs of each size are as follow:

Short: Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz, Volume: 4390 cu in, extends to: 4940 cu in
Regular: Weight: 6 lbs 13 oz, Volume: 4700 cu in, extends to: 5250 cu in
Tall: Weight: 7 lbs 1 oz, Volume: 5000 cu in, extends to: 5550 cu in

At right around 7 lbs, the Bora 80 is certainly not the lightest expedition pack on the market. However, if you’re looking for comfort and durability, you can’t beat the Arcteryx Bora 80.

Arc’Teryx has set a Retail Price of $375 for the Bora 80 Backpack

Buy This Pack Online Right Now @ MooseJaw.com - Use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear at Moosejaw!

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For Immediate Release
Jessica Downing
jessica@backbonemedia.net
970-963-4873

Denver, CO, April 11, 2007 — Big City Mountaineers announces that its Backpacker Magazine Summit for Someone 2007 benefit climb program grew 300% from 2006! Thanks to significant promotional efforts from Title and Supporting Sponsors, including Backpacker Magazine, JanSport and Keen, Backpacker Magazine’s Summit for Someone benefit climb program has emerged as the preeminent mountaineering-based fundraising program in the United States.

This exceptional growth allows Big City Mountaineers to expand its national teen recreational mentoring program by 50 percent during this year, giving over 250 inner city teens the opportunity to participate in BCM’s life-changing program.

“All of us at Backpacker Magazine are delighted by our ability to leverage our brands for such a worthy cause,” says Chris Lambiase, Publisher of Backpacker Magazine. “Our support of this program is a great example of the community involvement that is a cornerstone of our culture. I can’t think of a better example of an organization partnering with Backpacker than the benefit climb program that Big City Mountaineers’ has been able to accomplish.”

For more information please visit www.summitforsomeone.org

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The Crescent 85 Pack from Osprey is an incredibly versatile full-featured men’s expedition backpack. This pack is built for the mission of carrying heavy weight in a comfortable, organized way. Osprey offers 5 frame sizes, six standard harness and hipbelt sizes. With easy torso adjustability, the ReCurve Suspension can be tuned to fit just about anyone perfectly. The ReCurve suspension is made from stiff aluminum stays and extra struts that help distribute your load as evenly as possible. The BioForm harness comes in multiple sizes with gender specific cuts, as does the BioForm CM hipbelt, which also happens to be heat moldable. The harness and hipbelt feature spacer mesh surfaces with no sewn seams for smooth body contact. Osprey continues to strive for maximum pack to body contact which gives even load distribution for maximizing comfort.

Now the Crescent 85 isn’t just a comfortable pretty pack. Its well organized big backpack too. Gear organization is a piece of pie with vertical zip panel access, wide mouth sleeping bag access and a built in stretch mesh pocket with zippered panel. The clever vertical zip access to the main compartment hides under the right compression flap, so you don’t have to dismantle everything to unzip. An included hydration sleeve sits in its own pouch on the back of the pack, and can detach to become a small self-contained hydration pack. There are 2 side and 1 overhead external pockets. The pack is of course stocked with plenty of well placed compression straps, allowing you to carry a snowboard or skis (diagonally) on your next winter expedition. Just in case you have questions about the packs durability, rest assured that the combination of twill nylon, plain-weave nylon and ripstop nylon will hold your gear securely. Osprey is confident too, thats why they’ve backed the Crescent 85 with a lifetime warranty.

Osprey Packs has set a Retail Price of $380 for the Crescent 85

Buy This Pack Online Right Now @ MooseJaw.com - Use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear at Moosejaw!

Do you own this pack? Please add your comments to this review if so.

You can spend big bucks on a Big Backpack, but if it doesn’t fit right, you absolutely won’t be comfortable. So how do you know what size pack will fit the best. Lets start by dispelling the first myth about backpack sizing. It doesn’t matter how tall you are. Just because you’re 6′ 2″ does not mean you automatically need a large or tall pack. Your torso length, not your height, determines your pack size.

Here’s how to measure your Torso Length: Have a friend locate the bony bump at the base of your neck, this is where the slope of your shoulder meets your neck. Technically speaking for you anatomy nerds, this is your 7th cervical (or C7) vertebra. Tilt your head forward to help locate it. Place your hands on your hips so you can feel your iliac crest, which serves as the “shelf” of your pelvic girdle. The iliac crest is the first hard thing you feel when you run your fingers down from the sides of your ribcage. Position your hands so your thumbs are reaching behind you. Using a flexible tape measure, your friend should start at your c7 and measure downward along your spine to the point where the tape crosses the “latitude line” drawn between your thumbs. This distance is your torso length.

Use your torso length measurement to find your best pack size. Generally, most manufacturers size their pack frames as follows:

Extra Small: Fits torsos up to 15-1/2″

Small: 16″ to 17-1/2″

Medium/Regular: 18″ to 19-1/2″

Large/Tall: 20″ and up

Since some pack manufacturers offer interchangeable hipbelts, you should also measure your hip size. Take the tape measure and wrap it around the top of your hips, on the the “latitude line” where you can feel your iliac crest — those two pointy bones just above the front pockets on your pants. A properly positioned hipbelt will straddle your iliac crest, about an inch above and below that line.