I first bought a Dana Design Terraplane pack back in 1990. It was a load hauling beast that fit like a glove. Fast forward now to 2007. This classic backpack has been improved upon nicely by the namesakes new brand, Marmot. (In 2006, the Dana brand became Marmot)

It’s as if Marmot took the original Terraplane and put it on a diet to create the 2007 Marmot Terraplane. It’s at least a pound lighter than the original pack, has well placed pockets and is possibly even more comfortable to wear. The Terraplane uses Marmot’s Arc Flex framing system. The shapable aluminum with carbon fiber reinforced fiberglass stays support your back while distributing the weight of the pack to your hips. There are two front pockets for increased storage and side zipper access to the main compartment. Sleeping pad straps secure a pad under your pack and the Trampoline Bottom Increases long-term durability of pack bottom. Just like the original terraplane, the lid converts into a lumbar pack to facilitate short day hikes.

The Terraplane offers a great array of fits with three sizes (S, M, L), seven sizes of backpanels, five sizes of shoulder pads, and five sizes of contour molded hip belts. The hipbelts even adjust vertically on your lumbar for a micro fit. At 5300 cubic inches, you can load the Terraplane down with enough gear to last you for a week long journey. Even with an up to 80 pound load, this pack will carry your gear in great fitting comfort.

Marmot has set a Retail Price of $350 for the Terraplane 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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On the morning of May 16th, Apa & Lhakpa Sherpa led their all-Sherpa team to the summit of Mount Everest. This successful summit means Apa has set another world-record with 17 summits of Mount Everest to date.

World record holders Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa and their all-Sherpa expedition have reached the summit of Mt. Everest surpassing Apa’s previous world record of 16 summits.

At 8:44am, on May 16th, Apa Sherpa called basecamp on his radio. “We are on the summit. We are on the summit,” he said. Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, and their five support Sherpas, were treated to clear skies and what they described as windless conditions.

After climbing over 7000 feet in less than 24 hours the SuperSherpas team survived snow and subfreezing temperatures to place the Nepali flag on the summit of Chomolungma, at a height of 29,035 feet. With wind gusts of more than 40 knots and wind chills approaching minus 50 degrees, the most experienced team on Everest has completed the uphill part of its journey. Combined, the team members had an astonishing 55 summits of Everest before this most recent attempt.

Both Apa and Lhakpa Sherpa both anticipate this expedition will promote peace for the world, and improve life for the people of the Everest Region. “We want to continue in Sir Edmund Hillary’s footsteps and contribute to education and improving health care in the Khumbu region and for all Nepali people in the remote regions,” they said during the expedition.

The SuperSherpas Expedition was formed to bring attention to the 100 years of untold accomplishments of the Sherpa and Nepali people. To help further tell the story of the Sherpas, a book and documentary on the topic are underway. The expedition has been documented by an all-Sherpa professional high-definition camera crew. The footage will be used in the upcoming film.

The SuperSherpas Team includes: Apa Sherpa, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, A Rita Sherpa, Ang Passang Sherpa, Pemba Ringee Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, Ang Tshering Sherpa, and Passang Geljin Sherpa.

The expedition was lead sponsored by Marmot, with additional support from REI, EK accessories, The Backside, Karma Outdoor Clothing, La Sportiva, DezArt Cinematic, Julbo, Brunton, Icom America, World Record Expeditions, Suunto, Group Mobile, and Exploradus.

“This is a premier example of the kind of expedition Marmot likes to sponsor – with the quality people we want to support” explains Tom Fritz, Vice President of Marketing for Marmot. “Apa Sherpa and I have worked together many times before and it is fantastic to have helped him realize his Everest dreams – again!” adds Fritz, who sponsored the Super Sherpas team and support crew with high-altitude down clothing, storm gear, mountaineering tents and packs.

For a limited time only, when you buy a CamelBak Hydration Pack for more than $29 (which just about every pack is), you’ll receive a free .75L CamelBak Bottle from Moosejaw.

Simply add the gear and the CamelBak Bottle (Cobalt .75L - only) to your Moosejaw cart and you’ll see the CamelBak Bottle automatically change to $0, normally priced at $12. No coupon code necessary.

CamelBak Products LLC, the world leader in hydration systems, has been honored as the winner of the 2007 Backpacker Magazine Editors’ Choice Gold Award for its OMEGA™ HydroTanium™ Reservoir. The most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, the Backpacker Magazine Gold Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance. The CamelBak OMEGA™ HydroTanium™ Reservoir was the only product given a Gold Award this year.

“We’re incredibly honored to be recognized by the editors at Backpacker,” said Mac Tillman, VP of Marketing and Product Management for CamelBak. “It is exciting and gratifying to see our commitment to innovation acknowledged with the prestigious Editor’s Choice Gold Award.”

Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and testers presented CamelBak with the Gold award at the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City.

“Backpacker Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Gold award honors outdoor products that have performed at the highest level in the field and stood the test of time,” said Peter Flax, Executive Editor of Backpacker. “Only the best, most innovative, and most tried-and-true products are recognized in Backpacker’s gear hall of fame.”

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.

ARC’TERYX Equipment is proud to present the Squamish Mountain Festival, a grass roots gathering to celebrate the magic of Squamish climbing, bouldering and mountain culture. The event will take place July 13 – 21 in Squamish, British Columbia. The festival will highlight Squamish and climbing within the context of clinics, speakers, competitions, international adventure films, volunteer trail maintenance days, and of course, huuuuge raging parties.

Sprinkled over the eight-day festival is a truly world-class selection of international speakers to present their stories and images from the vertical world. This year’s speakers include: Ron Kauk, Tommy Caldwell, Ines Papert, Kevin McLane, Perry Beckham, Josune Bereziartu, and Will Gadd. The guest speakers will share the nightly limelight with The Squamish Mountain Film Festival, ensuring every evening to be filled with mind-blowing tales of the vertical (and plenty of beer).

Climbing clinics for all ages will be held July 14-15 by certified ACGM guides with assistance from select guest speakers. There will also be a medley of climbing and bouldering competitions open to participation. These competitions are designed to be fun and all-inclusive with categories to suit all age and experience levels.

For more information visit: www.squamishmountainfestival.com

Now here is a rare opportunity. Backcountry.com typically does not offer any sort of coupon codes, but I guess they’re feeling generous for Memorial Day. Use Coupon Code 1L3-1-63VLV at checkout for your discount. This code expires 5/30/07 and excludes the following brands: The North Face, Western Mountaineering, Arc’teryx, Oakley, Maui Jim, Patagonia Footwear, Merrell, Nixon, Burton, Smith, and boats.

Starting on Wednesday, May 23 through June 5, 2007, EMS customers will receive a $25 Gift Card with purchases of $125 or more. As part of their Memorial Day sale, there will be great discounts on a wide selection of backpacks.

Osprey Packs Atmos Series of backpacks were designed with the light and fast mantra in mind. The Osprey Atmos 50 is the mid-sized offering of the Atmos line and is a versatile 3000 cubic inch pack. It will fit a sleeping bag, clothes, food, and other necessities in the main compartment, while the accessible twin side pockets will hold Nalgenes, fuel and other cylindrical items. On the outside, diagonal compression straps allow you to strap anything you need to the outside of the pack. A supple shovel pocket can stash a shovel or just-in-case raingear. There’s also a hydration sleeve for storing your water bladder and a bonus stash spot behind the mesh back panel.

Speaking of the mesh back panel, Osprey equipped the Atmos 50, which is part of the “ventilated” line of packs, with a 3D breathable mesh fabric with a space between the mesh and the bag, allowing air to flow to your back. Osprey has built its reputation on comfort, and the ErgoPull Hipbelt combined with the AirSpeed suspension system allow you to carry up to 40 lbs in complete comfort.

The Atmos 50 comes in 3 sizes, the specs of which are as follow:

Small: 2800 cu. in. - 2 lbs. 15 oz.
Medium: 3000 cu. in. - 3 lbs. 1 oz.
Large: 3200 cu. in. - 3 lbs. 3 oz.

If you’re ready to join the light and fast revolution and want to keep your back cool and comfortable on your overnighters, look no further than the Osprey Atmos 50.

Osprey Packs has set a Retail Price of $200 for the Atmos 50 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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The Arcteryx Naos series of backpacks is a revolutionary backpack line made of completely waterproof 420ACT VaporTight fabric. The Naos 55 is the flagship of the line which earned both the 2006 Editor’s Choice award from Backpacker Magazine and a 2006 Gear of the Year award from Outside Magazine.

Not only is the Naos 55 fabric waterproof, but all of the seams are sealed, zippers are water-tight and the top opening uses a drybag-style rolltop closure. The only way you’re gear will get wet in this bag is if you forget to close the zippers.

Being waterproof is great, but the Naos 55 excels in being comfortable and organized as well. Radially formed shoulder straps and Radially formed Binary hipbelt offer a nice comfy fit. The binary hipbelt components include an internal polycarbonate torsion support to stiffen the open cell foam padding, offering an excellent load transfer from the circular Load Transfer Disc. This disc freely pivots from the circular housing mounted to the tri-laminate, lightweight Monoframe back panel, moving with the user as they high-step and rotate their back through technical terrain. Organization is easy with zippered large Kangaroo side pocket and zippered smaller pocket on the other side for storage of oft-used items. You can also stuff in a hydration bladder in the reservoir pocket with a waterproof hydroport for the drinking tube. The Naos 55 comes in 3 sizes:

Short: Weight: 4 lbs 6 oz, Volume: 3230 cu in, extends to: 3780 cu in
Regular: Weight: 4 lbs 10 oz, Volume: 3420 cu in, extends to: 3970 cu in
Tall: Weight: 4 lbs 14 oz, Volume: 3600 cu in, extends to: 4150 cu in

Arcteryx was able to keep the weight down on the Naos 55 with the high tech seam sealed construction as well as not adding too many useless straps and clips (just enough side straps to hold skis, tools or other equipment). Since the pack doesn’t get wet, it won’t take on any extra water weight when you end up hiking in the rain. If you live in the pacific northwest or do any hiking/paddling combo trips, this is the pack you need.

Arc’Teryx has set a Retail Price of $500 for the Naos 55 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!

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

 “On treks in New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness and even ski touring in the Tetons, testers were unanimous: The Meridian carries like a champ.” For comfort, versatility, and durability, Outside Magazine’s Buyer’s Guide awards ‘Gear of the Year’ to the Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian, “which is as comfortable as it is tough.”

“The Nimbus Meridian was engineered from the beginning to last for the entire 10,000 miles of Justin “Trauma” Lichter’s hike,” said Granite Gear designer Jeff Knight. “The pack had to be light, yet durable so we selected Cordura fabrics and the new RiRi Aquazip zipper.” Trauma field-tested the pack during his 10,000 miles of thru hiking in 356 days during 2005-2006. He completed extended versions of the International Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail (North America’s Triple Crown) using just one pack, which was still in completely serviceable condition after his treks. “I have no doubt that any pack made by another manufacturer would not have made it even half of the 10,000 miles,” Trauma affirmed.

Granite Gear’s Nimbus Meridian features the “firm yet flexy” Topoflex framesheet that “moves with your body,” the “dual density foam in the hipbelt that cushions luxuriously,” and a “precision fit” for ultimate comfort. “It’s light enough to use as a weekend pack yet big enough for a week’s worth of supplies – and you won’t feel you’re compromising in either case,” state Dennis Lewon and Justin Nyberg of Outside Magazine. Weighing in at three and a half pounds, the Nimbus Meridian exhibits a heavy-duty vertical RiRi Aquazip zipper that accesses the main packbag, stretch woven bottle pockets for trail necessities, a removable lid that converts to a hip pack and an internal hydration pocket perfect for stashing water.

Granite Gear has set a Retail Price of $250 for the Nimbus Meridian 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!

Do you own this pack? Please add your comments to this below.