Arc'teryx Bora 35 Backpack

This is my second Bora 35 - the first one I bought in 1998 (yes, 11 years ago) and it is finally showing a little bit of wear. For reference, the pack has been used weekly for 11 years...in some harsh environments (Africa, Asia, South America, etc.) including numerous climbs in all these locations and many more in the US. I decided it was time to find another pack for my adventures. After a fair amount of due diligence I decided that the new Bora 35 was the right choice (again). I have had it for a few weeks now (and have already used it hard) and it is a GREAT pack. A few comments:

Q) The pack is well made - clearly the construction is top notch and I expect this pack to last a long time.

R) The floating lid is a huge improvement over the older version - you could easily stuff enough gear in the pack for a week of backpacking.

S) The shoulder straps are very well padded and seem to ride very well. The waist belt is not padded which works fine with the loads that you would carry with this pack.

T) The material used is highly water resistant - I used it on the Knobstone Trail in light rain and it performed well without a cover.

U) Water bottle holder - there is an external (attached) Nalgene holder on the right side of the pack. While this is a nice feature I wish it could be detached for situations when you don't need it and/or want to save weight. Worst case if you don't like it you can simply cut it off.

V) Both sides of the pack have "wand pockets" - great improvement.

W) The side compression straps are also much improved and function very well.

8) There are two "hidden" pockets - one under the lid (which is handy for keys, wallet) and one on the inside of the outside pocket - not sure exactly what that one would be used for but can't hurt.

9) weight - this pack is a bit heavier than I would like for this size. With that said, it performs excellent and can carry larger loads. I regularly carry 30 lbs and have no troubles.

Bottom line - this is a great pack (assuming it fits you correctly which is the most important factor). I am 5' 11'' (180 lbs) and use the "Tall" - it fits me perfectly.

Good luck.

For the past year I have steadily reduced my pack weight from about 45 pounds to around 30 pounds (weight includes water, tent, and climbing gear). This pack has helped me do that. The Bora 35 is perfectly sized for 1-2 night trips into the backcountry for those of us who pack light. I am sure I could have made it a whole week (though 2 nights is the longest I have used it for so far). What gear wont fit in the main compartment can be latched on the side or under the lid via compression straps. Arcteryx also sells an accessory pouch which fits on the side straps that helps keep your clothes and smaller stuff from just floating around in the bag (it adds 6L of space).
For those of us climbers looking for a camping/climbing bag in one, this is it. After unloading it at camp, stuff the rope into it the way you would a haul bag and clip all your equipment to the daisy chains down the back. Now you are ready for everything from top-roping sport routes to multi-pitch trad climbs.
The waist belt (which can't be seen in the picture) is just a 2-inch nylon strap, which sits high on your hips. The purpose of this is to allow it to be worn along with a climbing harness. I have used it this way, and it works out great. Just don't expect a nice thick hip-belt to help you with the weight the way the other Bora packs do. Like I said, this bag is great for 30 pounds or less.
The waterproof hydration pouch can hold a 3L camelbak bladder just fine and the main compartment can stuff a 70m, 10.3mm rope from end to end to help you move quick between climbs.
All in all, the perfect bag for those of us weekend campers/climbers who know how to pack light.
One last thing- I'm 5'10 and the Tall size is perfect. You can look up sizing info on the the Arcteryx site, as well as the accessory pouch.