Mountain Hardwear Dihedral Backpack

Good winter daypack!
The dihedral is a comfortable winter daypack that I have taken on three dayhikes in the winter for over a total of 30 miles so far. I got the black/white color. I first had a size large but found that it was too tall for me. I tried at first to adjust the straps such that it would fit but after a 10 mile hike I found that while I liked the pack, it was not going to work for me. I am 6'2", 210lbs with a shorter torso so a large may work for you if you're my height. I ended up selling the large to my friend who is 6'5" and he loves it. I went ahead and purchased a regular and it fits great for me. With the regular sized dihedral, I have put 20 miles on it so far out in the winter trails and love it. From a usage standpoint, I do not ski or snowboard but I do go snowshoeing so my review comes from this perspective. The dihedral swallows all my necessary winter gear (essentials, down parka, stove, food, spare clothes, etc) with room to spare. I attached a picture to show the pack loaded with both trekking poles and showshoes strapped to the pack. The straps to hold the snowshoes are originally stored between the pack body and the white tarp; there is an accessible zip pocket on the inside of the pack to get to the straps easily so you can use them. If you're not carrying anything on the outside, you can tuck the straps back in out of sight. The pack is not built to carry water bottles on the outside since it is a winter pack but easily accommodates a water bladder. There is a dedicated compartment to hold your hydration bladder. I put a 3 liter camelbak bladder into the dihedral but it barely fits; the two zippers at the top of the compartment will not fully secure with a bladder of this size. The camelbak stayed in place throughout my hikes so it wasn't a big deal. Overall, the dihedral is a solid pack for winter snowshoeing. I am considering doing an overnight with it in the spring to see how it works in that setting. The price is reasonable given the quality and functionality - the construction is solid and I suspect this pack will outlast me. Pros: - Great fit - Deceptively roomy pack - Compression straps well placed and keeps your contents close in - Respectable empty weight - Comfortable when wearing loaded - Lots of well-placed pockets - Carries my snowshoes, full winter day hike load and trekking poles no problems. Cons: - Does not hold a 3.0 liter camelbak bladder well - Lots of straps that are long. Strap retainers that come with the pack work (for now)

Great at 14,000'
This pack is excellent. The material is extremely durable and it is very smartly designed overall. There are pockets everywhere and they are placed excellently. The hydration pocket is awesome, I use it for my 1.5L Siggs and they both slide in perfectly! The suspension is also very comfortable. The quick release axe loops are also quite smart and a nice hi-tech feature. All of the plastic snaps are a new design which are supposed to be easier than older, standard versions. I will say that they take some time to get accustomed to, but once you do they are excellent. Everything is also very easy to adjust/get in to while wearing gloves. The only complaint I have is that the side pockets are so shallow they are basically useless.

Great buy!
Used it on a 10 day trip to Nicaragua. Very durable, lots of pockets in all the right places, and very comfortable even when fully loaded!!