I just found this site and I like it. I live in Idaho and just bought a solution pack from blacks creek this August. I will start with the positives about the pack. I have put about 75 miles on it and it is tough but has the same problems I have experienced on the other two blacks creek packs I own (GX 11 & Western). Ill list those in the cons section. It has plenty of room for about a week in the backcountry and the spotting scope pockets on the side are awesome because they zip up out of the way when not in use and expand for use. They retain all of their function even when fully loaded because of the way they are sewn to the pack. It is annoying to not be able to use a pocket because the main compartment is stuffed to full. The sleeping bag compartment has its own stuff sack built in and fits my relatively bulky 20 degree bag with a little room to spare. All of the things that Blacks creek thinks make this pack great are actually the things that make this pack a frustrating 500 dollar purchase.
Cons: VERY HEAVY!, the hip belt sags really bad when it has more then 40 lbs on it. The hip belt has a plastic sheet sewn into it to "give stability" but only digs into my hips when the pack is weighed down. I did 5 miles with 80 lbs in the pack and my traps were sore for days. I could not keep the pack on my hips no matter what I did. I did 16 miles over a weekend this elk season and the pack had about 40lbs in it and that was its limit for comfort. A drawcord pulled out the day I bought it while i was packing for a bivy hunt! When I packed out two elk front quarters this year a buckle broke on the meat carrier part of the pack. For 500 dollars I do not want anything to go wrong the first year I own it. The pack needs much more lumbar support and the load lifters are not functional.
I could probably complain more but I am going to have to realize that it took me wasting 500 dollars to know exactly what I want in pack. I have owned: badlands 2200, eberlestock x2, blacks creek gx11 and western, and other cheaper packs; the solution is just as good as these other packs for half the cost. I have a friend that loves it but I think he is experiencing researcher bias. He is a dealer for blacks creek. I am buying a kifaru this winter because what I want is what they say they offer. Top notch suspension system and light weight with functionality. The Gen 2 meat bag is so simple but an excellent idea. ANYONE TRY IT OUT YET?
Im getting the bikini frame with the highcamp 7000 most likely. WOW, it feels good to vent. The solution pack for me was almost a complete waste of money except now I know what I do not want.
