Gear: The North Face Primero 85 Pack (First Thoughts)

This is a "First Thoughts" review, meaning it will detail some general info about the gear, initial impressions and will act as a precursor to forthcoming long-term test feedback.

In what is quickly becoming a trend, this is the second The North Face pack I've purchased this year to replace a Lowe Alpine product (for more on this, see my post about The North Face Fulcrum 35).

First, let me say that I still love the quality and simplicity of the Lowe products I'm replacing. The reality is that the two packs in question, the Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 40 and Lowe Alpine Contour IV, have simply seen a lot of many miles. I won't even go so far as too say "too many" miles in the case of the Contour IV as it is still fit for service, the reality is that I'm just too much of a gear-head that I wanted to try out some of the latest tech; my Contour IV predates hydration system integration after all. Given both were purchased in the mid-1990s, I feel I've gotten more than my money's worth from them. The latter saw action all over the U.S., and covered many swaths of the Appalachian trail (even extending into the Florida Scenic trail).

Okay, enough about what I'm replacing and on to what I'm replacing it with. I had a few requirements going into a new pack purchase: long haul ability (week +), adjustability (I'm 6' 3" with broad shoulders) and, I know this is slightly lame, color (I've grown tired of all the brightly colored "look at me" outdoor gear, so was looking for something either black or green). Through research, I narrowed my search down to three packs: The Osprey Argon 85 (Kelp), The Gregory Whitney 95 (Humboldt Green) and The North Face Primero 85 (Black). After trying the packs on, I found that the Whitney and the Primero fit me most comfortably. What I thought was going to be a tough decision become much easier once I read several accounts of the plastic fastener for the hip belt breaking on the Whitney. The Primero it was. After an online sale at RockyMountainTrail.com, a coupon search on top of that, and Bing cash back on top of that, I was into the $329 MSRP Primero 85 for a cool $144, shipped. Nice. Considering I got a deal on the Fulcrum 35 pack at $87 under similar circumstances at BackCountry.com...a difference of only $57 between a day pack and an expedition pack is incredible. Super nice.

The Primero is packed to the gills with the latest pack technology.

I'll start with the most noticeable: the pack body material. It's a combination of 630D Oxford nylon and dual sided polyurethane coated 210D nylon ripstop. Combined with the water proof bottom and hood and the welded seams all around, this thing is sure to take both scrapes and moisture in stride.

The next most obvious feature is the injection-molded EVA back panel with air flow channels. At first glance, the back panel looks rigid, and while it holds firm from a structural standpoint, it is quite comfortable and conforms to the curvature of your spine exceptionally well, particularly in the lumbar area. The air flow channels seem like they'll work well, but the only way to tell is to hit some long trails on a hot day, and since I now live in Texas that shouldn't be hard :)

The X Radial frame is quite impressive. In addition to the flexing to mimic natural body movement that The North Face describes, I believe it also adds to the overall lightweight profile of the pack. Unless past internal frame packs with bulk plastic or aluminum I've owned, the X Radial frame material most resembles the general size/circumference of a fibreglass tent pole, but is constructed of aluminum. The pack stretches over this much like a tent would stretch around a tent pole. Nifty.

The E-VAP foam shoulder straps and hip belt have a nice pre-curved contour to them and continue the theme of being both structurally rigid, yet comfortable and, most importantly, being very lightweight. I very nice feature on both The North Face packs I purchased this year is the horizontal adjustability in the sternum strap. The use of mesh over foam will surely provide increased breathability, but we'll see if grime build up becomes an issue there.

Other nice features worth mentioning include:

• Side entry for the main pack compartment -- while I love a good top loader, sometimes you need that random thing that is in the middle of the pack, peskily out of reach from the top loading compartment and the bottom sleeping bag compartment entry.
• Zipper pulls -- rubberized plastic finger loops attached to the nylon pulls on all the zippers are a nice touch
• Hydration compatibility -- large internal pouch easily holds an insulated 3L bladder
and well-place tube exit port
• Hip-belt pocket
• Mesh inner pocket, key keeper within lid pocket
• Stretch side water bottle pockets -- materials makes for easy retrieval and return of large water bottles such as Nalgene

So, how does it stand up to my purchase criteria?

1. Long haul ability: Extended, the pack's volume is a whopping 95 litres (5,800 cubic inches) allowing it to easily deal with more than a week's worth of contents and loads in excess of 50 lbs (TheNorthFace.com claims up to 70lbs.) Check.
2. Adjustability: Yes, not to mention comfort and sturdiness where it counts (straps, belt and frame). Check.
3. Color: Black :) Check.

In all, this is thoughtfully designed pack marked by sturdy construction and featuring the latest materials aimed at keep comfort up and weight down. I'm working to plan its first real field test soon, so check beck for more detail in the Long Term Test review.

-- sc0rpi0n