Customer Reviews

ArcTeryx Bora 80 Backpack Deep Blue Tall

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have a 2007 model Arc'teryx Bora 80 medium, and if you're ever looking to buy another pack after you buy this one, you will have no excuse because it just doesn't wear out. My Bora looks and performs exactly like the day I first put it on. I've crammed it full for weeklong trips in the Grand Tetons and the Wind River Range, and it is a monster. I've disassembled and washed it twice in a front loading washer over the years, to get out all the dried sweat, and it comes out like a rose. I don't know if I would give up my best boots before I'd let someone take it away. It weights 6+ pounds empty, but the perceived weight when it is topped off is much less. Great suspension system.

I rate items based on three criteria - Does it work as advertised? Does the value justify the cost? Does it improve my life? I put my recommendation at the top, then answer those three questions below.

RECOMMENDATION

I love this pack. I went through a lot of packs before finding one that worked. I can recommend it purely on performance and durability, but especially for skinny dudes, this pack rocks. It has the beefiest hip belt you're ever going to find, and that single factor is probably why I'm still backpacking. Bleeding hips is not fun.

FUNCTIONALITY

It's a very simple pack - not a lot of bells and whistles. The brain detaches and becomes a day pack. The zippers are super sturdy, as is all the material on the pack. I've taken mine into the backcountry on probably 20 extended treks in the last decade, and not a single thing on that pack has broken down.

VALUE

Definitely on the expensive end for an 80L pack, but a decade later, this is not a purchase I regret. A huge component of backpacking is pain management, and if your hip belt just flat out doesn't work for you, you'll be miserable. The Bora80 saved me from that, and kept me out on the trail.

DOES IT IMPROVE MY LIFE?

For me, having the right gear is great, even moreso when it looks cool. The friend I usually hike with, despite having an awesome Norwegian pack himself, is always jealous of the nice, compact, vertical bullet shape I can get that sucker into. The bullet is very outdoor chic.

I just returned last week from a pack trip in the blowing snow. My pack was laying in the snow all the time I had if off. All my gear stayed perfectly dry.

I have used this pack for 3 seasons and it is absolutely the most comfortable pack I know of. I feel that the extra weight of the empty pack is offset by the excellent comfort when carrying heavy loads.

This pack will haul as much weight as you dare put in it, PERIOD!

If I had to buy another pack, I would get this one again.

It looks just as great today as when I bought it. It is made from the best fabric. I love the water resistance. The zippers have the nice water seals as well.

They hit one out of the park with this pack.