I have been backpacking for 15 years. I take 3-4 trips each year that are a week or longer in duration, as well as several weekend trips. I usually end up with a heavy daypack weighing 20 lb (9.1 kg) as I like to be over-prepared, but I'm learning to lighten my load through better gear selection. My hiking trips range from the mountains to the desert and flat lands. In addition, being from North Dakota I have a lot of experience with hiking and camping in snow and cold temperatures.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Arc'Teryx
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.arcteryx.com
Listed weight: 2 lb 5 oz (1100 g)
Actual tested weight: 2 lb 6 oz (1177 g)
Size: One Size
Volume: 1340 cu in (22 L)
Materials: HDPE framesheet, 1680D Ballistic Nylon, Armourlite, Hypalon
Warranty: Lifetime
MSRP: $130.00 US

Arro 22 Pack
Arc'Teryx Arro 22 Pack

Product Description:

The Arc'Teryx Arro 22 pack is designed to be a durable daypack for anything from urban commuting to the most extreme conditions that require a daypack of its size. The pack comes in only one torso size, but seems to fit a variety of torso sizes well. I wear a large in their other packs but the Arro 22 fits me pretty well. It does not come with any accessories, and a hydration bladder is not included.

The body of the pack is made from 1680D Ballistic Nylon, the front Kangaroo pocket is Armourlite, a very tough smooth fabric. The attachment points are made from or reinforced with Hypalon. The back of the pack has a thermoformed padded back panel, and a semi-rigid HDPE framesheet. The shoulder straps have load adjusters and the sternum strap is adjustable for height. Both are features I don't find on many packs of this size but are very useful for fit and pack stability. The waist strap is 1 in (2.54 cm) wide, non-padded, and user removable. This is also a nice feature since I've found 1 in (2.54 cm) wide non-padded waist straps to be of little use on daypacks of this size and usually just get in the way. There is a heavy duty carry handle on the top of the pack that is very convenient for when I just want to grab the pack and go. The pack has a covered opening on the top that allows the hydration bladder hose to exit the pack and a clip to attach it to the shoulder strap.

The front of the pack has two mesh water bottle pockets, one of which has a Velcro closure, and the other elastic. They are not as deep as I would like, but I find this to be the case on most packs. It will hold a Nalgene bottle, but not very securely due to the shallow nature of the pocket. There is one Hypalon loop on the front of the pack that can hold a carabiner. The large vertical zippered kangaroo pocket on the front of the pack has drainage holes at the bottom. It's perfect for either storing wet items, or just small frequently used items I don't want to have to dig into the main pack for.

Inside the pack is a mesh sleeve for up to a 100 oz (3 L) hydration bladder. There is an interior zipper at the top which allows access to the HDPE framesheet if I need or desire to remove it. Other than that there are no other pockets on the inside or outside of the pack. The zippers are heavy duty water resistant YKK zippers. The shoulder straps are nicely padded but not too bulky and have attachment points that can easily accept a small accessory pouch to hold a GPS, cell phone, etc. The bottom of the pack is not flat, the bottom angles up from the back of the pack and then angles back to the top of the pack. This means the pack does not sit up by itself so when it's not on I have to lay the pack on its side, or lean it up against something so it sits upright. This angular design creates an aerodynamic sleek look to the pack, but at the expense of some capacity.

Field Use:

I have used this pack on many short local and weekend hikes. I've used it on the bike as a commuter pack, and even just around town and for school. The pack has performed very well in all these uses. It is comfortable, and is just the right size for an urban commuter pack. It rides very well on the bike, but the top of the pack sits pretty high and tends to contact the back of my helmet on rough rides.

It has also been used on two more extensive trips the first being a 4 week trip to the Southwest. During this trip the pack was used on many day hikes in conditions that ranged from below freezing at 13,000 ft (3962 m) in the Loveland Pass area of Colorado, to 110 F (61 C) in Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, and everywhere in between. The second trip was this fall in the Little Badlands of North Dakota where it was used for a week during a geology field course. During this time the temperatures ranged from 60 F (16 C) to 80 F (27 C). We did field mapping for the entire week so we were out hiking around for 10-12 hours a day.

It performed on both trips without any problems. The Arro 22 pack is the perfect size to pack a lot of water, and still get the bare essentials such as food, first aid, survival gear, and raingear for a day hike. The pack was never uncomfortable, and the semi rigid framesheet is a great feature. Without a framesheet many daypacks do not sit flat on the back because the hydration bladder rounds out the back of the pack. This makes for an uncomfortable pack that does not ride on my back well. The Arro 22 does not suffer from this problem and it rode securely over rough and smooth terrain. I never used the waist belt as with a pack of this size I've never seen much use for one. The shoulder straps, load straps, and adjustable sternum strap make for a very adjustable and comfortable fit. The pack proved to be very durable and took everything thrown at it. I would say the average weight of the pack during my use was probably 13 lb (5.5 kg) with a max of somewhere in the 18 lb (7.3 kg) range. It handled these loads comfortably, and securely.

As for improvements I would like to see the water bottle pockets made larger, or some type of bottle securing strap built in. I would also like to see a daisy chain added to the front of the pack. I've found them very valuable for attaching carabiners or clipping small items to. A wider padded hip belt would be a nice addition since it is removable and would be much more useful than the thin unpadded strap they provide currently. None of these are big issues in my book and it is still by far my most used pack in this size range.

Summary:

I don't baby my gear, I expect it to be durable and perform, but I also don't abuse it. That said, the Arc'Teryx Arro 22 has taken everything I've thrown at it and not only been comfortable but extremely durable. It has stood up to snow, sand, wind, rain, being tossed around, and in general just used hard. It is not an ultra light pack, but its durability and comfort more than makes up for it. I've had to replace other daypacks that saw less use than this one has.

Pros:

1. Extremely durable
2. Kangaroo pocket is great for wet or small frequently needed items
3. HDPE framesheet for better fit when loaded, especially with a hydration bladder.

Cons:

1. Water bottle pockets could be deeper, or have some type of bottle retaining strap
2. Size options may help fitting those people with either very long or very short torso lengths
3. No daisy chain

Owner Review by Todd O. Morken

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