Product Information
Manufacturer: Eastern Mountain Sports
Manufacturer URL: http://www.ems.com/
Year of Manufacture: 2005
MSRP: $89.00 USD
Country of Manufacture: Vietnam
Color: Cobalt and Black
Listed weight: 3 lb 7 oz (1.56 kg)
Actual weight: 3 lb 8 oz (1.59 kg)
Volume: 2200 cu in (36 L)
Quoted Dimensions: 25 x 10.5 x 6 in (64 x 27 x 15 cm)
Materials Used: 330-denier double ripstop nylon with Hypalon accents and a 1000-denier Kodra nylon bottom

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Product Overview:
See my Initial Report
    So far, the Ridgeline has been comfortable with up to 20 lbs (9 kg) of gear inside.  This includes 4 qts (4 l) of water, fleece pullover, full zip wind breaker, gloves, rain jacket and pants, digital camera, binoculars, gps unit,  and food for a full day of desert hiking.  The hip belt sat comfortably on my hips and distributed the weight wonderfully.  The frame sheet allowed me to loosen the shoulder straps and have the pack sit away from my back while hiking on open trails.  During rock hopping and running, I was able to tighten the shoulder straps and the pack remained stable without bouncing around and make it hard to balance.  The shoulder straps are spaced far enough apart to prevent chaffing on my neck.  The sternum strap sits comfortably at my clavicle bone when the shoulder straps are set loosely.  I also like being able to have space between my back and the pack while hiking on open trails.  This helps to keep excessive moisture from building up on my back.
    The pack has been able to accommodate all of my gear inside the pack.  I have been able to fit 70 oz (2 l) and 100 oz (3 l) Camelbak water bladders inside the water bladder pocket.  The small lid pocket easily holds my "must be able to get to easily items" like sunscreen, first aid kit, and snacks.
    The side pockets are able to hold a 32 oz (1 l) Nalgene bottle, but I had to be careful when inserting the bottle.  Sometimes I slid the bottle into the pass-through pocket and the water bottle fell to the ground.  Maybe if the pass-through pocket had a bit of elastic to keep it against the pack body, it would be easier to insert a water bottle into the proper pocket.
    The Shove-It Pocket has worked well for me.  I initially had doubts that whatever I put under it would stay.  To date, I have put my rain jacket and pants under it and have had no issues with them even maneuvering out from under the Shove-It Pocket.  The bottom of the pocket is attached to the pack body.  The two straps attached to either side at the top cinch down snugly and compressed my rain suit, keeping it safe from rocks and thorny plants of the desert.
    The pack body went through an accidental torture test while rock hopping on one trip.  I stopped to have a snack on top of a boulder pile and set my pack down next to me.  After opening the pack and retrieving my snack from the top lid compartment, the pack slid down the boulder.  This resulted in a 5 ft (1.5 m) slide and another 6 ft (2 m) drop onto a larger boulder.  This happened with approximately 15 lbs (7 kg) of gear inside.  Upon inspection, the only marks on the pack body were dirt that was easily washed off with water once I got home.
    One thing that I did not notice in my Initial Report was that the webbing straps for the shoulder straps have the ends sewn into loops.  I have used these as thumb loops while hiking to alleviate hand swelling while hiking and not using my hands.  The loops also help to keep the strap from sliding out of the ladder lock because the sewn seam that was created prevents the webbing from sliding past the seam.
      

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Field Information and Testing Conditions:
    The Ridgeline pack has seen the good and bad side of my local desert.  I have taken it into the Juniper Flats Area of Environmental Concern that is just south of Apple Valley.  This area is in the high desert of Southern California.  This area has many old mines, many signs of Native American activity, hiking trails, and some off highway vehicle trails.  The hiking trails that I use go to many of the old mines and Native American sites as well as boulder fields to scramble across.  Temperature was between 75 F (24C) and 84 F (29C) with very low humidity.  Elevation was between 3000 ft (900 m) and 4200 ft (1300 m).  During one trip into the area I encountered wind gusts of over 30 mph (48 km) with sustained wind of 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 kph).
   

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Things I will continue to look at:

1. How well will the pack material withstand continued desert hiking and the abundance of rocks to scramble across, up and down.  There are many thorny plants that like to catch clothing and packs while I am heading cross country in the desert.
2. Will this pack be of sufficient size for a one night, lightweight backpacking trip?  Will all the external tie out points allow me to secure extra gear that won't fit inside?  I am hoping to test this during the Long Term Testing period.
   
3. What is the maximum comfortable load for me?
4. Is the hip padding sufficient when this pack is weighted down?  So far it is sufficient, but will this change under different conditions?
   

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Things I like:

1. Very durable material
2. Great load transfer
3. Comfortable

Things I dislike:
    I do not have any negative comments on this pack at this time.

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Reviewer
Name: Scott Downard
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)
Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Email address: rookthepagan@verizon.net
City, State, Country: Apple Valley, California, U.S.
Date: October 24, 2005


Backpacking Background
    As a teenager I did a lot of backpacking and hiking with the Boy Scouts.  After I turned 18 and I left the Scouts I abandoned backpacking.  When I was 28, I started getting interested in backpacking again.  I started buying gear to replace the old stuff from my teenage years.  I hike in the local mountains and desert areas.  I hike mostly in the spring and fall in moderate weather.  Some rain is encountered.  I primarily do day hiking and short term (i.e. one to four nights) backpacking excursions with  some  five day trips.  I like to hike fast and light while backpacking.