Field conditions:
    Aug 30 - Sep 6: Yosemite Wilderness. 8 days, 5 camps. 17 mi (27 km) trail, 8 mi (13 km) XC,  22 hrs. Lv wt 43 lb (19.5 kg) Ret.wt. 35 lb (16 kg) 5,900-7,800 ft (1,800-2,400 m). Hot and dry.
    Sep 12 - 20: Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, CA. 8 days, 7 camps.  15 mi (24 km) trail, 6 mi (10 km) XC, 19 hrs. Lv wt 39 lb (18 kg) Ret. wt 34 lb (15 kg) 8,000 - 10,000 ft (2,400 - 3,000 m). Hot and dry hiking.
    Sep 25-29: Eagles Nest Wilderness, Colorado. 5 days, 4 camps. 20 mi (32 k) trail;  15 hours. Lv wt 44 lb (20 kg) Ret. wt 37 lb (17 kg) 9,200 - 11,800 ft (2,800 - 3,600 m). 40 - 60 F (4 - 16 C).
    Nov 1-7: Emigrant Wilderness, CA. 6 days, 3 camps.  4 1/2 mi (7 km) XC & 10 mi (16 km) trail; 11 hours. Lv wt 43 lb (19 kg) Ret. wt 35 lb (16 kg) 7,100 - 7,680 ft (2,165 - 2.340 m). 40 - 60 F (4 - 16 C).

Test totals to date:
    Backpacking miles:  80 (129 km)
    Wearing hours:  67
    Average load:  about 38 lb (17 kg)

Impressions:
    For a pack this size I think 80% of the comment weight should bear on how good a job it does carrying a max load. I think the Karadon performs satisfactorily in this regard. It would do better with a few design adjustments. I think the pack is as well made in construction and materials as any I've ever used. This pack has every feature I can think of, but doesn't deliver maximum benefit from many of them.
   
    Load lifters: They pull the weight closer, where it otherwise seems to want to tilt backwards; and stabilize the top. The anchor to the shoulder strap is several inches (8 cm) too high up and with the pack anchors on the low side, there is no angle at all to effect weight transfer. The straps are too narrow, making it a little more difficult to gain purchase. More importantly, the narrow webbing in the narrow buckles doesn't stay put as well as wider webbing would.

    Shoulder straps: Quite comfortable. They are set a little wide for me. Being anchored into the center of the pack makes the load lifters all the more important to keep the top stable. I measure my torso at 18 in (45.7 cm), but matching that slot adjusts the harness too small for me. On subsequent trips I raised the harness two notches to 20 in (51 cm) and that works better.

    Chest strap: It does a very good job of pulling and holding the shoulder straps in place, and without maxing out the elastic constraint, which when the test is over I'll remove. The strap did not migrate up or down the adjustment track. The track being situated quite near the center of the shoulder strap, tension on it tends to pull the outer edge of the shoulder strap away from the body. The result is less body contact with the shoulder strap, meaning a greater concentration of pressure. I wouldn't say it's a big deal, but it seems unnecessary.

    Hip belt: I find it quite comfortable, exacting in placement and fit for me. It might be even more comfortable if the belt were beefier, such that it could hang the weight on the hip bones with less tension on the belt. I don't like the friction buckle-loop-ring forward pull, which in my view adds a lot of stuff for no practical benefit. Run the belt webbing out to a buckle and leave enough to pull on. I may do that after the test and eliminate about 6 feet (2 m) of webbing and a couple of buckles and rings. The "double-pull" system may make sense on narrower webbing meant to pull the belt's top edge and bottom edge separately, but that is not the case here.

    Lumbar pad: Initially this pad felt unduly firm, but I quickly came to like it. It's the right thickness for me and the right size and place. I don't know whether the V channel helped keep things cooler, but I suspect it might have. This pad might work even better with a traction material facing, and then with improved load lifters and a more muscular hip belt, belt tension could be lessened for more comfort.

    Frame sheet: I didn't feel pinched anywhere. The upper back padding from the shoulder harness attaching panel does a good job of softening the top where shoulder blades protrude. The brute stiffness of the frame sheet completely isolated my back from any protrusions in the pack which might otherwise have poked through. The fatness of the lumbar pad and shoulder harness attachment create a lot of space and I felt air through it, which on a hot day is a nice thing. The bend from the shoulders up does not follow my shape, which in concert with all that air space may be the source of the bag's wanting to tilt back without a full pull on the load lifters.

    Pockets: With the pack full, the side pockets won't hold much, especially the bottom ones. I stowed my tent under the compression straps on one side, and sleeping pad on the other, with all pockets filled with about as much (little?) stuff as they hold. The lower pocket held an ankle brace and 15 ft (5 m) of para cord on one side, and I was able to squeeze in 4 tent pegs, a couple guy lines and 6 sq ft (0.5 sq m) of polyethlene sheet in the other lower pocket. I'd thought these lower pockets would hold 1 L water bottles, but evidently they're made for something flat and thin. I'd think they either need to be "pouchier" and with an elastic top hem or left off. The upper zipper pockets need to be at least an inch (2.5 cm) deeper to earn their keep. For me, the ideal pocket will stow a 22 oz (0.7 L) insulated mug with the bag stuffed--then they are big enough to be useful.
   
    The front pocket held my wool shirt, GPS and head lamp. I like the size, shape and placement, but find two zippers redundant.
   
    The lid took my map, toiletries, and water bag/filter. I like the snap hook, but I'd place it farther inside where it wouldn't be routinely in the way of the zipper. I'm also partial to stowing my car key on this hook until the last day, and I just get anxious when that thing hangs out in the open. I suppose the bottom side of the lid having a separate pocket and zipper is not a terrible idea, but it offends my sense of wanting to be a tare miser. I like how easily the lid removes and replaces, quickly getting attached to the tactic of stuffing it with stuff that goes in the tent in one tidy pouch.

    I didn't use the bladder pocket. Yosemite requires a bear can, and an 8-day trip for me requires a big one. There's no room for it and a bladder. I suppose there may be a feeling of some security in having a bladder envelope, but as a careful packer I see it as a useless feature.

    The belt pockets are perfectly executed. It's hard for me to access them with the pack on, but they are super spots for sticking little stuff that I'd otherwise have to hunt for all the time. I'm especially thinking of the quarter I carry to turn the screws on my bear can; a gel pack or two; and on the last day, my car key. The zippered pocket each side also has a "slip" pocket each side. I wouldn't want to put anything in these pockets that might be of consequence.

    Bag: I haven't figured out the reason for two cord closures at the top of the bag. I dropped the bottom "shelf" to the bottom and top-loaded clothes, 900 ci (15 L) bear can, air mattress, first aid & emergency, 50 sq ft (4.6 sq m) polyethlene sheet, camp shoes, coffee pot, mug, sleeping bag and pad for the first outing; and switched to a larger sleeping pad in subsequent outings that I put under the webbing straps outside. I also attached a gallon (3.8 L) jug, 2 L soda bottle and a sling chair; and strung my 1 L trail bottle from the shoulder strap.

    Buckles, zippers and loops: The side release buckles are too small for my fingers, and with the female end either fastened down to the fabric or anchored to a too-short webbing, I'd suggest a re-think on these. I see no value in two zippers on the front pocket or the side zippers on the bag. The bottom access zipper opens too small to be of much use even if I liked having a bottom access. I like the elastic loops on the top end as they work really slick to secure the top of my chair frame. As they are not in any way fastened to the pack, I have grave concerns about my ability to keep them. I could not use this small of a bag for a mountain overnight, and it's too heavy for a day bag, so I don't have use for the ice ax head loops at the bottom. They either don't work or I don't know how to make them work for trekking poles.

    Rain cover: It doesn't rain in California anymore (and didn't in Colorado), so I never deployed it. After the test I may remove it. The stow pocket is a cute idea, but seems to me a heavy and production-costly manner of under simplification.

    Removable parts: I feel compelled to quibble over the value of being able to remove these "liners". Since they require hand washing, I'm already 13 minutes into the job with removal and replacement before accounting any washing time. I doubt if the parts are replaceable, though it seems they easily could be if all six models used the same size and color with a single SKU for the set. I'm thinking the most valuable benefit of removing the parts is making it easier to dye them a different color.
  
    Yes or no?: Definitely yes. I am pretty happy with this pack for week-long outings. I could like it even more for shorter outings. My rants relate to lesser concerns and develop from frustration that the core design is really on track, hampered needlessly by execution seeming to pander to marketing features rather than delivering practical benefit from them.