I started backpacking in Wisconsin as a youth, being involved in the Boy Scouts programs. As a young adult, I worked at a summer camp leading backpacking, canoeing and mountain biking trips. I now generally take short weekend or day trips in rough, mountainous terrain, although I have extensive experience in the upper Midwest as well. I take one or two longer trips each year, where I typically carry about 40 lb (18 kg). I prefer to be prepared and comfortable, but I have taken lightweight trips as well.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Cerro Torre
Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85
Manufacturer: Lowe Alpine
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Manufacturer's Website: www.lowealpine.com
MSRP: NA
Listed Weight: NA
Measured Weight: 6 lb (2.7 kg)
Color: Dark Pear
Volume: 65L (3,967 cu in) expandable to 85 L (5,187 cu in)
Torso: 16 - 23 in (41 - 59 cm)
Access: Top / Bottom / Front

Other Key Features:

TFX® Torso Fit Expedition Fit System - Designed for backpacking where carrying heavy loads over multiple days

Included rain cover with storage pouch

Adaptive Fit hip belt - Provides additional comfort and fit

Removable storage pouch for shoulder strap

Hydration Bladder compatible

Gear loops with trekking pole holder

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85 is a generously sized backpack suitable for multi-day and extended backpacking trips. The Cerro Torre comes with a simple hang tag that contains some history of the company as well as the manufacturer's warranty.

When I first inspected the backpack, I was at once impressed with the quality of workmanship. I could find neither defects nor any flaws despite a thorough examination. In many areas, there are redundancies built into the stitching for added strength. The fabric appears to be made of a sturdy NHC330/TXP 600/1680 Ballistic material with hexagonal shapes. There are two main compartments in the backpack; one for my sleeping bag and the other for additional gear. The bottom of the sleeping bag compartment is lined with an additional layer of material presumably for added durability.

The lid of the backpack is well sized. There is plenty of room for my rain gear and other small items I may want readily. Built into the lid is a pouch with an included rain cover in the back of the lid. The rain cover is made of orange nylon and has an elastic bungee cord sewn into the hem for a snug fit around the full pack. There is a silver Lowe Alpine logo printed on the outside of the pack. On the bottom of the lid there is a zippered pouch similar to many other packs that I have owned where I will keep my map as needed. There are also universal distress signal instructions printed on the bottom of the lid, pictured below.

Danger
Bottom of lid

To access the Cerro Torre, I can use the top opening or the front panels. I say panels because the sleeping bag compartment also has a zippered opening. The zippers are made of sturdy nylon zippers and have large plastic pulls that should be easy to grasp even with a gloved hand. For added protection from the elements, each zipper is covered by the ballistic material. For the main compartment, the webbing and buckle that attach to the lid is woven into the fabric that covers the zipper. The front panel also has four medium sized buckles holding the fabric in place. The buckles are sewn into the front panel on leather pads which also have small leather loops for stowing additional gear.

The sleeping bag compartment also has two straps of webbing and buckles on the exterior. These compress the compartment but I think they will also be perfect for attaching my sleeping pad and holding it in place. The sleeping bag compartment is generously sized and has more than enough space for my synthetic-filled sleeping bag. There is even room to store additional gear should I need it.

Inside the main compartment there is a pocket for a hydration bladder that accommodates my 3 L reservoir. There is a hook and loop tab that my reservoir can hang from as well. Upon further inspection, I noticed that there is a hook and loop closure that holds a horizontal aluminum stay that maintains a contour near the top of the pack. There is an opening in one side of the pouch that the hydration tube can exit the backpack. In the front pouch there is a zippered pocket, pictured below, in which I can also store additional gear. The main compartment and sleeping bag compartment are fully separated by continuous fabric but can be accessed by a zipper that stretches 3/4 of the way around the bag.

The main compartment of the Cerro Torre can also be extended by filling the upper portion past the first drawstring and cinching the second, uppermost drawstring. When not needed, this extra fabric easily packs into the main compartment. There is another strap of webbing and buckle that can compress the pack from the top and hold this extension securely in place. On either side of the pack there are two additional webbing compression straps that have buckles. These can also serve double duty and store additional gear on the outside. Both sides of the backpack have external pouches made of a stretchy synthetic material that can accommodate water bottles or other similar items. Near the bottom of either side there are additional gear loops as well.

One feature worth pointing out is a clever gear loop that has a dual design of holding my trekking poles in place. The gear loop has a small plastic disc that is cut in the middle so I can push the end of my pole through it. The pole portion is held in place about halfway up the pack by an elastic bungee cord with a hook design to hold the pole in place. This design works equally as well with my ice axe as the plastic disc is built into a typical gear loop.

loops
Gear Loop Attachment Points

The hip belt is well padded and is fully adjustable for my size. The hip belt uses Lowe Alpine's adaptive fit system which contours the padded belt to my waist as I tighten it. There is more information available on the manufacturer's website about the technology. The shoulder straps are also well padded. Included in the Cerro Torre is a removable zippered pouch suitable for a cell phone or small camera that attaches to the shoulder strap. Since there are no pockets on the hip belt, this might be a handy feature. The sternum strap is adjustable via piping that is built into the shoulder strap. Finally the sternum strap buckle has a built in whistle for emergencies, or for just plain old fun.

TFX System

The Cerro Torre features the TFX (Torso Fit Expedition) system that allows for easy and on-the-fly adjustment of the torso size. Using the manufacturer's chart available on the website, the torso size can be adjusted by removing the lumbar support from the rear padding. Doing so allows the padding to slide freely up and down the aluminum stays. There is a webbing strap and buckle that may need to be loosened depending on my personal fit. Using the color coded system, I can adjust the support to my preference, tighten the webbing to that fit and replace the lumbar support into the padding. There are hook and loop tabs that further keep the torso system in place. One final note about the rear padding is that the polyethylene foam is covered by a mesh material in portions so that air may flow and make my back more comfortable as I perspire.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

As noted before, there is very little information about the pack available yet, leaving me to figure out many of the features and uses on my own. There are some care instructions included on a tab sewn into the interior main compartment. The instructions are general and easy to follow.

For the most part, I believe I understand a number of the features. Many features are already included on other Lowe Alpine packs so information on how to use these is easily available by looking through the manufacturer's website and catalogue.

TRYING IT OUT

Fully Loaded
Packed up and ready to hit the trail!
The Cerro Torre is quite adequate for my personal needs. I have used both larger and smaller packs in the past, but what really impresses me with this pack are the well thought out design features. Having a place to store both ice axe and trekking poles is a real plus for me. I did take the opportunity to load up the pack with about 40 lb (18 kg) worth of gear, pictured below, and found that the pack carries the load just fine. While the current model I am testing does not state it, previous models are rated to carry loads of 55-66 lb (25-30 kg).

SUMMARY

I am very excited to get out and try the Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85! I love the colors and the size is fantastic for my needs. I am curious to see how much I use the various features over the testing period.

I would like to thank Lowe Alpine and the monitors at BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to be a part of this test series. Please check back in approximately two months for the field report.

Test Report by Brett Haydin

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