McHale Inex Alpineer bayonet Review

"I purchased my Inex Alpineer in 1996. It's capacity is 6000 cu. inches (7000 cu.in. extended) It's made out of black 1000 denier cordura. I would recommend getting one made out of 500 denier cordura, it has a more shiny appearance, but is more water resistant. I'm very happy with the pack, I had previously owned a `93 model Lowe Alpine Continuum. After purchasing my McHale I later worked for an outdoor program in Pennsylvania that took 2 week trips to various states. We did a lot of backpacking, rock climbing, and rappelling. I am nowhere close to being an expert in the outdoors, but I have spent a lot of time in the field during my time in the army, in the snow, and in the desert. After getting out I spent a lot of time backpacking. I am mostly interested in winter camping and mountaineering. So I was looking for a pack large enough for bulky winter gear and the extra food required. I also wanted a substantial enough frame system to handle heavy loads. I've heard a lot of people talk about keeping pack weights down to about 50 lbs. or so. But if your pack gets wet, or you pack wet gear, such as tents, you could easily go way above 50 lbs. I had heard about McHale packs and their ability to handle heavy loads, so I decided to check them out. I've had an opportunity to compare my pack to other high end packs, a lot of the other staff members at the outdoor program I worked at used other packs. Dana Terraplanes were popular, Astraplanes and Alpines were used also. As well as some Gregory and Lowe Alpine packs. I felt that the hipbelt on the McHale was more efficient at distributing weight to your hips than the other packs. The Dana packs were nice and I almost considered buying one of those, but under heavy loads the hipbelts can slip. The belt is held in place by velcro between the lumbar pad and the pack body. The McHale's hip belt is bolted in place to the frame itself. The shoulder harness of the McHale takes a little getting used to but it does offer a better way to adjust the fit of the pack to your body while on the move. Other packs seem to create more pressure against your collar bones, or fall away from your back when loossening the shoulder stabilizer straps. All of the other packs use the same shoulder harness adjustment methods, so there there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of innovation in that area. The McHale's in a lot different, but as I said, it does take some getting used to. It was very expensive, about $580.00. But I was already looking to spend about $440.00 for a Dana Designs pack. I rationalized the purchase of the McHale, since it was only about $140.00 more. Is a McHale worth $580.00? I don't know. It is alot of money. It was definately worth the extra $140.00 over what I was looking to spend anyway. I sold my old Lowe Alpine pack for $170.00, so it turned out o.k. If your in the market for a high end pack, consider checking out a McHale before you decide on what your going to buy, it's a big decision. You can't go to a store and check out a McHale, they have a checklist of a bunch of body measurements, and custom make one for you. It's a bit of a leap of faith, but they've been in business for a long time and are reputable. It's worth the trouble to check out their catalog. Good luck in your search for a good pack."