The Granite Gear Leopard VC-46 is made from durable and light Cordura fabric a brand that is synonymous with quality in the outdoor community. It comes in two color waves: Sky Blue/Slate and Oatmeal/Java, two sizes: Long and Regular and four hip belt sizes: women’s small and men’s medium, large, and x-large.
Pros & Cons
- The roll top closure is more water resistant than say a drawstring closure. It also gives the pack a wider load carrying range as you can partially roll up the top to accommodate larger loads.
- There are 12 compression straps on the Leopard VC 46; three on each side, two on the top, and four dedicated to lengthening or shortening the height of the lid. This gives the user the ability to accommodate a wide variety of loads. Just keep in mind that it is only rated to 35 pound loads with the frame left in the pack or 25 pound loads without the frame.
- Well thought out pockets make it easy to stay organized on the trail and the Leopard VC 46 does not have a shortage of them. Six zippered pockets in total actually. All of the external zippers feature “zipper garages” which help keep the contents dry. The pack is not waterproof though so make sure you carry a rain cover if you are expecting precipitation.
- There are two stretchy water bottle pockets that I love! Sometimes I just do not want to carry a water bladder or I want to secure my trekking poles to the side of the pack. These pockets give me that flexibility.
- There are two ice axe attachment points which makes sense since it is marketed as an alpine backpack. It always bugs me when a pack only has one or even zero ice axe attachment points. So kudos to Granite Gear for including two in the design. My only complaint is that when carrying a helmet or crampons utilizing the adjustable flap (that has two zippered pockets skillfully built into it I might add) the ice axe(s) protrude quite far from the main compartment. This makes them much more prone to getting snagged.
- This Leopard VC 46 has numerous bells and whistles. Lots of pockets, zippers, straps, adjustability, and versatility that would make one think that it would be fairly heavy. However, tipping the scales at just over three and a half pounds this is a light weight ruck, that you can actually use in an alpine environment. The frame and top lid are removable and weigh 8 ounces and 6 ounces respectively. This is great for shedding unnecessary weight before a light and fast summit push.
- Despite its light weight it is pretty darn tough too. On one climbing trip I utilized the Leopard VC 46 as a haul-bag dragging it up several pitches of quartzite rock speckled with sharp knobs. The top panel took the brunt of the abuse and while there were signs of abrasion the material was not shredded and there was only one pin-prick of a hole in the fabric. The rest of the pack looked brand new!
- Granite Gear offers numerous accessories such as a Crampon Holster, Tool Loops, Pack Pockets, Shoulder Strap Pockets, Armored Pockets, Belt Pockets, and Vapor AirBeam Frames. While we did not test any of these accessories they are worth mentioning as the customization afforded by these extra features allows the user the ability to fine tune the Leopard VC 46 to his or her specific needs.
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