Black Diamond Women's Astral 40 Backpack

Great pack
August 12, 2010

I bought this pack as a mid-size good quality hiking pack that could carry a few days worth of gear for hut-to-hut hiking. I am satisfied. Overall, it is excellent, with good shoulder straps (slightly wider set than average, i suspect), outstandingly comfortable hip belt and deceptively spacious interior. However one major gripe is that the two straps attaching the top lid to the back panel of the pack will not stay fixed. It ends up sliding all over the place. I have taken to leaving the lid at home and just using the pack itself. This is ok, but it means the only small pockets with easy access are on the hip belt. The other alternative would be to sew the straps to a fixed length, but obviously that limits your flexibility on the pack overall. The other downside is that the roll-top to the main section means that it is a little slow to get in and out of, and you generally need two hands to close the bag neatly.