To sum it up, a great 1.5 - 2 day pack. I've carried loads between 35 and 55 lbs in this BAD BOY comfortably, and not a stitch out of place. Bombproof materials, outstanding craftsmanship, and for me a great fitting pack. If you can spend the $$ buy this pack. I would give it a 6 star rating if I could.

Similar Products Used:

EMS-Stitching blew out after 3 trips
TNF-good pack but not under load

The BigHorn is one great pack. It's been a faithful companion on many hikes in the Whites of NH and a multi-day hut-to-hut hike in Switzerland thatincluded a climb to the summit of the Eiger (as well as a couple of other summits). It's rugged and comfortable. The suspension is super. You can adjust the suspension a number of ways to get a comfortable hiking arrangement or a rock-solid climbing pack.

I can't say that I've found much use for the shovit, other than a place to cram a wet jacket; I usually find it easier to use a bungee cord to secure snowshoes to the pack. And putting a rope or other gear in there would move the center of gravity too far from one's body (IMO).

As for the panel loading feature -- I haven't used it all that much. First, with the pack really stuffed, it's kinda hard to close the zipper -- which tends to snag contents. Second, it's something of a bother to use it; you have to remove whatever it is that you've secured to the exterior of the pack or stuffed in the shovit, loosen the compression straps, *find* the zipper, etc. etc. If anything, it makes the pack a bit less watertight and I find that I use a garbage back liner (as I do for all my packs) to keep the contents dry if the weather promises to be less than cooperative -- in which case panel loading isn't of much value.

Still, I *love* my BigHorn. It was expensive, but worth every cent.

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EMS 3000 -- relegated to storing my climbing gear since purchasing the BigHorn

Dana Glacier - needed a larger pack for winter camping and I was so impressed by the BigHorn that I bought the Glacier. It too is terrific; the ArcLight suspension is *everything* Dana says it is. Their (Dana's) packs might not fit everyone, but *I'm* a fan for life.

Couple of day packs - which may be put out to pasture in favor of another Dana product.

I've had this pack for 3 years and had 50lb loads in it. Its amazing how comfortable it is. I've previously owned North Face and Gregory packs and they don't have the long term comfort of the Dana. Then again, they don't cost what the Dana costs.

Customer Service

They were prompt and courteous in their reply via email

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North Face, Grerory,

I have been using the Bighorn for 4 years now and my love for this pack only continues to grow. I have owned Kelty and North Face packs before I found Dana. I suggest to those of you buying your first pack save the extra money and buy a Dana first, you will not be disappointed. My first Dana was a Terraplane, then came the Bighorn. Last summer, I stuffed the pack full of a weeks worth of supplies and hiked 90 miles of the Long Trail. It is difficult to describe how comfortable this pack is, even with 50 lbs. crammed into it. The panel and top openings make loading and finding gear a breeze, the beavertail makes awkward gear easy to pack, and as with all Dana's the pack is made of totally bombproof materials. The Bighorn will never let you down!!!!

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Kelty External Frame pack---unbearably uncomfortable
North Face 5000c.i.( can't remember name)--very uncomfortable on the shoulders.

I bought the Big Horn after my EMS pack totally blew out. I bought it on sale, so I felt it to be an excellent value. It's a bomber pack, fit for anything you put it through. I've carried about 45 lbs in this pack without a problem. The straps are extremely comfortable, the waistbelt comfortable, and once I bent the stay to fit my back, I have nothing but good things to say. One of the zippers on the lid is starting to blow out, but I think thats YKK's fault, not Danas. If your philosophy is fast and light, this is the ONLY pack you need

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North Face- Returned- hated it
EMS- good pack while it lasted, had to step up to a real pack.

I used this pack while working for a conservation organization. Despite weather, load type, or the length of the work day, I never got tired of wearing this pack. Similar to the full size packs by Dana, this is one beast of a pack that can take what you give it. Perfect size for weekend or minimalist trips too.

Similar Products Used:

north face, gregory, osprey

The Bighorn is a slightly heavy, bomber day and a half pack. The pack features a panel loading zipper, but frankly I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually opened it. Like most Dana packs, the thing is over built and features redundancy in the case of failure for most zippers. The Bighorn is a little bigger than its cousin, the Bomb Pack, just big enough to add in a sleeping bag for overnighting. Also like most Dana packs, the overbuilt features add weight. You can't truly appreciate the load carrying features until you have the thing chock a block full then the full load carrying ability is a thing of beauty. I bought this pack because I know it will withstand a high level of abuse, lighter users might want to look elsewhere.

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Dana Colter Dana Terraplane