The Kelty Cloud is a lightweight pack made entirely of spectra fabric. It has a number of modular components, including lightweight aluminum frame stays,foam back pad, three outside pockets, gear loops, and a choice of padded or unpadded hip belts. Depending on the configuration you choose, you can either strip the pack down for climbing, or add capacity and comfort for carrying loads. For long climbs carrying medium loads, I configure the pack with the top lid, the aluminum frame stays, plastic frame sheet, padded belt, compression straps, and a couple of gear loops Total weight for this configuration is about 2 pounds 13 ounces. Base capacity in this configuration is 4500 cubic inches (60 liters.) This is enough space for a multi day climbing trip in cold weather.

In use, the pack carries and climbs quite well. It is absolutely essential, however, that you bend the stays to fit your back shape. Without doing this, the pack doesn't have adequate stability. Get someone who knows how to do this to help you. It helps if you buy it from a store where the staff actually knows something about pack fitting and frame stay shaping.

The frame and hipbelt give decent load control that allows comfortable carry of loads up to about fifty pounds. There is enough lateral flexibility in the frame to allow decent mobility for climbing. Large load comfort is way better than alpine packs with just a foam pad for the frame. This pack wouldn't be good for strange, gymnastic moves, but is stable enough for straight-forward front pointing on steep ice. This is the perfect pack for longer climbing routes where you have to carry more than you might want to, and have to climb with the entire load on your back, (as opposed to day climbs taken from a hut or basecamp.) Fully tricked out with all the pockets, it also works well for backpacking trips.

Biggest disadvantage of this pack is the price, which at $550 is pretty steep.



Recommended: Yes