Lowe Alpine's New Backpacks

We told you about Lowe Alpine's new for 2010 Hyperlite Packs last week, but the company's range of TFX big packs has had a complete revamp for next year with a couple of stonking looking new packs making a debut.


What's Changed?

The TFX range was first updated back in 2007, but it's about to be refined even further. The most obvious upgrade is the the back system. TFX packs carry well, but were relatively heavy. For 2010 however, Lowe has slashed weight by 20-30%. Everything's been fine tuned with wastage reduced and excess fat slashed.


TFX10

There are three back systems in the range, the top-end version is the TFX10. It's aimed at carrying big loads in comfort - think 55-70lb - has a more obvious, but simple and robust adjustable back system, plus 'adaptive fit' hip-belt and shoulder straps to automatically accommodate a wide range of body shapes.

The lumbar pad uses something Lowe Alpine calls 'Rebound Foam' which recovers well from being compressed and gives better stability, comfort and load transfer.


The pack we were really impressed by is the top of the range TFX Expedition 75-95 - £180. It's a stripped down, simple, but very light expedition pack that's intended to still be strong and carry heavy loads in comfort.

Weight is 2.2 kilos for almost 100 litres of carrying capacity. The fabric is light but super strong Dyneema-based stuff and the rest of the weight saving is down mostly to what's been left off. There are no pockets, but lots of lash points and a compression system that can be used to cinch the pack right down for summit use once you're on the mountain. The main hip-belt can be replaced with a minimalist belt to save even more weight.


It feels ridiculously light in the hand but still has Lowe's build quality and, they say, load-hauling capabilities.

The rest of the range has been lightened too. The Fitzroy 70-90 - £180 - has more bells and whistles with side pockets, side entry and more and there's also an alpine crossover pack called the Cerro Torre, which has no side pockets and works either for backpacking or for alpine peak bagging, though it's not intended for technical climbing.

TFX 8 and TFX 6

Next down is the TFX8 range of packs. These use a standard rather than adaptive fit hip-belt, a slightly softer foam, and spacer mesh on the straps and back system rather than the smoother fabric used on the TFX10 packs. There's also a central ventilation channel over the spine called the 'supportive channel'.


The TFX8s are slightly cheaper - the Makalu 65-85, which is a well-specced pack aimed at trekkers with bellows side pockets, front entry and compression straps will retail for £160 while the simpler Appalachian 65-85 workhorse retails for £140.

Last but not least, the TFX6 uses a simpler, but still effective back system for two entry-level packs, the Khumbu and the Outback priced at £130 and £120 and both weighing in at around 2250 grammes.

ND Women's Packs

The range of TFX ND women's specific packs has also had some extensive tweaks. Because Lowe Alpine's market research shows women like to organise their loads more efficiently, they have lots of handy pockets and compartments all round.


The back systems are based on smaller dimensions, as you'd expect, but the lumbar pad on the women's packs has been modified and tapered, so it now sits lower on the back rather than high on the waist as the previous version tended to do.


Finally, as with the men's packs, there are some new colours to enjoy. There's no ND Expedition pack this year, but Lowe Alpine is looking at one for the future.


The new TFX packs should be in the shops from around February 2010. Full details of the current Lowe Alpine range at www.lowealpine.com