Aquilo Pack

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1. Aquilo Pack is a performer

   I had reached a point in my hiking experiance that I wanted something lighter and better quality...and made in the USA! Really it is! I called Matt...yes a person...when you call the number you get to talk to a real human being about your pack and tell them what you want....Matt was full of suggestions and they all make sense...great selection of fabrics, colors, pockets, durability, LIGHTWEIGHT fabrics, waterproof fabrics...whatever you want they can make...I explained to Matt what I wanted...he built it and it's exactly what I wanted...no complaints...if you interested in a high quality lightweight pack...here is the place to shop Battle on 12th Jun 2017

2. Awesome Pack

   May 2016. I am an experienced backpacker and normally do four to five trips a year. I have now used my Aquilo pack for both a base camp backpack and a three day, forty mile, thru hike. It has met and exceeded all my expectations. I did a tremendous amount of research beforehand. I wanted a pack that was lightweight but could accomodate a bearikade weekender bear canister as well as my gear for an upcoming three week, 200 mile, John Muir Trail hike. I trialed five or six packs of similar size and weight, but this one is by far the most comfortable. It truly swallows the bear canister with room to spare. I love the tall exterior pockets. I use one for my hydration system which allows me easy access for refills. I would buy this pack again in a heartbeat. I purchased both a small, and a large, hip belt pocket. I will be replacing the small with a second large one... or see if Matthew can replace both with even larger ones. They do run small compared to my previous packs. Mary on 10th May 2016

3. Best Pack I've Ever Carried

   I bought this pack last year (2015). I was using a ULA Catalyst (4 years, 300+ miles hiked with it) that was a little too short (medium torso length for a 6'-3" person) which resulted in trap bruises. I was going to order a large Catalyst when I read about the EH Aquilo. I really liked the Catalyst, it was comfortable, plenty of room, huge hip belt pockets so I was concerned that the Aquilo would not be on the same level of the Catalyst regarding comfort and room. Well, I contacted Matthew, followed his suggestions and order the pack. When I received it, everything was perfect. Construction, fit, room, comfort--except that the hip pockets were a little small for me. I contacted Matthew and he said that the hip belt pockets were removable and that he could make me a larger pair. He did, I put them on, and the pack,was now perfect. I just got back from thru-hiking the Foothills Trail in SC (taking a break from the AT since the movie just came out!) 76 miles in 4 days and I had no pack-related issues (this is a first). No shoulder strap issues (weight transferred beautifully to my hips). By the 3rd day my wife got tired of hearing how great the pack was, 25-28 lb load and this pack carries like a dream. Matt on 7th May 2016

4. Plenty of room - and comfort to boot!

   I got in contact with Matthew to purchase this pack just a month before heading out on an AT section hike when it became clear that I wasn't going to be able to pare down any more weight without replacing my previous pack (which I loved). Let me tell you - best decision ever. Matthew was not only able to deliver the pack in time, but before he even started spent time getting to know my needs and going through pack fit and accessory options.
   
   The pack was delivered a week before I started walking so other than packing and repacking it several times I hadn't put any miles on it when I started off from Springer Mountain. From the start, I loved not only the fit (never once uncomfortable throughout the month long trip) but also the weight distribution and lower center of gravity from my other pack. I was pushing the limit weight wise at the start (too much food!) at about 36 lbs fully loaded, including my BV450 bear canister but there was still plenty of room for everything, and carrying the bulk of that weight lower and across the hips meant no problem at all. The pack is sleek - no problems with hangups on brush or branches while walking the "green tunnel".
   
   I especially liked the roomy exterior rear pocket - several mornings I had to roll up a wet (or frozen) tent but it was no problem placing it in the rear pocket along with my sleeping pad, away from my other gear. In fact, the external pockets are laid out so well and roomy enough that I was able to pack everything I needed during the day in them for easy access - food for the day, stove, water purification, rain jacket, fleece, etc. All there and easily accessible.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent product - well made, well thought-out, and as I said before, comfortable even after a long day of hiking. As an aside, a month in the woods and still looks brand new - unscathed by normal wear and tear nor the couple of tumbles I took!
   
   Thanks for putting out a quality, functional, and American-made product! Scott on 24th Apr 2016

5. A Great Backpack When You Need Volume

   I made the move in 2015 from my old trusted Gregory Z65 to the Aquilo. I have to say right up front that Matthew was great to work with by answering questions and making sure that I got a pack that both fit me well and was suited to me individually. I have the unfortunate handicap of missing an arm so Matthew spent nearly an hour on the phone with me doing his best to fill, roll the top, buckle up the pack and put it on with only one arm so that we could determine if I could actually use this pack! Then he went above and beyond when after my first trip I let him know how it went - great - except that I had a horrible time snapping the sternum strap...He called me minutes after I had sent the email to him and apologized for not foreseeing this difficulty!! NOT HIS FAULT!! He then put in the mail to me a new sternum strap with one fixed side so I can snap it up now no problem - AT NO CHARGE TO ME! Love doing business with a company who really, really cares!
   
   So the pack... Even though we are sliding toward light weight packing I still wanted the volume for those trails where a bear can is required (yes the Kalais holds a can as well but I felt I needed more volume.) This pack fit the bill very well indeed! Actually if I have one complaint about the pack it would be it is almost too big for our style of backpacking - unless I am carrying the BV500 bear can. As we hike in the desert a lot we substituted dyneema for the mesh pockets and opted for the lumbar support, which I still like.
   
   I now have just over 200 trail miles on this pack and have to say I like it just as much today as I did on the first trip. It carries well and has load lifters that really do help shift the weight to the hips, unlike many "off the rack" packs that have load lifters that really don't do much. I find every adjustment strap on the pack does its job and throughout the day, especially on those 15-20 mile days when carrying lots of water (read weight) I can tug a strap here or release a little there and it makes a big difference.
   
   Ok the biggest endorsement for last - My wife carries the Kalais, and I covet it! On those trips where we aren't carrying a bear can (though she does carry a BV450 on trips where we do) I want a Kalais! So today I am calling Matthew and ordering my own Kalais... still keeping the Aquilo but I'm looking forward to using the Kalais for a lot of our trips in 2016 and beyond! Unknown on 11th Jan 2016