Nessmuk Pack

I bought my Nessmuk Pack in 2012. Since then it has traveled with me to many states, the Caribbean, the UK, and of course Canada. I use it as carryon luggage all the time, and joked/not joked on my last cruise, that if the airlines had lost my luggage, I could have happily lived out of the amount of clothes I packed in the pack.

Other than periodically needing re-waxing, it’s still going strong.

Only one “problem”: because of the nature of the pack, the flaps over the pockets are kind of loose. For travel, I use those pockets to hold smaller bags. (For travel with this as my carryon, the long pocket holds my Dopp kit, and one of the smaller pockets holds a zip pouch with power/other cables for my phones and iPad.

Ultimately, it is my favorite piece of luggage bar none.

love it top notch

I really wanted to love this pack. The quality of the materials and craftsmanship are, as with any Frost River product, top-notch. The pocket layout seemed ideal (I like the long-and-two-shorts more than the two-long layout of the similar Cliff Jacobson Signature Pack). But after filling it with a test load and walking around my apartment, it was immediately clear that I had to send it back. Notice the attachment points of the straps. Notice that they connect to the bottom of the pack rather than to extensions mounted on the sides (as you might see in, say, the Summit or Isle Royale series). On me, the effect of this mounting point is to cause the straps to dig into my back. This was uncomfortable right away, and I imagine it would have become a real problem on a hike. I adjusted the shoulder strap length, but to no avail. The pain persisted, and it was a deal-breaker. Perhaps a few tweaks would make this a near-perfect pack. I just don't think it's there right now.

A great pack that looks and feels great. Haven't really put it thorough its paces yet just some day to day stuff, but I have no doubt on or off the trail it will rock it. I totally love the fact that its 18 ounce canvas and WAXED at no extra cost. Have used waxed canvas in the past in hot and cold climates, and for me, its the only way to go. Keep up the great work.

Picked up this pack many years ago to carry the day's needs when out hunting. Camp pards were constantly commenting on what a nice pack I had. Also gets used as a utility pack when canoe tripping. In fact I had it with me last weekend in the backcountry of Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia. It feels best when I'm wearing wool jacket and pants with Bean boots. Perfect in every way!!