Mystery Ranch

Scree 33L Backpack - Men's

Can't Recommend for Alpine Use

The Scree 33 is just big enough for a serious, long day out, or a hut-to-hut where you won't need to carry a tent or heavy bag. I wouldn't recommend it for overnights in the open. For me, it's comfortable weight-carrying limit seems to be about 20/25 pounds. It appears well made, and the zippers look to be fairly sturdy. The 3-zip access is very convenient. The side straps can be moved around to better accommodate compression and relieving the zippers. But the bag doesn't easily compress around a smaller load. It's wearable with an alpine harness with bottom gear loops, and has an additional gear loop on each side of the waste-belt. A rope can be strapped externally over the top. At 5'10" and an average build, I've been able to get a perfect fit in terms of back shape and torso length on a men's medium with just some minor bending and adjustment. However, using the pack for a day left me with the sides of my neck rubbed raw by the shoulder straps, despite their being perfectly curved around my neck. The problem is that the mass of Velcro that holds the waste belt in place forces the whole pack to move with your hips, causing it to rock with every step, or forcing the straps against your neck when climbing. Shifting more weight to my shoulders while shoving a piece of plastic between the waste belt and pack Velcro hook-and-loop so that they could move independently helped greatly, allowing the pack to remain more in line with the shoulders. But then, the extreme curvature of the shoulder straps combine with a high anchor point on the pack to allow for too much slop for an alpine pack. I might use this for an approach pack. But anything much more than an hour or that requires any significant scrambling or a heavier load just wouldn't be pleasant. The smaller 22 version might be better in that regard.

Sturdy and comfortable

I spend 40-50 hours a week surveying rugged terrain and having a good, comfortable pack is very important to me. This pack it great and I’m glad I got it. It is very ergonomic and in the internal frame holds the weight well so that the strain stays off my back. I have plenty of room in the pack to bring all my equipment. The gear loops on the waist strap is very functional and helps me keep my gear at hand.

Pretty close to my ideal alpine climbing pack.

I picked this up a month ago after doing a ton of research. I love how stripped down, but functional it is. The new material gives it some structure, and it feels burly compared to other packs I've used. Love the tri-zip, and the accessibility of gear is top-notch. I took it on a trip to Red Rocks outside of Vegas and it was a dream for the approach. It carries weight well, and the adjustable fit is nice to dial things in. Once things got scrambly or technical, it was annoying to look up since the internal frame stay is so rigid and runs right across the top of the pack. I felt like a turtle. Running it frameless was uncomfortable too. Once I got home, I bent the top of the stay to give my head and helmet a little bit of space, and it felt a million times better. I wish it had a similar shoulder strap setup to the Gallagator / Bridger series with the soft flask pockets. The accessories to add that feature are awesome, but they add some bulk to an already thick strap. Would be cool if I was able to swap out the harness for one with the pockets integrated. All in all, it's still an excellent pack, and I'm excited to have it.

Great Alpine Summit Pack

Got this bag after considering a Hyperlite and Mountain Hardware pack for car-to-car alpine summit pushes. This pack has delivered on what I was looking for: tough, water resistant, can hold mountaineering tools (axe, picket, rope, etc.), and big enough to carry my sizeable 10 essentials. -The zippers are big and easy to pull with gloves on. -Side straps can be added, moved, subtracted based on exterior carrying needs. -Wish it had an exterior rear dump pocket for dropping crampons/microspikes in while they melt and dry out on the hike down. (This is not really a backpacking overnight pack).

Super comfortable

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

Large

I had been wanting to get a Mystery Ranch pack for a few years now. the Scree 33L filled a gap in my pack setup. I'm so glad I got this bag! My body tends to be picky when it comes to packs. This pack fit perfectly right out of the box. Should adjustment be necessary, the pack height is adjustable. I've taken this pack on a few day hikes loaded up with gear for my dogs and myself, and it's now my favorite pack. Zero hot spots, easy adjustments while wearing, and the most comfortable pack I own. Contents are easily accessible in the large main compartment - the bag splits open with the center zipper. The material shed a rain shower and kept the interior contents dry. Waterproof zippers help protect the contents. I'm looking forward to buying my second Mystery Ranch pack in the future. This bag has made me a huge fan.

New bag, old reviews

Be aware that most reviews are for the old version, Scree 32L, not the new 33L. The redesign has a number of changes (materials, zippers, straps) and should have its own seperate reviews. The new bag also cost a hundred dollars more. Old version was a great "one bag travel bag" and I will not be paying more for the newer version.

Convenience Built Tough!

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

XL

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

240

This is my first pack from Mystery Ranch and WOW! The zipper construction and shell materials are insanely durable - exactly what I want during nasty approaches and ascents. The top feature for me is the three-way zippered main compartment. It allows me to open the pack fully and not only access more gear without taking it out, but offers a better ability to organize it in the first place. The external straps are plenty long to allow secure carrying of all sorts of gear. The hip belt and sternum strap provide great comfort while the load-lifter straps on the shoulders allow the fit to be even more dialed. The top pocket is plenty large for wallet/keys/phone/snacks etc. Regarding sizing, I would have gone with a Large had it been in stock, but the XL works great! It will probably be more advantageous during ice season when extra layering is needed. Last but not least, the limeade color with black trim looks so good in person!

Great mountaineer pack. With a couple of annoying

I am impressed at how much you can load inside this pack. I can fit multiple jackets, helmet, cramp on, small camera, water, crampons, and carry my axe and poles on the outside. And it fits very comfortably. The annoying thing is, the buckles are weak. One broke the moment i took it out of the box and test load my gear. And these are not easy to replace buckles. Another small annoying detail are the zipper pulls. They are too small for glove use. Luckily these are easy to replace, which I did with larger paracord and shrink tubbing. Over all it's a fantastic backpack, with a couple of small flaws.

Worth the dough

I’ve used this a little so far. For an assault pack sized pack it does an amazing job. I’ve taken it with me on multiple hikes and I actually just got back from a three day trip to Channel Islands. If you check out SamTheOddMan on YouTube you’ll see me walking around with it. The frame felt solid and the material is durable although I haven’t been beating like I would if I was still in the military. If you think you’ll be falling and sliding down a lot from bad terrain I would recommend a military pack but for relaxing to moderate hikes and outdoor ventures this is an amazing pack!

Perfect light bag for saddle hunting

I bought this backpack after for light weight, durability, medium size bag and the “Y” shape zipper. This was for the intention of being mobile while saddle hunting. By far, BEST backpack I’ve had. The material is tough and SUPER light weight. The bag fit my Tethrd Predator XL platform (in the predator case) perfectly. I split two climbing sticks per side of the bag. I’ve also was able to store my Tethrd saddle in the backpack with the platform after the hunting seasons. Everything I needed for saddle hunting goes into one bag for storage. I’m amazed by this bag. Suggestions: On the lower right and left side of the bag, maybe put a strap on it so either it can secure the lower side of maybe climbing sticks, elk tube, trekking poles.