Shadowlight Carbon 60 Backpack

A place for everything; without using cubes!

Great Pack! I like lots of. pocket options to store my frequently used trail items reducing the need to get in my pack during the day. This fits pack fits the bill. The split expandable. pocket an mid-zipper works great for organization. After three weeks. of trail use, I bought one for my son.

The pack is super lightweight which is great. I like the extra (2 level) side pockets. The center zipper is nice to be able to access the middle of your pack without fully unpacking, however that option took away the ability to have a large front pocket. The smaller front pockets are difficult to fit things in.

Good/Great, But Not Yet Exceptional

The new version of the Shadowlight improves upon an already great backpack. More useful features (additional exterior gear attachment loops, top Y-Strap), more durable materials (all parts of the pack and exterior pockets), improved functionality (larger exterior pockets, smoother zippers). The carbon flex stays and redesigned hip belt do improve the "ride" of the backpack noticeably. Unfortunately, the center zipper is still present which is more of a "signature" or gimmick of the backpack rather than a serious practical feature. Inexperienced backpackers are generally going to overpack their backpack, so accessing contents inside the pack from the back (rather than the top) will be very difficult. Experienced backpackers use a pack liner for the interior and carry all day-use items on the exterior, so accessing contents inside the pack is irrelevant. More importantly, the center zipper removes a significant amount of the valuable real estate of the main rear rear pocket. Plus it adds unnecessary weight. I know this is a point of contention for the users as when OV discusses the pack, they acknowledge that a significant amount of the users do not like the zipper. You can tell that the zipper is a "signature" piece for this backpack model as it is not present on any other their other packs. The only other frustration that I see with this pack (as with many other brands) is that the bottom back is curved up significantly more than the original. If you set your pack down, it wants to flop on it's back since the bottom is curved, plus that makes it more challenging to secure items to the bottom. There are always trade-offs with any piece of gear. Overall, I very much like the revised version of the Shadowlight and own three (45L, 60L-original, 60L-carbon), so I must be happy with the product! Fixing the two above mentioned frustrations would turn this pack from good/great to exceptional!