I like to maintain maneuverability while bike commuting so I use a backpack to carry my clothes, food and repair kit to work. While I’ve wanted to, I have never tried a bike commuting-designed messenger bag. I can’t get rid of my current backpack.

I bought my backpack sometime in the spring or summer of 1999. I was wrapping up grad school and preparing for service in the Peace Corps. This was the first Lowe Alpine backpack I bought. I liked the size and the belts the pack offered. I believe I bought it for around $150.

The pack went with me to Haiti in September of ’99. I carried it almost everywhere I went in my 27 months there. The pack suffered extreme abuse during the two years, being transported in the back of pickup trucks, camions, on top of buses, dump trucks, etc. I also used it on countless hikes from one place to another. I used it on bike trips into the provincial capital on semi-weekly trips. I carried 30 lb tanks of propane, young trees, groceries, clothes and rum, of course.

The first couple of years after I came back from Haiti, the pack was not used extensively. I basically used it to carry workout clothes on my daily commutes in my undesirable vehicle. I now use the pack on my 16 mile round-trip bike commutes in Memphis, TN. The pack has also made two return trips to Haiti and one trip to Azerbaijan to visit my father in the Peace Corps.

I have only three minor dents in the pack to date. Soon after I purchased the pack, the nylon cord holding a metal clip for keys (I assume) in the upper pack compartment became detached. I’ve never missed the clip, I don’t think. My wife, then girlfriend, burned the end of one of the straps on the muffler of a motorcycle taxi in Haiti. And, this year two small wear spots in the upper compartment developed which are not yet holes. None of the straps, including the shoulder straps show any signs that they may some day detach from the pack.

After almost ten years of constant use the Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 50 is still going strong. While not the prettiest to look at due to sun fading, the pack remains fully functional.

The pack receives a 5 Broken-Down Car Rating.
(Click on Rating System at top of page for explanation of the rating)

Likes: Durability
Dislikes: None
Best Uses: Travel, Peace Corps Service, Bike commuting, Extreme loading and wear conditions

The pack as it currently appears:

Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 50