Gear Preview: Eddie Bauer First Ascent Alchemist 40L
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“Guide Built” is one of the mantras of outfitter Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent mountaineering line, and with folks like Ed Viesturs and Dave Hahn in their lineup, that’s no small statement. Apparently it’s working out, because I just got to take a sneak peek at one of their upcoming packs, for an upcoming Backpacker Magazine gear guide, and there’s no shortage of innovation there.
The Alchemist 40L backpack (due out in Spring 2012) sports a host of external tool storage, a tough, TPU-coated weather-resistant exterior, and an EVA molded belt and back.
Oh wait – it also expands seamlessly to a 55-liter capacity so you can pack all your gear to base camp, then tighten it up to 40L for the summit push.
That’s not enough? Okay – its frame is removable for use as a bivy/sitting pad or a splint. Yup, you can pull the frame out (without even emptying the pack) to act as a crash pad when it’s time to take a break. During testing, I found this to be a nice little bonus when I felt like sitting down in a snow-covered meadow for a lunch break, or when I found a sweet chair-shaped rock for some down time with a pack of climber’s wine and a good book.
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The Alchemist with be available this Spring in a 30L and 40L size (the 40L expands, the 30L doesn’t). It’s definitely going to be making some waves. Backpacker’s going to be giving it a proper beatdown soon, so keep an eye out there for a full review.
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Tags: backpack, backpacking, eddie bauer, first ascent, summit pack
Author: Billy Brown
May 21st, 2012 at 7:57 pm
I bought this pack on pure faith and because I needed a 50-60L pack. Eddie Bauer was doing plenty of marketing for their new Alchemist 40. My overall impression so far is that this is a nice pack.
One of the first things you will notice is there is very little padding in the shoulders and hips. My REI 30L has better padding than this. It looks primarily built for 40L(or less) and not the expanded 55L. Surprisingly I did a climb recently and loaded it down with rope, water, and gear and didn’t notice the lack of padding. I haven’t had it loaded down with a tent and sleeping bag yet…so we will see.
The other thing you will notice is that a frame is non-existent. There is a bar down the middle, but none of the straps link to it…which makes it challenging to adjust. Again, my REI 30L has more frame support than this. I did notice that as I loaded it down that it created much of the support that I needed.
Unfortunately there is only one size for this pack. I am a decent sized guy who is 6′ tall and boasts a 36″ waist. The pack seemed a bit small.
The nice thing is that this pack can expand very well. It is well thought out and has great features…some of which I still haven’t quite figured out. The new materials seem rugged, which is nice when rubbing up against rocks.
I am not a big fan of the large lettered advertising on the back of the pack. I first thought Ospry was bad, now First Ascent takes pack branding to a whole new level.
For me the jury is still out whether this is a serious pack or if it just a bunch of great ideas shoved into a marketing tool. So far it has proved itself on a day climb, but the real test will be after it is used on an overnight excursion. Given the thin shoulder straps I am a bit nervous.