Mountain Hardwear Tadita 50-W Backpack
Retail price: $175 
Specs per manufacturer: Clean and simple, but fully featured and very supportive, this pack is perfect for women looking for comfort in a lightweight design. Alpine suspension modified to maximize ventilation, while maintaining excellent support and load transfer. Fixed women’s-specific harness components simplify the fitting process and minimize pack weight. Highly functional compression strap system borrowed from our Alpine packs, secures overloads, effectively shrinks pack to minimal volume, and tucks away inside front pocket when not needed. Skirt extension adds 250 cu. in. / 4L of carrying capacity when needed. Floating top lid with bungee web is removable to reduce weight. Roomy front pocket provides convenient storage for frequently-used items. Ice axe and ski pole attachment straps. Stretch woven side pockets offer quick storage/access for water bottles, hat/gloves, etc. Sleeping pad straps are stowable to reduce clutter when not needed. Externally accessed hydration sleeve is easier to reload.
3 lbs, 50 liters
Findings: When I first pulled this pack out of the box, I was a bit worried. It seemed flimsy and small. First trip out, it proved that it was neither. It has plenty of room for all the gear and food you will need for a 3-5 day backpack. And after bushwhacking through some nasty brush, we found the Tadita held up just fine. There are plenty of anchor points to strap on snow shoes or jackets or whatever else you like hanging off of your pack. The brain of the pack comes off if you want to shave more weight–a feature I really like. I would like it more if the brain could convert to a fanny pack. Lots of compression straps keep your load tight. The women’s dimensions make the pack comfortable especially on the shoulders and hips.