Arc'teryx Miura 30L Editorial Review

When I first started climbing, I went out and bought my first real backpack- the Arc’teryx Bora 40- big blue. What a cool pack that was- and still is. I have since given it to a friend, but the only wear on it was a small hole in the lid a squirrel put in it the first day I used it- other than that, it looks and feels brand new, despite being 6 years old. So, when I saw Arc’teryx’s new Miura pack at the show last year, I was the first to admit I was intrigued.

The Miura 30 Arc'teryx The Miura 30. Photo: Arc'teryx

The pack itself is a rolltop/clamshell design, which is something that I have really liked in a crag pack in the past. The ability to get to all of my stuff without dumping out my pack is a really nice feature. The pack zips up both sides and then the zippers button up at the top, then you roll the lid and tighten the straps to secure it. Inside, the pack has a couple of gear loops, a hydration port (but no hydration sleeve- bummer there), and access to the front pouch. Also, there’s a roomy top pouch that easily holds the FA kit, snacks, sunglasses, headlamp, tape, etc. The front pouch is way bigger than you think it is- I can easily stuff two pairs of shoes in it or my Misty Mountain Cadillac harness and a windbreaker, depending on whether it’s a trad or sport day. The pack also features a beefy carry handle on top of the pack- good for the short haul to the car or prying the pack open at the crag!

There's a MM Cadillac AND a pair of shoes in there- and yes, it does zip closed easily! J. Wilder There's a MM Cadillac AND a pair of shoes in there- and yes, it does zip closed easily! Photo: J. Wilder.

For the folks who love specifics- the pack has an HDPE framesheet, 6061 aluminum stays, 1260D HT Invista ballistic Superpack nylon among other fabrics. The fabrics are burly- the ballistics covers the sides and bottom of the pack (the bottom is also reinforced with some padding or other stiffener)- and good luck trying to find any scuffs on this pack, despite it being my primary pack for the better part of 3 months in the desert and up in the limestone of Mt. Charleston. The harness system is pretty basic on this pack- standard adjustments plus a 4-position chest strap that was comfortable on both myself and a couple of women who tested it out for me.

The harness is simple, but a proven Arc’teryx design and the pack rides very well, although I never had that much weight in it due to the 30L size of the pack. It is, though, comfortable for long approaches-my longest was 2.5hrs, no problems other than a slightly sweaty back. Arc’teryx did put spacermesh on the back and hip belt to alleviate the sweating factor, and while it does help somewhat, I still had to let my shirt dry after long spring approaches in Red Rock.

Despite the 30L size, I found this pack to be very roomy by design. I found that I was able to stuff the rack (sans draws), a trail line (60m 8.6mm), harness, shoes, and personal gear into the pack very easily (no helmet, though). I never did bother with the gear loops in the pack (I always feel like these things are an afterthought- I’ve never seen them in a position where I thought they would actually serve any real purpose). That said, I was always pretty happy with the way it loaded- the stiff bottom made it easy to stuff the rope into place, then pile the gear on top and go!

Full double rack and a 8.6mm line fit easily and with room to spare. J. Wilder Full double rack and a 8.6mm line fit easily and with room to spare. Photo: J. Wilder.

There are a few drawbacks to this pack, though. The first is that you cannot overload this pack- if you overload it; you can’t close it, and thus, cannot secure it. Theoretically, you can button the zippers at the top, but those never held with a level of security I would count on- they undid themselves more than once when I had the pack rolled up. The other real drawback of this pack is the weight- at a whopping 2.1 kilos (almost 4.5 pounds!), this is a heavy pack for its 30L size. If you’re just trucking to the sport crag, it’s probably no big deal, and truthfully, it wasn’t that big of a deal on long approaches, but folks who are more focused on the weight of their pack will notice this one for sure. (Obviously, I’m not that picky if I didn’t actually notice the weight of this pack until I sat down to review it!) Also, as with most things Arc’teryx, you gotta want this pack to pony up the dough to buy it- $199.00 is the MSRP, so it’s a bit on the pricey side. The 50L is a bit more price efficient at $225, and the 20L is $150.

All that said, I really like this pack for sport cragging or when I’m off to do a route where I’m carrying a pretty light rack and want a pack that’s going to feel smaller than some of my more sizeable options. It’s a roomy pack that doesn’t feel huge on your back, and the clamshell design is an awesome one- I wish they made more packs with it. If you can deal with the weight and price, this is definitely a pack worth taking a look at.