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Our
Alpine Packs are famous for their simplicity,
fail-safe ruggedness, and outstanding performance level. They have
been used on many Expeditions around the world over the last 30
years and have adapted well to general backpacking. McHale
Packs are Custom Made entirely in Seattle Washington.
Dan Mazur at SummitClimb.com
gets a kick from his McHale Packs.
If you insist
on minimum pack weights, McHale Packs offers these ultra-light packs.
You may be able to find even lighter packs, but consider the mechanical
advantage McHale Packs offer. Our packs comfortably carry more weight
per cubic inch of volume and per ounce of weight. People that go
out regularly year after year know that pack performance trumps
pack weight. These are not fragile packs. They are made from our
standard selection of tough US made and quality imported fabrics
( we tear test all of our fabrics to make sure they meet our standards
) and are built to our reliable high standards.
Back in the mid 80s we called our climbing rucksack 'rocksac'. This
is were the acronym SARC came from: Super
Alpine Rocksac
Photo; Jim Nelson and Mark Bebie in the North Cascades near Eldorado
Peak in 1992 with Super-Sarcs. In 1989 Jim and Mark climbed the
2nd ascent of Mt. Forakers ' Infinite
Spur ' using S-Sarcs, the very same packs in the photo
as a matter of fact!
Mark's pack was made for the climb and weighed 4 lbs total, which
explodes the myth that all McHale Packs of that time were ' Heavy
'. It was only 3 year later that McHale Packs began using Full
Spectra for pack construction, with a push from Scott Fischer.
Typically, packs were as tough or heavy as customers wanted them.
For instance, Mark's pack was a relatively light construction
and used 500 D cordura. His previous McHale S-Sarc was 1000 D.
Jim's pack on the other hand was made of a relatively heavy 'medium
weight' truck Tarp vinyl like that used in Big Wall haul bags,
but he saved weight by not having a frame system in the pack.
Click photo for larger images.
Dan McHale photo
Very Important......Click
on the images below for detail pages
- Everything you see in photos below
is an option and can be mixed and matched on any volume of pack.
It is far easier to start with examples like those below and add
or subtract features from them. Any feature that is seen on
one pack can be applied on any other pack with few exceptions.
P&G
Bayonet Frame Extensions - example photo click here
Prices
are on the detail pages
after you click the thumbnail images below. For pack accessories
click here or at top right corner of page at Sarc
Accessories.
Below;
What our new 2012 Spectra/Cuben fabric looks like. This one is
dyed gray with a blue bottom. Alpine climbing packs with be fitted
with a special double weight Full Spectra
bottoms to handle the grinding of sharp rocks - unless
otherwise requested. Click image.

Spectra info: http://gertrude-old.case.edu/276/materials/AlliedSignalSpectra/aspfps09.pdf
Dyneema:
http://www.dsm.com/en_US/html/hpf/applications_textiles.htm
Pack
examples below
Bump32
Merkebeiner
LBD - Little
Big Daypack
Above: LBPs
36, 37,
38 , LBP
P&G 37, 39 click images or numbers - LBP
34, NEW
LBP 35
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Chasm
view
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under construction
view
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UnLtd S- SARC P&G (S-Sarc+1",+2"....)
view details
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S-SARC P&G
view
details
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4 packs below: Click color
examples below of more Dyed Full Dyneema packs.
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Critical Mass Packs; Critical Mass
pack developement began back in 1977. They really hit their stride in
the mid 90s and were ahead of their time then....and still are!
Notice:
Critical Mass Packs are no longer made with Dyneema as shown in the
detail pages. They are now made with Full Spectra fabric, with a Mylar/Dyneema
backing (Cuben Fiber) which creates a very similar ultra-strong pack.
Dyneema and Spectra are essentially the same thing with Spectra being
the USA tradename for the fibers from Allied Chemical that make up the
fabrics. Most of our suppliers have switched to using Spectra and at
the same time have stopped coating it, so we are using Spectra fabrics
with various laminates to create the waterproof side. Dyneema is the
product name for the fibers of the European company DSM.
Expedition climbers, long distance challenge
backpackers, hunters, and photograhers.....all appreciate the way Critical
Mass packs can carry a load. If you truly need a pack to carry loads
that are 60, 70, 80, 90 lbs and above, do yourself a favor and try one
of these amazing packs. They are not the 'standard formula'
packs found in stores. They are more like what people wish internal
frame packs AND external frame packs were like. They are a very different
machine and the best big load packs on the market, as well as the lightest
big packs. You can match the frame strength in the pack to your activity.
We have the strongest dimensions and alloys of stays available. If the
price throws you: a thousand dollar pack amortized over 5 years of great
trips isn't so bad and they'll easily last ten years and more. The pack
is not the place to save money - do that with the stuff you put in it!
If you need or want to carry big loads, that activity is the toughest
part of being out there - why not invest in making it enjoyable?
Bypass Harness Information Critical
Mass Frame Strength Information Hip Belt
Info
Critical Mass Lumbar Pad Information

Above: Second and third row photos from second row left: A Dyed Full
Dyneema CMII, a Dyed Full Dyneema CM Bayonet Panel Loader, and
a 420 CM Bayonet Panel loader, a Twin Zipper MB-CMII, a black
210 grid CM Top Load Panel Load Bayonet, Dyed Yellow Full Dyneema CM
Panel loader, and a 420 Blue 'Panel / Panel' Loader.
"Big load, long trail & hard climb, all eliminate by
my Critical Mass Alpine II Bayonet. I just focus to climb until summit
and safety down. A great success on Mt. Yari with my friends and McHale
Pack. Thanks a lot, Ben" (click image for blow-up)
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