I have been building packs for alpine climbing and expeditions since I was 18. When I guided I used a 40L climbing pack I made when I was still in high school, and a 100L pack I built when I was leading endless back to back 3 week mountaineering courses  May through late late September every year. I got a single season out of most mountaineering boots but my packs, as rudimentary as they were, lasted for years.

Today I tell people no two packs that leave the shop are the same. What do I mean by this? Every Alpine Machine, White Light/ White Heat and New Day Rising pack is designed and built just for you. Your needs are the primary design focus. The height, width and depth of the bag is adjust to to fit your body/volume needs. The harness components, size and fitting are tailored just for you. A 70 L pack for someone with a 21 " torso will look alot different than a 70L pack for a 15" torso. They will both fit 70L worth of gear, but all similarities end here.

Every "base model" is just a place to start the conversation of what you need. We can talk over the phone, visit in the shop or meet up and go climbing. There are a lot of optionsfor designing a pack and we work through the list together. I like to have a conversation early in the process, just to get us both thinking about your pack and you are free to change things up until final payment and I start making your pack. 

custom fitting:

 back length, shoulder strap spacing, shoulder strap width, made to measure padded hip belts, in 3 styles

Ultra UHMWPE woven fabricsin multiple weights from Challenge Sailcloth

full length foam back pad

7075-t6 aluminum frame stays included in packs over 50 L, optional in sub 50L packs

packs set up for technical climbing/backpacking/ ski mountaineering

choice of webbing size/colors

choice of trim fabrics/colors