Mystery Ranch BDSB Review

"Mystery Ranch is Dana (once of Dana Design) Gleason's company. The BDSB is a monster pack (7000 cu inches) designed for Navy Seals. I bought it to replace a Dana Design Terraplane that served me well for twenty years. I consider this pack unbeatable for expedition travel. Simple, with a wide mouth at the top and two large pockets on the back. There are also two spandex pockets for water bottles, cameras, or other things needed close to hand. There's a radio pocket that works well for a water bladder. Indestructible; made of a special grade of Cordura that's waterproofed inside and out. Great weight distribution on the frame, which (like Dana Designs) is easily adjustible. After some experimentation Dana has eliminated some overly complicated straps, loops, and other unnecessary bells and whistles. Several compartments can be strapped down for a smaller pack. Nothing is perfect; the pack is heavier (9 pounds) than current Dana packs , and the top section when removed is not quite daypack size (though it does have a sternum strap that makes using it for day trips much easier). And when attached to the pack it's difficult to keep the straps tight, resulting in its flopping around from time to time. I recommend this pack for anyone who is willing to take an extra pound or two in return for high capacity."

"After nearly 17 years of toting a Gregory Cassin (a great piece of equipment), I decided it was time for a new pack. I shopped around for a while and was about to buy a Dana Astralplane or Terraplane, but then I took a look at the Mystery Ranch website and saw the BDSB, the "G-7000 with a mission." I immediately fell in lust, and couldn’t resist buying one. I’ve had mine now for almost a year, and I’m entirely pleased. Not only is it big enough for all my gear and family/group stuff, it's also the coolest pack I've ever owned. (The low- observability characteristics rule.) My wife loves it, too, since she no longer needs to carry her own pack (all her stuff fits in mine!). I’ve used my BDSB extensively backpacking in the Southern Appalachians and also mountaineering in the Selkirks, and it has performed brilliantly, exceeding my expectations. The only drawback is that it weighs as much as a large newborn baby, but I don't care; it's worth it to be able to carry massive loads in relative comfort. I think it’s an ideal choice for expedition use, for family trips where somebody (i.e., dad) gets to be a beast of burden, and for trips with old comrades requiring lots of party supplies (no need for multiple trips back to the vehicle/liquor store – with the BDSB everything can go in one monster load). The folks at Mystery Ranch are very nice to deal with, too."