The Argon 110 is huge, but it never gets uncomfortable--just too heavy to carry. (Tim Jones photo)
A big backpack is a big investment that you live with for a long time. For the last 20 years, I’ve used a long-discontinued 6,200 cu. in Mountainsmith, that can carry about 65 pounds before it gets uncomfortable. I borrowed an Argon 110 (113 liters, 6900 cu. in.) from Osprey to test as a potential replacement.
Even unloaded, this Osprey pack is impressive. The suspension system and bag are both thoughtfully designed with lots of attention paid to details and quality construction. And it’s lighter than some other packs this size
Being the gearheads we are, my trail buddy David Shedd and I recently decided to see how much weight we could carry in the Argon 110 before it got seriously uncomfortable.
In winter, a BIG backpack like this Osprey Argon 110 is needed to carry all your gear. Not nearly so useful is Chester, the dog, who is about to step on the back of his master’s snowshoe . . . (Tim Jones photo)
We still don’t have an answer. We’ve overloaded it with ridiculous weights: 80-plus pounds for me, 90-plus pounds for David, and we both had exactly the same reaction: No matter how heavy we load it, the pack itself never gets uncomfortable—it just gets too heavy to carry.
I can easily see using the Argon 110 to do a week-long winter trip (or a two-week summer trip) without re-supply. And if it will carry 80 pounds comfortably, imagine how comfortable it would be with a more-normal load? Great piece of equipment!
Update: Since I wrote this original review, I’ve used the Argon 110 in both winter and summer on more than a dozen backpacking trips. I get more impressed with it every time I use it. It’s now my go-to pack whenever there’s a heavy load to be carried.
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Tim Jones, Founder and Executive Editor, started skiing at age 4 and hasn't stopped since. In the summer, he hikes, mountain bikes, paddles and fly fishes. In addition to his work at EasternSlopes.com, Tim also writes a pair of syndicated weekly newspaper columns, Active Outdoors and Eastern Slopes, and is Managing Editor of The Angling Report. He lives with his sweetheart Marilyn in New Hampshire with 25 ski hills within easy day-trip distance. 
