When asked to review this pack, I responded, “You had me at Joe Grant.” Joe is a Front Range of Colorado legend and epic adventurer with a resume including a fastest-known time on the self-supported Tour de 14ers (bagging every 14,000+ peak in Colorado, and traveling between them on bike!). Joe worked with the Black Diamond team on this pack to fulfill an unmet need: a pack that combines the best features of climbing/scrambling gear with those of a distance running pack.

Out of the box, the Black Diamond Distance 15 Backpack is a good-looking (hey, style points count!), fully-featured minimalist pack. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Let me put it a different way; within the world of ultralight gear, the Black Diamond has a TON of features, making it more than just a race day pack.

I started testing the pack out on a mid-January day on Round/Sheep Mountain, just west of my home town of Loveland, Colorado and less than 20 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. This 4.5 mile one way hike begins at 5,743 feet and tops out at 8,450. I’ll save you the math – that’s a gain of 2,707 feet in just four and a half miles. The trail is plenty rocky and this time of year, patches of ice are prevalent. Round Mountain is my favorite suffer-fest, especially when I’m training for a trail race and need to get some serious vertical in quickly.

The Black Diamond Distance 15 was the perfect pack for this day – in and out of clouds, with a stiff breeze that made our 35 degree temps feel like the 20s. Its “kitchen sink” nature was just right for this kind of weather. I was able to strap my Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Z-Poles to the Z-Pole Quiver Sleeves, used .75 ml soft flasks in the larger front pockets, and stash snacks in the smaller pockets. Being a cautious sort, I used the zippered security pocket to stash my cards-and-cash Ziploc (break-ins at trailheads are bad, people!) and keys (you only need to lose your car key once on a remote trail run to NEVER EVER EVER space out on where you put it again).

I also packed: a packable down parka, extra food, extra water, Kahtoola NANOspikes (which I ended up wearing for most of the outing), a waterproof layer (again, you never know in January in CO), etc.

I found the pack to be incredibly comfortable – I was really pleased at the adjustability of the side panels. The pack was easily as comfortable as my running/ultramarathon specific packs. At 5’10” and close to 180 pounds, but with curves, I’ve had some challenges with pack fit; men’s packs seem boxy, and women’s just seem too short for my torso. But this pack felt fantastic on and I had to do minimal fiddling to adjust during my journey.

I am extremely excited about the Distance 15 as my go-to for a three day stage race I am doing in early August in New Hampshire). This event is largely self-supported, and let’s face it – RAIN is likely. The incredibly tough Dynex© Ripstop fabric is perfect for uncertain conditions, and let’s face it – it looks super cool!

I took the pack out for another spin last Saturday; a bunch of friends and I took advantage of a bluebird day (and somewhat better trail conditions) to get 12 miles in at Devil’s Backbone Open Space near my home in Loveland, CO. As usual here in the Front Range, the conditions were boomeranging all over the place. A relatively warm 40 degrees at 8:30 AM, then the CO sun beat down on us, having us all stripping layers – we were in t-shirts and tank tops on February 1 (ETA – before a two-day snowstorm and temperature drops to the single digits – please follow my trending hashtag, #whateverColorado! 😉

Two of my friends were trail traveling with more minimal packs and I was delighted to offer up my pack as a storage space for their gear. I used a 1.5 liter hydration bladder this time around, leaving the front pockets free for phone, snacks, tissues and lip balm. (Note: This is fun for a little while; after a few trips, you may want to tell your friends to get their own blasted Distance 15!)

My only minor issues with this wonderful pack have been, a) the cord that cinches the main compartment can get a bit tangled and can be tough to open/close; and b) I’d love a cinching option on the front pockets to make sure everything is super secure.

What impresses me most about the Black Diamond Distance 15 is its ability to hold so much gear, yet remain extremely comfortable on a longer outing – the breathability of the back panel was especially welcome during the warm conditions at Devil’s Backbone. All indications are that this will be an amazing four season pack and I’m stoked to keep putting it to the test, especially as I expand my comfort zone and explore more of the rugged and diverse terrain my adopted home state has to offer. There’s a 14er in my near future, and this pack will accompany me on my journey!