Thanks for the extra pictures. That's such a cool pack. The history of that fabric is interesting (made from flax and nettle).* I have a question: is that pack loud? With all the clips and metal-on-metal pivot points, is it noisy? The Swiss didn't seem to prioritize noise with their stuff. I have an
M70 jacket,** which is unique in design, and while I like it, there's two notable things about it: 1) the snaps are LOUD and clang/cling/rattle as you walk 2) the cotton is thick and robust, but it would take days for it to dry out once wet.
While I'm just going to use all this stuff to hike in the woods, and fascinate on like toys, I don't appreciate hearing clothing/gear noise over the natural sounds and peaceful vibes of the outdoors. For me, it is a significant distraction that is not welcome in the experience. It's also a problem with some of the new snowshoe designs. Sure, they're very light and smart, but they're also LOUD...so loud that they drown out the winds and calm of snowshoeing/backpacking in the winter. It's really not that different than the cacophony of the big city. It has a time and place, and in backcountry, it ain't it.
*"Stinging nettle is a very high performance fibre with immense breaking strain beyond that of carbon fibre. The Flax provides waterproofing and suppleness to the material. Together they present a speckled appearance known as ‘salt and pepper’ or ‘
salz & pfeffer’."
**
http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2011/07/m-70-swiss-alpenflage-jacket-backpacks.html