Wild Country Crag Hauler 40 Backpack Review

If I had to put a number on it, I’d say it was probably 2016 when crag-oriented haul-style backpacks gained real popularity. Before that, there was, for the most part, a clear divide between your run-of-the-mill climbing pack and a dedicated haul bag. At least, that’s true of the big brands. Fish was making their classic Atom Smasher, the real pioneer of the crag hauler style, back in the 80s, but the trend didn’t catch on much outside of niche circles. Now, plenty of players have their feet in the water, and Wild Country does too with their Crag Hauler 40 pack, which I’ve been lugging around for over 3 months now.

Wild Country Crag Hauler 40 Backpack Features:

• Roll top closure extends volume to 46L (38 + 8L), making the volume modular
• Self-standing design
• Full length front J-shaped zip
• Top flap closure with aluminum buckle doubles as a rope attachment (rope stabilizer)
• Lateral compression/rope stabilizer with aluminum buckles
• Padded belt and shoulder straps with load lifters
• Dual-density back panel
• Internal loops for gear storage
• Generous front compartment
• All textiles from Fair Wear suppliers
• Weight: 1,540g (as measured on my scale when new)
• MSRP: $200

A Champion Gear Schlepper

I decided to test the Crag Hauler 40 this Spring when I found a new first ascent project to work on. It was miles from a trailhead in the North Cascades and very much off trail. Standing at something around 1,000ft tall, I knew it would take a lot of time, effort, and gear. I chose the Wild Country Crag Hauler because the size seemed about right for a regular mule. I had the impression that it might carry a couple ropes, a triple rack, aid gear, bolting gear, and assorted odds and ends without putting up much of a fuss.

Over these past few months, that’s proved to be quite true. On numerous occasions, I’ve lugged over 65 pounds in the Crag Hauler 40 on that approach, bashing my way through some hellish Slide Alder and fording snow-surrounded braids of a knee-deep creek. I’ve certainly had more fun in my life, but the pack has done admirably well on these missions. It’s well supported by its padded shoulders and hip-belt, which makes 65+ pounds feel manageable, even when rooting up talus or kicking steps into the snowfield at the base of the wall. For the sweaty, tiring work of longer route development, it’s performed as well as I could’ve asked. With that said, I’ve used it as a porter, not as a strict haul bag.

As with most cross-over haul-style packs though, I anticipate that the Wild Country Crag Hauler 40 will see more use as a crag pack than a dedicated hauler. I’ve used it for that purpose too, and it’s quite a handy tool. It easily packs a rack of draws, harness, shoes, helmet, trad rack, and rope, all in the main compartment. It carries these more straightforward loads comfortably, and doesn’t feel unwieldy for some approach hiking.

Whether for regular cragging or for the grind of off-trail route development, the Crag Hauler 40 is burly enough to take abuse in stride. The main body is made of haulbag tarpaulin, and the front panel builds on top of that body with a thick ripstop nylon. The zippers and pulls on the pack are all enormous and heavy duty too. I’ve tossed this pack down with a full belly onto the rocky ground too many times to count. Many packs would’ve exploded at the seams, but this one is just dealing with it. Somehow, after months of treating this pack like an aggravated baggage handler, all it has to show is a tiny pinprick hole in the bottom. That is pretty exceptional, in my opinion.

More than just durability and load-management, this pack has a couple of convenience features that I think are really notable. First and foremost, the main body zips all the way open with a 2-way zipper. Haul bags are dungeonous and notoriously hard to locate gear in. This pack solves that problem with front access. It also opens up the possibility of using the pack itself as an alternative to a rope tarp. Yes, there are better solutions out there for rope tarps, but this will do in a pinch.

The front compartment of the pack is also a handy addition. It’s large enough for me to fit an entire day’s worth of food, 2 liters of water, sunscreen, chapstick, extra socks, a wallet, and keys… barely. That’s quite a lot though. Thankfully, I can also keep it nice and segmented since there’s a mesh pocket inside the front compartment as well. All in all, the storage of this pack is quite effective, in spite of its natural simplicity.

Still, it would be nice to see this pack get a few more versatility features to make it more haul-friendly. Earlier, I mentioned that I didn’t end up doing any strict hauling with this pack. That’s true because it really isn’t built to be a pig. If Wild Country equipped this pack with stowable shoulder and hip straps and covered the padded back panel with tarpaulin, it’d be a different story. As it stands now though, the Crag Hauler would snag and scuff all over the place if you were to try to haul it up a big wall. It could be done, yes, but I’m ready to say that it probably shouldn’t be.

My final thought on this pack is in regards to pricing. It’s relatively high, but it’s also in the ballpark of fairness. There aren’t a load of packs that are exactly comparable to the Crag Hauler 40 in both features and size. Its closest comparison from a competitor would be a cross between Black Diamond’s Crag and Creek packs. Those packs cost $130 and $220 respectively. Another somewhat similar option would be the Trango Crag Pack, which retails for $120, but it lacks some of the more convenient features of the Wild Country Crag Hauler. At the end of the day, if you’re looking for something haul-bag-esque, $200 is around the price you’ll pay market-wide for high quality and features.

Fit: Interestingly, this pack only has one size. That size happens to fit my 5’11” frame and 20” torso perfectly from the hips to the shoulders. That said, I suspect not all users would have the same luck. Personally, I was very happy with the sizing of this pack.

Buy Now: Available at Wild Country