Review of the North Face Terra 35 Backpack as a SAR 24-Hour Pack

 


The North Face Terra 35
The North Face Terra 35 | Source

Why the North Face Terra 35?

When I was searching for a new Search and Rescue 24-hour pack, I was looking for a 35-40 liter top-loading pack with rugged construction and plenty of attachment points. I tried out quite a few packs but settled on the Terra 35 from The North Face. I've been impressed with quality products over the years from North Face, and so far, I have been very impressed with the performance of this pack.

Search and Rescue packs must achieve a balance between lightweight minimalist construction and durable, utilitarian features. You want something simple and easy to use yet adaptable and easily organized. However, the most important feature of a SAR pack is surely the fit. Though packs must "fit" your torso as in backpacking, in SAR applications, you truly need something that moves with you. Something that you can not only hike in but wade through swamps, crawl through briar thickets, snowshoe, climb, and rappel. Even though the pack is loaded with gear for you, the mission, and the subject, it must move with you as an extension of your body. Again, I was so impressed with the fit of this pack, and that is why it is my primary search pack now.

There may be some of you that are asking, "What's a SAR 24-hour pack anyway?" Quite simply, it is a searcher's tool and survival bag. We are expected to carry appropriate gear that maintains all of our needs for shelter, safety, warmth, food, and water. We should carry enough gear to stay out for at least 24 hours. In addition to survival equipment, we also carry mission equipment like harnesses, helmets, flagging tape, and string lines.

The spacious lid compartment is fantastic for storing on the go essentials like snacks.
The spacious lid compartment is fantastic for storing on the go essentials like snacks. | Source

Specifications of the Terra 35

Manufacturer: The North Face

Weight: 3 lb 10 oz.

Carrying Capacity: 35 liters, 2140 c.i.

Overall Dimensions: 25.5" x 13" x 6.75"

Materials: 420D polyester dobby and 420D mini ripstop polyester

Torso Sizes: One size fits most. I am 5'10", and it fits me perfectly.

The Terra 35 while on a SAR patrol down in Zoar Valley.
The Terra 35 while on a SAR patrol down in Zoar Valley. | Source

Pros and Cons of the Terra

Pros

  • The pack is available in a highly visible red.
  • Large top lid.
  • The side compression strap is the perfect level for securing Nalgenes in the water bottle pockets.
  • Rugged construction.
  • Several attachment points for carrying snowshoes, ice axes, and the like.
  • Good ventilation on the back.
  • Wide and comfortable shoulder straps and hip belt.
  • The external pocket is perfect for storing layers.
  • Hydration compatible.
  • Handles thirty pounds very well.
  • Large enough to stick my feet in, in an emergency bivy.
  • Water-resistant material that dries very quickly.
  • The internal portion of this pack is just long enough to carry a cervical collar.

Cons

  • With a small pack, the separate sleeping bag zippered compartment isn't really necessary.
  • It would be nice if the water bottle tickets were just about 1-inch deeper.
  • Though side compression is very good, the top-down compression (like when the pack is nearly empty) needs a little more adjustment.






Field Testing the SAR 24-hour Pack

  • Over the past three years, this pack has been subjected to the rigorous Outbound Dan Human pack test. If anyone can destroy something, I can. Though I bought this pack as a designated search and rescue pack, I used it for overnight backpacking and several day hikes to make sure it would hold up to the abuse of SAR missions.

    • Overnight peakbagging. In this mid-summer overnight backpacking trip, I carried about 15 pounds of equipment, food, and water to climb three Adirondack High Peaks. I covered about 23 miles over rough terrain, climbing Big Slide, Tabletop, and Marcy. This was also the first off-trail experience of this pack in doing the Tabletop herd path. Though it isn't brush-busting per se, the herd path to the summit is a narrow and twisting trail with plenty of overhanging boughs and brush. Even though the Terra 35 is heavier than my standard ultralight summer packs at over three and a half pounds, I was impressed by the way it carried the ultralight load.
    • Multiple dayhikes. This pack, as it stays packed in my trunk, has gone on at least 30-day hikes around the Western New York area. Because I use the day hikes as training opportunities, I load the pack with over thirty pounds of gear (and whatever else I have in my car). From trips into the Niagara Gorge to Chestnut Ridge Park, the pack has held up very well.
    • Adirondack peakbagging. In early December, I gave the pack a touch of winter and took it peakagging in the Adirondacks. I climbed Street, Nye, Cascade, Porter, and Mt Jo (not a High Peak). The lid was perfect for keeping my microspikes, and I rigged the pack to carry snowshoes. On this trip, I took the pack on two untrailed peaks and climbed a new route up Cascade. In the latter route, I had to take my pack off to squeeze underneath some of the trees and drag it behind me. You can check out more about that trip and see the pack in action.
    • SAR training. Between rope rescue and regular training, our team trains a few times a month. We train for real-world missions and beat our equipment up as much in training as we do on an actual call-out.
    • SAR missions. This pack has accompanied me on multiple search and rescue missions, its intended purpose. From nighttime winter callouts in forested areas to suburban silver alert searches, this pack has seen it all. The Terra 35 has been exposed to the extremes in these very real situations and has performed admirably. Even the plethora of thorns and briars that populated one search block couldn't touch this pack. Of course, the shirt I was wearing was shredded, but that's another review.

    A good view of the back pad and ventilation flume.
    A good view of the back pad and ventilation flume. | Source

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