A Technical Pack – Remote Equipment Alpha 31, 2nd Production

Remote Equipment is a small bag company based in California. Their gear is built with high tech fabric and quality materials to deliver products that can support an active lifestyle. The Alpha 31 is a very well-made technical pack that has the functionality and versatility to work as an everyday carry bag, travel bag, and day pack. Made out of Challenge Sailcloth’s EPX600, the Alpha is extremely durable and weather resistant. The pack is right at home on the trail, or can be suited for the urban jungle.

The harness system for this backpack is very comfortable when fully loaded and has decent strap management for a clean look and feel. The backpack straps are stiff with thin foam padding, which provide support as well as comfort. The sternum strap is useful in adjusting the position of the straps for maximum comfort. The hip belts have enough rigidity and padding to be supportive and properly distribute the weight of a heavier load. They are also completely removable, which is nice when you are using the Alpha as a day pack and carrying a lighter load.

The Alpha is equipped with daisy chains and compression strap for additional external storage. The Remote Equipment Org Kits are designed to integrate with the compression straps allowing you to add five to ten more liters of organized storage. There are also two ice axe loops for attaching more gear. The two water bottle pockets are very stretchy and can fit a standard 32 oz. Nalgene. It can get pretty tight when the pack is fully loaded, but it will fit. I found the slim memo bottles work really well when this is the case.

There are two tubular pockets on the front of the bag for quick access gear. However they can be difficult to pack depending on your packing styles because items tend to fall to the bottom when the pockets aren’t fully loaded. These pockets work perfectly for storing the hip belts when not in use. There is a small dump pocket on the back of the bag almost hidden above the shoulder straps that is great for small items you may want more secure. When the bag is fully loaded, though, this pocket can get a little tight and it can be difficult to get larger items in and out of smoothly. This can be seen as a positive if you plan to keep your passport in there while traveling.

The pack slightly resembles a wedge, with more room at the top and tapered at the bottom. This helps keep the weight of heavier loads closer to your back and directed towards your hips. However, because of this, the bag cannot stand up on its own, which is not a big deal in my opinion but worth mentioning. The large roll top opening allows the bag to expand its capacity when necessary and cinch it down when carrying less. When the bag is fully loaded, there is a horseshoe shaped zippered panel behind the tubular pockets which gives you easy access to the main compartment of the bag without having to undo the roll top closure.

The bag has a high visibility interior with minimal organization, allowing for quickly identifying contents and flexibility in packing. There is a large zippered mesh pocket on the front panel, which can easily fit an A5 notebook. There are two stretch mesh sleeves, one for a tablet and the other sized for up to a sixteen inch laptop. The larger of these can be accessed from the exterior via an aqua guard zipper. There is also a loop for hanging a water bladder with hose port.

My ultimate conclusion on this product is that there is very little this backpack isn’t set up to handle. I have been using this backpack since May of 2022 and it is hands down one of my favorites. I keep going back to it, especially for traveling.