Mystery Ranch Glacier Review

Mystery Ranch Glacier Overview

A backpack is a cornerstone piece of equipment, and the Mystery Ranch Glacier is a burly, load-bearing cornerstone.

We get it: some people are looking for the absolute lightest backpack that can do the job without any bells or whistles. Others want a bit more organization out of their backpack; a plethora of pockets, a specific spot to stow a sleeping bag, a top lid that can carry toiletries or snacks for the day. Others still are looking for a pack that will provide the most comfort when carrying seriously heavy loads, and are built to last a lifetime of carrying those loads. For the crowd interested in the latter, look no further than the Mystery Ranch Glacier.

The Mystery Ranch Glacier is a no-holds-barred weight carrying machine. This pack is built on their Astral Frame. It is a light but robust frame designed to carry upwards of 70 pounds, in actual comfort. The shoulder strap, hip belt, and all contact points with the body are thoroughly wrapped in a high density foam that is made to last ages. It also has pockets, a top lid, sleeping bag compartment, and a few other niceties for those wanting organization.

If you are heading into the wilderness for an extended period of time and are concerned with finding the most durable and most comfortable backpack, that gives you some versatility and the ability to pack a few creature comforts, consider the Mystery Ranch Glacier. When it comes to weight carrying, it’s in a category of its own.

While the Mystery Ranch Glacier excels at carrying heavy loads for long distances, we feel that the cost and lack of extra features makes it slightly less ideal for most backpackers than the Gregory Baltoro, our Premium Pick. The Baltoro has a U Zipper for easy access, an included day pack, and impressive suspension.

See the full Mystery Ranch Glacier review below, and see where it lands on our guide to the Best Backpacking Backpacks.

Mystery Ranch Glacier Specifications

Gear Review of the Mystery Ranch Glacier

This summer, my wife and I set out to section hike multiple segments of the Colorado Trail. We’re based in Southwestern Colorado and have unique access to some of the most remote, high altitude sections of this gorgeous trail. My wife, a photographer, didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to capture the beauty of the high alpine terrain, both the wild landscapes and the wildlife. Of course, my duty is to nod and say, “Yes, dear, I’d love to carry an additional 15 pounds of lenses and other camera related equipment. Please, just pile it on.”

Needless to say, the first trip this summer was a bit of a learning experience. I did not have the Mystery Ranch Glacier, but I did have about 70 pounds on my back. So, what did I learn?

Backpacking with the nearly fully-loaded Mystery Ranch Glacier.

I learned I needed a pack that could handle a comically excessive load for our second trip on another section of this high altitude backpacking trip. Enter the Mystery Ranch Glacier.

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

Access to this particular segment of the trail is quite difficult. You can either do a five mile road walk up to Stony Pass and gain roughly 2,400 feet, or you can hop on a segment of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and gain 2,000 feet of elevation in just two miles. We chose the latter.

I was excited for this trip because my pack weighed only 50 pounds — a staggering 20 pounds less than our first trip. My memories of the prior backpacking trip are somewhat overshadowed by the excruciating pain that I felt in my shoulders. Most backpacking packs these days just aren’t built to carry so much weight.

An hour and a half into our initial climb we reached the trail junction, where the CDT meets the Colorado Trail, at around 12,000 feet. While I was huffing and puffing a touch under the extreme gradient, I wasn’t in any actual physical pain. As in, no shoulder pain, no lower back pain, no muscle pain.

Still below the tree-line, the Mystery Ranch Glacier feeling good.

Conclusion? The Mystery Ranch Glacier can carry some serious weight and do so in comfort. Not relative comfort. Actual comfort. Standing at the trail junction and surveying the terrain ahead, I knew that I was going to have an amazing trip, and my shoulders and back would get to enjoy the ride as well.

Digging Deeper

If you’re not familiar with Mystery Ranch, it’s probably because there has been a huge push in recent years for ultralight gear. It seems the American market is trending that way more and more every year.

Well, “ultralight” is not the domain of Mystery Ranch. In fact, the company has a long lineage of amazing packs that were amazingly heavy, going back decades to the original Dana Designs backpacks, the brand that has become Mystery Ranch. Dana Designs backpacks were lauded as the most bombproof and comfortable packs that money could buy. In fact, I have one that is nearly as old as I am (30+ years), and it is still in great shape and sees use during the winter months.

Mystery Ranch eschews ultralight materials and design for durability and weight-carrying frames. They have a huge line of hunting backpacks, too — the Glacier is actually their least burly frame design, and it still manages to hold 70 pounds with ease.

One external Torpedo Pocket, meant to hold quick access items on the Mystery Ranch Glacier.

Mystery Ranch doesn’t focus on trendy features, either. For instance, the stretch mesh pockets found on many backpacks today are not on the Glacier — instead is their much revered “Torpedo Pockets.” These are two vertical external pockets that run the length of the backpack and are a perfect place to store quick access items. One pocket is large enough to fit my Arc’teryx Cerium LT down puffy and a ton of snacks. In the other, I keep all bad weather gear, like a wind and rain jacket as well as my rain pants. In the winter, these pockets make the perfect storage place for your white gas bottles.

I wouldn’t do this review justice if I did not emphasize the frame and hip belt system on the Mystery Ranch Glacier. When you sling this pack over your shoulders it immediately becomes apparent that it is built differently from other backpacking packs. Every single contact point feels like it is hugging your body. You can feel the structure of the frame system without even buckling up the hip belt or sternum strap. The hip belt wants to cradle your body. I found the Astral Frame to be extremely supportive and comfortable.

The Glacier hugs your body while you hike, carrying the load well.

The pack moved with my body over extremely uneven terrain, like picking my way over a half mile of avalanche debris. While the Mystery Ranch Glacier is on the heavier end at six pounds six ounces, I never noticed because it carries so well.

Comfort – 5 Stars

While I don’t recommend actually bringing the kitchen sink, you could do so comfortably with the Mystery Ranch Glacier. This pack will carry 70-plus pounds with ease. You may feel the strain on your body but the ample cushioning and structure of the pack frame will make sure there are no hotspots, and there is plenty of room to fill up the pack with your heavy gear.

Durability – 5 Stars

This is an heirloom piece. When you’re ready to pass it on to your kids it will probably still look like new. All the fabric, buckles, zippers, and zipper pulls are extremely burly. You’re far more likely to put a bandaid on yourself before you need one on this pack.

Burly materials make for a very durable backpack. The Mystery Ranch Glacier won’t fail you.

Packability – 3.5 Stars

The Glacier is a standard top loading pack. It does also offer a single side entry zipper that spans about half the length of the pack. While this allows access to one side of the internal main chute I would have liked to see a U zipper or at least a zipper on the other side for more access and easy packability.

Standard top lid organization makes for fairly accessible storage.

Otherwise, it’s pretty standard layout, and I’ve found other backpacks to have more access points.

Pockets – 3.5 Stars

The Glacier has the two Torpedo Pockets, a unique zippered sleeping bag compartment at the bottom, and a top lid with zippered pockets.

The unique sleeping bag zipper compartment allows for quick packing of your bag.

These all work, and work decently well, but the Glacier is missing hip belt pockets entirely, and the water bottle pockets need some work. More on that below.

Fit and Adjustability – 5 Stars

This pack comes in multiple torso sizes and is also micro adjustable in each of those sizes. The back panel can be moved up or down to give you an exact fit. Overall I was able to dial in the fit exactly to my body, which greatly aided in the comfort.

Mystery Ranch includes adjustment levels on the torso to help you keep track of your exact measurement.

The only note I’ll make here is that you’ll want to mark the back panel with your exact set up, because if you plan to use top lid as a day pack you will have to pull the shoulder straps and frame off. Putting these back on means you have to re-adjust to find your perfect setup.

Grievances

I’m going to nitpick the Mystery Ranch Glacier because, while it’s so darn fantastic on the comfort side of things, I believe it could be even more feature-packed with a few tweaks.

The top lid is able to detach and turn into a daypack. However, it’s a bit of a production. While many backpack manufacturers offer this feature, Mystery Ranch kicks it up a notch by allowing you to insert the Glacier’s hip belt into the top lid to create a very supportive day pack.

Honestly, I find it excessive and a hassle. To utilize this feature, you actually remove the shoulder straps and part of the back panel. These work in concert with the top lid and you wind up with a burly harness system to carry a minimal load. I would have preferred just a simple strap system to sling it around my body. For anyone who is doing extended, weight-bearing summit trips from a base camp, I could see this working well.

The water bottle pockets weren’t the best for long, narrow bottles. See how the bottle is nearly flopping out of the pocket?

Two more small things that are slightly irksome, all to do with pockets. I found the side water bottle pockets came up a little short. While I was able to fit my Lifestraw filter bottle plus my bear spray in one pocket, the pocket on the opposite side couldn’t hold a 32-ounce bottle. In fact, that bottle popped out three separate times and nearly went flying off a cliff. I had to clip that bottle to the center daisy chain (a good feature, but the water bottle pockets should hold a water bottle).

Finally, the Glacier does NOT come with hip belt pockets. They are available as an add-on purchase. For a pack of this cost, I think the hip belt pockets should be included.

Final Word

The Mystery Ranch Glacier loves to take extended trips through the wilderness, carry excessively heavy and bulky items, and is looking for a partner equally suited for such journeys. If you enjoy disappearing into the woods or mountains for long periods of time with no resupply, you should definitely “swipe right” on this impressive specimen of a backpack.

Where to Buy Mystery Ranch Glacier

We tested the Men’s version of the Mystery Ranch Glacier. At the time of testing, there was only version if the Glacier available (the 71 liter model) for men, and one version for women, also a 71-liter model. We appreciate that Mystery Ranch has made two nearly identical backpacks for men and women, with adjustments in the fit and harness for women.

Compare Mystery Ranch Glacier prices below.

Jon Rosenberg

Hi, I’m Jon Rosenberg! I’m a mountain runner, entrepreneur, mountain lover, and enthusiast for just about all things outdoors. I’m based in beautiful Pagosa Springs, Colorado at the foot of the incredibly rugged San Juan Mountains. You can find me running single-track trails above treeline or backpacking the Colorado Trail. Gear is my thing. I even own my own gear company!