We've been fans of belted lumbar packs since our Forest Service days and have made and carried a whole lot of different sizes of prototypes over the years. The Umlindi is about the largest lumbar pack we could make and remains a very popular pack. The M2016 is quite small and more tactical in its featureset. The Bookcliff is about the largest lumbar pack we could make that would be functional with only a belt (no shoulder harness). For those from a wildland fire background, it is going to remind you fondly of the "jumper packs" that a lot of crews carried before commercial line packs were available. There are four ways that you can use the Bookcliff pack:

• Musette Bag - The Bookcliff comes with an Attache Strap which lets you carry it as a simple shoulder bag. 
• Belt Only - Evan has found that the Recon Belt works better *for him* than the Prairie Belt in this regard. It is also super crucial that you take the stay out and shape it to your *spine*, not your back. Additionally, it is nice to leave the Attache Strap on to make it easy to carry the rig around and hold it in place while you're getting the belt cinched. You can have the Attache Strap loose, or load bearing, or only load bearing when you're climbing a steep pitch. There is an upper weight limit at which you're going to be happy with belt only carry that is dependent on a variety of factors.
• Harness Only - We make far better shoulder only packs than the Bookcliff (or the Umlindi for that matter), but if you wanted to you could.
• Belt and Harness - To Evan's way of thinking, if you're going to put a harness on the Bookcliff you might as well be carrying an Umlindi. However, Evan carries the lighter and simpler V1 version of the Umlindi. If your standard of comparison is a V2 Umlindi, you may well see benefits to a belt and harness Bookcliff. This is probably where a lot of folks will end up. With a harness, there isn't any performance advantage of the Recon Belt over the more robust and load capable Prairie Belt. Certainly if you want to pack significantly more weight in your Bookcliff, you want a harness in addition to a belt. If you plan to use the Bookcliff as a line pack, you're going to want a harness in addition to a belt (yes, there is a provision for adding a Fire Shelter Case to the Bookcliff).

For more detail on how to properly adjust the Bookcliff, watch this video on fitting our Type 1 Fire Pack.

Unlike much of our lineup, the Bookcliff isn't designed to be modular -- it's purpose built to have all the right features to work as a great mid sized lumbar pack. No more, no less. Here are some highlights:

• HDPE Framesheet with single aluminum stay
• All the elements necessary to mount shoulder harness and / or belt
• Dual slant wand pockets will accomodate a water bottle in each side (we recommend nalgene oasis, and yes a canteen cup will fit)
• Side compression straps secure the contents of the wand pockets and stabilize the load
• Top and bottom compression straps allow for additional items to be strapped on and also stabilize the load.
• Accepts delta straps (which come with the belts) for camming the load into your lumbar area. Using these is crucial for good lumbar performance.
• Rear zippered pocket for small items has an interior mesh slot pocket and a slot pocket between it and the pack.
• #10 zippers and 500d Cordura throughout for durability

Oh -- where does the name come from? The Bookcliffs are a 100+ mile long feature of the Grand Valley. During the summer months, they can get quite hot which is a great time to be carrying a lumbar pack! No matter what your use is for a belted lumbar pack, you'll be pleased with the performance of the Bookcliff.