Hi Smith,

Sorry to hear that you had a failure on this pack. I have not seen the specific problem you describe but I don’t know whether The North Face has seen it happen before. But I always urge people, when they experience some kind of gear failure, to contact the company’s customer service department and see what they will do for you. I think many gear makers will try to repair or replace something that’s broken; the status of your warranty might be important, but I can’t answer that question for you.

Contact The North Face and explain what happened and how much you’ve used the pack. Good luck.

Hi Michael. It’s a great review. I have one of those bag. On first use. I go to hiking at Khun Tan, Thailand trip. I have to take loaded about between 30-33 pounds. During the hiking. I am very satisfied with this bag . After that I have to check the bag. I found that things that aren’t so good for me. The rubber of aluminum frame has broken. (The rubber is between mesh fabric at the back support system). Do you have ever seen this problem before, will there be any problems with the back support system? and can I submit a product warranty claim? Thank you.

You’re welcome, Chris.

Thanks Michael!

Hey Chris,

Good question and you are correct in seeing those three packs as similarly lightweight, well-featured, and ventilated. I think the Banchee and Zulu both offer better comfort than the Stratos, which is priced so well in part because it doesn’t have the design elements of higher-end Osprey packs. And the Banchee and Zulu have very similar frames and harnesses, so while I think the Banchee has a slight edge there, I honestly think they’re so close that you could pick either, based on features like organization, and be happy with your choice.

Hope that’s helpful. Good luck and I hope you’ll consider purchasing through one of the affiliate links in this review to support my work.

Thanks for the comment.

You are so awesome, thanks for doing that! That looped tab is the only thing I thought was it, but I didn’t want to pull and mess something up! Appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Can’t wait to try out the pack! Love your blog and some of your other content – I have subscribed. Cheers.

Hi Preston,

I’m also surprised TNF doesn’t have an owners manual at the website (or none I could find). But I’m glad you asked this question because it prompted me to add a photo of the Dyno Lite strap and tab adjustment system to the above review; see the photo gallery right above The Verdict header in the review. That may help clear this up for you. The strap and loop tab pull the shoulder straps harness in opposite directions.

Hi Michael, thanks for taking the time to reply. If you can believe it, I did reach out to TNF and they couldn’t help me. No video demonstration or product guide available. Kinda of strange, to be honest. I did see you mention both the strap and the tab on the right side. When I was lookin at it previously I definitely saw the strap (I believe it said TORSO), but could not see the tab. I will have to continue messing with it. Thanks

Hi Preston,

Perhaps you’ve already tried reaching out to The North Face for support or where you bought the pack, but I’ll try to help. As I wrote in the review above, the strap and tab on the bottom right side allows you to make micro adjustments to the pack’s torso fit, within about a three-inch range; the strap and tab adjust it in opposite directions. I think you’ll find it on closer inspection.

Michael, I got my hands on a pack today and have a really dumb question: With this dynofit, is the ONLY adjustment the torso strap and load equalizer strap on the pack? Or is that just for fine tuning once you adjust the torso length elsewhere? (Wasnt sure if this pack has a traditional velcro pad on the back for adjusting torso length).

Finally, as far as the Torso strap hanging at the bottom on the right side, how does this thing work? I have tried pulling it a bit, but it looks pretty lengthened already and I dont want to break something! Where’s the other tab to use to lengthen the torso back out??? It’s probably right in front of me…

Thanks so much Michael!

Hi Preston, I have carried a variety of 50-liter packs on trips longer than four days. While my gear is generally very light and compact, I also sometimes carry extra stuff that I’m testing, or more of the group share of gear depending on who I’m with. So yes, I think you’re both fine with 50L packs for trips up to four days. You’d want the 65L possibly for longer trips or when you’re carrying more than a standard, basic gear kit for one person. Good luck.

Hey JT,

Thanks for the comment, you’re right about the niche the Banchee falls into on the cusp between an ultralight pack and one that’s capable of carrying heavier loads. It makes it a good quiver-of-one backpack. Enjoy it.