This site has been a great resource for me so wanted to add a brief review of this entry level pack.

My son and did our first BWCA trip last year with an outfitter and it was great. Did the Man Chain this year and took our own stuff this time. We wanted to get down to two packs so we used his backpack and then I looked around for a 100-120L canoe pack. Was having a hard time pulling the trigger on a $230+ pack, found the North 49 on ebay for something like $75 delivered, so thought I would give it a shot. Long story short - it was fine. It is certainly not built as well as the more expensive packs, but for the price I am very satisfied.

Lots of adjustments, the harness works well and the net pocket is a nice feature. My son wore it most of the time and his only complaint was that the top of the harness dug into his neck a bit, but I have a feeling that was due to an adjustment that we didn't make or just break-in.

My only complaint is that the main compartment does not have drawstring closure - its set up like a waterproof bag so you fold it over then clip it - a drawstring would be better. And has a tumpline strap - totally confused me when I first saw it then realized what it was.

So if you're looking for a budget pack, I'd say its a good option.

Older thread but how has this pack held up? Looking at it on amazon right now!

Its been a good pack, three trips with no issues, no signs of wear. Got another one last year and will probably get another one for this year. Before I got my second one I got a Granite Gear off of ebay to see what I was missing and liked the North 49 better, so sold the GG and got the second N49. One nice option is that it has a removable stiffener in the back, gives it some shape which helps when packing.

Morecowbell: "Its been a good pack, three trips with no issues, no signs of wear. Got another one last year and will probably get another one for this year. Before I got my second one I got a Granite Gear off of ebay to see what I was missing and liked the North 49 better, so sold the GG and got the second N49. One nice option is that it has a removable stiffener in the back, gives it some shape which helps when packing."

What was your solution for rain, or are these waterproof?

I don't have the pack but looked up reviews online. It doesn't look like the pack is waterproof. One person used contractor bags inside, which I've seen recommended several times on this site as well.

We use heavy duty trash bags as liners, so not really sure, and I would recommend that anyway. The pack material may be waterproof but I doubt the seams are. It rained on us for pretty much a full day last year and we didn't have any issues with water in the packs.

This exact pack has been bought and sold over the years to 3 companies. I have four original ones from 2004 and 1 from the 2nd company from 2008. They have held up amazingly well. My first four are 19 years old and have been on over 30+ canoe trips, and I have only had to fix one strap. If they are doing the exact same design (which it looks like they are), then these will last a long time.

I see a waterproof version 120L on Walmart.com for less than $100. $104 on Amazon. Pretty good reviews.

Anyone on here use one?
Link

I bought one of the 120L ones over the holidays. It is huge. I'm not even sure it is narrow enough to fit in my boat. Gonna test it out and see.

I’ve used this pack (the non-waterproof one) for about 10 years, about 20 nights per year backcountry canoeing in Algonquin and Quetico. It has held up well. So 200 days in total with a lot of portaging and in-and-out of the canoe.

It has a kind of sleeve in the interior back, so I slide my plastic cutting board in there, and my frying pan. Then most of the interior I fill with two 30 L dry bags side by side. Log thin things can go in the corners.

The exterior fabric is tough and long-wearing. The interior fabric like that sleeve is light and not well sewn, but good enough. The water bottle holders on the outsides will eventually tear, and tear away from the main body, but it’s not a big deal because the restraining straps on the sides can go over a tall bottle [i use square one-litre Icelandic or Fiji bottles—they don’t roll] and hold everything together. I also wish the interior top were a drawstring, but it’s not the end of the world. This fabric also eventually tears with long use.

The exterior mesh pocket is good for wet towels or socks.

The three long straps that hold it closed are excellent. Be careful …if you overstuff the bag and then really super-tighten those straps, then the pack will start to pull away from the harness at the top.

No complaints about the harness. It’s fine. The buckle is amusingly huge.

What’s missing? A pocket on the top flap would be nice. A loop to clip my pdf on, while I’m portaging on hot days.

Otherwise it’s fine. It’s a portage pack. It’s a big bag with a harness. I spent $80 CAD ten years ago. I got more than $8/year use from it. I’m going to buy its replacement now, as the harness is pulling away from the pack at the top, and I’m not skilled enough to repair it.

I will probably upgrade to a perfect pack from Ostrom in Thunder Bay or from Recreational Barrel Works in (I think) Peterborough, but honestly, I’m not unhappy with this pack. It does the job for less money.

It’s the pack on the right in the photo below. This was in 2021 on Quetico Lake.