Marvelous. I’m now adding all my heavy items to the barrel because the harness carries it so well. It is well made and looks like a piece of equipment I’ll pass on to my son when the time comes. Definitely worth every penny.
Only suggested improvements are to add one additional handle to the bottom so all four point have a handle for lifting in whichever configuration. Fit, comfort, function and durable are perfect.

Quetico Canoe Pack (Frameless)

I needed a larger pack to accommodate gear for my son and me on a recent trip. I'd known that Ostrom packs were the creme de la creme of canoe packs and reached out to Bill and Susan a few days before my trip to see if I could get a pack delivered in time. Bill generously offered alternatives to get the pack to me in time for the journey. Long story short, the pack arrived with time to spare, and we were ready to go.
This pack is huge, comfortable and a joy to use. It holds more gear than I could ever imagine taking on a solo trip but packs up snugly for whatever size of gear I need to take. It's nice to know that I have the room if required for more ambitious trips, but I also have a stable, balanced pack for my solo trips.
Two trips in with the Winisk, and I won't go back to my previous pack. The Winisk is incredibly comfortable, packs well and gives me confidence that my gear is secure and safe, even through the toughest of journeys.
Thanks, Bill and Anne. You have made my camping experience better than I could have expected.

My favorite tumpline by far! Super comfortable and does a great job minimizing any discomfort. Only recommendation; order or request some additional buckles to be able to attach it to any pack

3 days into a 10 wabakimi trip I tore my labrum in hip. This forced my wife to do a lot of carrying to get me to a lake for pickup. She was a champ and was super grateful for our new ostrom pack!

Used the harness for a trip into Quetico recently. Very comfortable and fully adjustable. The old harness is going into the garbage, there is no comparison. Thank you!

Your “Duluth” pack looked great out of the box— and then in proved itself in Quetico on a 14-day trip. We use plastic tubs to pack our food. Two of these stacked perfectly atop each other with room on the side for ax, shovel, saw, and room on top for odds and ends like a sat phone and sandals. The pack held all of that (about 50 pounds), and then cinches down great. Easy to get in and out of the canoe; sits nicely in the board; distributes the weight very well on the carry. Others on the trip wished they had one of your packs — and I’m guessing in 2025 they will.

J'ai un bras handicapé du a une opération.je ne peux plus porter de sac a dos.mon support frontale me permet de continuer à faire des activités de plein air et de porter mon sac d'une manière différente.

Simply amazing. You have e to get the liner, it’s so worth it.

Having tripped for over twenty years and tried many barrel harnesses I can tell you this is by far the most comfortable harness you will ever have on the barrel. I never liked portaging the barrel BC it always dug into my low back and wobbled. The padding on the back of the harness is so comfortable. Not just 'its ok," but literally more comfortable than my hiking back pack. You don't feel the curve of the barrel at all. The thick straps help support the load and having the bottom handle for loading the barrel is super helpful. The ability to adjust to the carrier with the shoulder and hip straps is awesome. And the RAD tumpline is a game changer. The width really helps to disperse weight evenly and takes the weight off the shoulders. The design is so well thought out with the additional three buckle closure at the top to ensure the harness stays put but also provides a little extra security from animals.

A fantastic pack, best I've had in the backcountry. If you found your way to Ostrom look no further. The custom ability truly is the difference! I met Bill and Anne in Thunder Bay, good people with a great design!

Thank you for reading,
Steven

I purchased the Wabakimi with the optional tump. The purchasing and shipping process were perfect. I needed some additional guidance on installing the aluminum back stays and a basic email exchange was all it took to see what I was doing wrong. This packs maiden voyage was a 6-night trip in the BWCA which included many portages and 3 separate airline baggage loadings. This pack and all the straps held up very well to the baggage handlers. This pack is HUGE yet still fits nicely into a solo Northstar Magic. The compression straps allow the pack to get smaller as the food bulk got smaller throughout the trip. The shoulder and waist straps are easy to adjust and because of the rigidity from the internal frame, the Wabakimi stands up without having to lean against a tree and is very simple to pack up each morning. (No dumpster diving into a floppy bag to load up everything into the bag.) The Wabakimi has become my new preferred portage pack and I expect that it's going to get a lot of use over the next several years . . . and then some more after my kid inherits it. It's that rugged.

I purchased a Wabakimi pack many years ago. It has been tossed around, overstuffed, carried by one strap and has never shown any wear at all. When it came time to replace another brand of barrel harness after 8 years, I didn't even look at any others. My new harness is the most comfortable I've ever carried.

This is a piece of gear that will last you a lifetime. I have been tripping with Ostrom packs for over twenty years and there is no comparison to the quality and design that Bill and Anne have achieved. The design is perfectly executed from customized straps, compression straps, pockets in all the right places and a durability you won't find in other brands. The addition of the tumpline is such an essential part to help make long portages more comfortable. It has been a dream of mine to have my own Ostrom pack and I am so happy I made the investment!

Just used my new Ostrom pack for a week in Temagami. The harness and hip belt are bomber and handled my 60lbs of load quite well. Super adjustable and lots of ways to tie down exterior gear.

I upgraded from a Bill's Bag 110L that was awful for portaging cuz of the mediocore harness and hip belt. What a difference!