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.

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.

I bought the Winisk canoe pack out of desperation. We had originally bought both a large and a small Eureka pack. They fit my 6'2 husband just fine. He carried the small pack and the canoe, and I carried the large pack. They are not built whatsoever for a small person. I had to have the straps pulled so tight that it made my arms stick out like a snowman (uncomfortable as heck!), and the "waist" belt fit me right below my butt (kind of useless!). I'm 5'0, and this was a huge problem. Portaging was literally painful. I saw the Ostrom packs and thought I'd give them a try since they are built for your personal measurements. I talked a bit with owner and placed my order. The pack came within the week, which was awesome as we were headed out on another trip that weekend. We loaded the pack up to about 55-60lbs and my husband helped me get it on my back and tighten everything up. It was a dream!!! No more pain on my neck and shoulders from ill-fitting straps, and a waist belt that actually came to my waist and tightened up, and stayed in place. The portaging was SO MUCH EASIER for me! I highly recommend these packs for smaller women who are having trouble with generic style packs. The Ostrom packs have made a huge difference in my comfort while packing heavy loads. I am so happy with it!!! One more thing is the chest strap that clips in front. They are often very thin webbing on other packs, which dig in if you have any sort of chest. The Ostrom packs have a thicker strap. It's easier to pull snugly, and doesn't impede my ability to breathe like the Eureka pack did. My husband loves his Eureka packs, but I'm all for the Ostrom packs! I will never go back to my old canoe pack again:-) Thanks Ostrom!! Very nice, beautifully made product. I bought the tump strap too, but so far have not figured out how to use it to my advantage. Maybe next season:-)