Black Diamond Distance 22L Pack – Reviewed & Tested

Long day hikes, overnight bikepacking trips, and muddy river descents are all easy game for the Black Diamond Distance 22L. After a year and a medley of trips Ollie’s put together a review for this do-it-all Black Diamond pack.

I live in the South West Capes region of Western Australia. With multiple established races and events in the area, this coastal dreamscape is the perfect place to put pieces of multi-use kit through their paces.

From the Cape-to-Cape track and famous coastlines to beautiful native forests and the Munda Biddi trail, I needed a reliable, multi-use pack to see me through the seasons.

Released by Black Diamond for ‘long days in the alpine that toe the line between running and scrambling’ I’ve found the Black Diamond Distance 22L Pack to be extremely well-suited to a large range of adventures.

Quick Specifications

Weight: 412 grams
RRP: $250
Capacity: 22 litres
Material: 100D nylon and 200D PE blend, Dyneema ripstop panels
Straps: Harness system
Water capacity: Internal bladder pocket and two strap pockets for 500ml soft flasks

It’s a worthy addition to the team for a wide range of adventures

Performance

Designed for fast and light missions in the mountains, I’ve found it possible to extend this pack to multi day trips with no resupply. With a smaller capacity than other packs reviewed on We Are Explorers like the Cotopaxi Allpa 35 or the Osprey Transporter 25L and a more hardcore technical approach, the Black Diamond Distance 22L fits in a niche between hydration pack and ultralight hiking bag.

Between these worlds it performs neither perfectly, but can multitask better than most other packs in its price range. Compared to the Hyperlite Summit 30L, another popular ultralight bag, the Distance 22L offers eight (!) extra chest pockets and a padded back panel while adding only 41 grams.

Pockets galore and plenty of space to shove oddly shaped items like tent poles

Durability

Featuring up to 200D denier polyethylene and Dyneema ripstop panels, the fabric has fended off abrasions from sharp coastal limestone and gnarly bush that’s a common feature in the region I’ve been testing it. I’m even proud to say that the pack’s many straps stood the test of janky conveyor belts in Indonesia too. The fabric on the shoulder strap at first seems thin and flimsy, but has proven to carry up to 18kg without fail over kilometres walked, ran, and pedalled.

Comfort

Most other ultralight packs on the market make sacrifices of comfort and features to make way for weight savings. Additions that often go missing include padded and ventilated harnesses and extra durable fabric. The Distance 22L sports a well-ventilated and cushioned back panel that keeps you comfortable with higher loads. Carrying water bottles in the front pockets works well to disperse weight from the back and aids with balance over technical terrain. You don’t feel like you’re making a sacrifice.

Hiking on the Cape-to-Cape track

Design

‘Jack of all trades but master of none’ is a good way to describe this pack, but this is oftentimes better than a master of one. If you’re looking for activity-specific equipment that you can rely on then you’re going to find yourself spending a lot more than you might for a do-it-all pack.

The problem with using more general pieces of equipment is that they may lack some features that a more specialist piece may have. The Black Diamond Distance 22L subverts this issue by being jam-packed with additions.

There’s no reinforcement in the frame of the pack but the trekking pole sleeves can be used to add some backbone with tent or trekking poles. I’ve found the pole sleeves to comfortably fit an ultralight tripod too, and keep it within easy reach.

The vest has two soft flask pockets, one zip pocket, and two stretch shoulder strap pockets. The dual ice axe storage loops can be stowed away or removed entirely. The flap top closure offers an easy way to stow a rain layer. The expandable top also offers the option to cinch the bag down for smaller loads or stretch it out to carry up to three days’ worth of food.

In trying to get the weight down, the pack did miss out on a bit more padding in the shoulder straps. This can easily be added with improvised foam, but it would be nice to see it included in future iterations.

For a smaller capacity pack the Black Diamond sports both the features of a ultralight running vest, and a larger capacity day pack.

Aesthetically it’s pretty hard to lose

Sustainability

Black Diamond’s website lists a variety of actions the company takes on both sustainability and environmental responsibility in both the manufacturing of their products and environmental advocacy. Under materials, Black Diamond states that ‘we believe it is our responsibility not only to deliver the best performing gear, but do so while minimizing adverse environmental effects.’

While this pack isn’t pushing any specific sustainable materials or processes, the company is clearly working on sustainability across its operations. The focus appears to be on carbon footprint and recycled materials in packaging, less so on the actual products which are often serious technical gear. That being said, it would be nice to see things like BioDyneema make their way into this bag.

Black Diamond’s commitment to sustainability is a bit like this photo of their bag – incomplete

Price

Compared to other fast and light packs in the same category the Distance 22L is on the lower end at $250 for a product that I reckon has a similar quality. A quick search of ultralight packs in Australia shows up with average prices upwards of $500 AUD. Since it’s a running pack, it isn’t a perfect comparison to these larger bags.

But in terms of running packs the Distance 22L has a higher capacity than usually seen in over vest like packs. It does make sense economically if you were to buy it as an all-round bag and use it for everything from runs to day hikes to overnighters. In that use case, the price is easily justifiable.

Loaded up with rain gear, swimmers, water, and a camera for a day hike around Cape Naturalist

Final Thoughts

My experience with the Black Diamond Distance 22L has all round been great and without fault. The pack has held up well over a multitude of activities and survived many close scrapes with barbed wire fences and sharp coastal sandstone. I’d recommend this pack to anyone looking for a well-priced, durable, all round pack. Anyone looking to get into lighter faster adventures will find the Distance 22L well-priced for its category.