The Dana Astralplane is the pack that really started the whole obsession with backpacks for me. It was not the first pack I had, but definitely was the first pack that I really, truly wanted. When I discovered it, I was a college student, and a $500 backpack was out of the question at the time. I ended up getting a somewhat less expensive pack, and was glad that I had that one.
But the Astralplane is/was at the top of the heap as far as build quality, capacity, and load carrying comfort. It's kind of like an F-4 Phantom -- a bit dated but still one of the best planes ever built.
In fact, my first
real backpacking pack was an Osprey Highlander of a 1996-97 vintage. (Oh, we all had packs for Boy Scouts in the 1980's, but they were always an el-cheapo nylon external frame job that just got us by for the monthly camp-outs and summer weeklong trips. I don't really count those as real backpacks.) The Highlander was a well-built internal frame pack, and had Osprey's innovative X-panel compression system. Even though it was the largest/tallest size, it still ended up being a tad too short for my 21" torso, and the occipital notch plastic would always gouge my neck under heavy loads. It worked pretty well for me on a few trips, but I eventually sold it to my brother right after I graduated from college.
Having a LOT more money at my disposal after graduation, thanks to my first job as a working professional, I was able to buy a Dana Designs Astralplane in 1Q 2000! I think it was a 1998 model, which was the last year they were made in the United States. I actually bought it brand new on eBay from an outdoors shop in Florida who was trying to clear out some old inventory. The funny thing is, the eBay price was not much more than what I paid for the Highlander a few years earlier. Thank goodness for eBay.
The main reason why this pack was the genesis of my collecion: it's size. Since the Astralplane is so dang big, I
had to buy another, smaller pack to use on the more realistic weekend trips. Of course, then I had to get one for day hiking, and then I had to get one made by another company, and so on. It's a collector thing!
But it's still the pack that really re-kindled my interest in backpacking after not having done much since the Scouting days.
Unfortunately, I have not made an opportunity to take the Astralplane on a trip worthy of its intended use. Being a 7000 cubic inch pack, it's pretty much designed for full-on expeditions. Perhaps if I go to New Zealand or Eastern Europe, I'll take this pack along.
