Vortex Backpacks
Jan 3rd, 2008 by Admin 1
I feel compelled to get this one off my chest. For the past 12 Years I have been a silent fan of a company with products that impressed me more than any other product I have ever purchased in my entire life! Back in the mid 90’s I lived out in Utah along the Wasatch in Holiday. I happened to be in the market for a backpack and being a young penny-less street rat, had no intentions of spending my scrapings on anything too expensive but knew I wanted an internal frame pack that would hold up for a few years at least.
Little did I know that I would quite possibly never need to buy another backpack again, ever! My roommates and I all worked up at Snowbird at the time and one of my roommates knew and worked with a rep from Vortex. Vortex proceeded to individually, on a one to one basis take measurements and make recommendations for our individual sizes. I did not even leave the house. A Vortex rep came to the house and took all the measurements and I made the purchase right then and there. I would have went with the 5800 but decided on (dictated by money) the 4500 and here is the modern day version:
It has been perfect. With its Polycarbonate, molded foam, and Kevlar, 
It was the first out to conform to your back making it the ultimate custom fit. It is extremely comfortable and its actually amazing how long you can go before you really feel its there. No pack out can feel like a cloud on your back but this pack is as close as you get.
It has top and front loading panel for convenience, accessibility and general ease of use. I have been many, many places over the years with this pack and its fountain of youth like persistence is astounding! It is a bit dirty but there still is not a scratch on it. From everything down to the zipper, 
zipper grabs… not a scuff.
Needless to say I have nothing negative to say about this or any other of Vortex products which I will be covering in the future here. This is also a review of the outstanding quality of customer service this company provides, on top of the ridiculous amount of care and quality they put into everything they make.
My roommates and I were all told that they have a Lifetime warranty as a company policy therefore making you a sponsored backpacker for life. If you ever have a problem they will either fix it or replace it. The only trouble I have ever had with this policy is that my pack will never fail, which I am ok with.
Vortex Backpacks
753 West 1700 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
USA
Phone: (800) 269-1875
Web Site: www.vortexbackpacks.com
dylan@vortexbackpacks.com
It’s very convincing reading your review, however, I could barely find Vortex’s website informational. There is a Vortex 4500 in the nearest gear store by my town, and it had been hung there for more than 2 years said the keeper. It is therefore at a price incredibly low, which most fits my need. There are several things I’d like to hear from you, if convenient, and I ‘d really appreciate your response.
1. Is the company still operational? How come its website is no more than a shell?
2. Why there are barely any reviews about that company within 5 years (except yours)? Is there any troubles?
3. The most important of all, is the lifetime guarantee still valid?
As you can see, these questions are the only thing that sits between me and my first backpack, and I’ m looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
William
I have to say I agree with you about the site. when I bought my pack they were solely dedicated to making great packs but I must admit are lacking in marketing their great products. The site used to be a bit more polished than it is currently. It was difficult to find what you are looking for and even more difficult to purchase from them making it hard for people like you and I, who would gladly buy from them after doing the appropriate product research.
To get to your questions:
1. I believe they are still an operational company.
2. They are a local Utah company and seem to operate more by word of mouth.
3. The Lifetime warranty is still in full affect if you can get your hands on one from what little information I have been able to gather.
I wish I could offer you the ability to purchase straight from here but the next best thing I can do is give the numbers I have for them 800-269-1875, 801-978-2207. You could also email info@vortexoutdoors.com which I am in the process of doing for you. I tried to call it for you and unfortunately it’s Sunday an they say the offices are closed. I will try again tomorrow and comment on my findings. In the mean time I can link you to offers from http://www.trailspace.com who I highly recommend. Here you can find additional reviews on several Vortex products and hopefully get your hands on one here. If you do, please let me know how it works out. The other option would be to check out other internal packs from companies I know and trust like http://www.Moosejaw.com, http://www.Altrec.com Outdoors, http://www.MasseysOutfitters.com or http://www.WeGotYourPack.com all great companies that actually have great sites!
I do hope this helps a little and most importantly , I would really like if we can find a way to have your first pack be a Vortex because I have no doubt about the quality of these packs.
Cheers,
Admin
William, I sent you and email with some information on our previous conversation. If you don’t pick that up, please let me know and I will resend. If you do get a chance, please also check out the William Joseph line which can be found at http://www.theriversedge.com. some great quality their as well. As far as the 4500 you may try to work something out by calling them direct at 801-978-2207.
Talk to you later. Thanks for the interest. Bottom line (I don’t think I own anything that is built better than my Vortex pack.)
Thank you very much!!
It’s really kind of you doing all these for me.
I will try the number later, and hopefully I can get one of those best packs, just like you.
William,
No problem at all. In response to your email. My opinion? You should take the one from the local shop as long as the waste belt fits well at the top of your waste. You will most likely not get a better deal and if it fits take while you can! Remember it will take some hot days on the trail and sweat will help conform the foam to custom fit it to your back.
William,
Thanks for the kind email. Glad to hear you went for the Vortex. Enjoy!
Cheers
So I came across your posts and it was the review that sealed the deal for me. I definately want a vortex pack now. I used to live in Salt Lake. I called the company and they say they don’t make Vortex packs anymore. They make hunting packs under the name badlands. They seem like great packs, but are specifically designed for hunting. I can’t find any online places that sell their packs. They told me they still have a few 4500 sized packs there, but I’m looking for something larger, like the 7000 they used to sell. I need help finding one! I just can’t believe this company was my neighbor for 20 years and I didn’t even know about them until I move away! Thanks for any help!
Bryce, yeah I wish I had a room full of these things and could sell them from here. I guess they are doing well with their other lines Badlands and William Joseph at some hunting/fishing shops like http://www.theriversedge.com etc… Having trouble finding a 7000 but the Arc’teryx Bora 80 is another one I know to be a great, great pack that I know would serve you well and you should check out all the details from http://www.Moosejaw.com –>brands–>Arc’teryx–>backpacks and it should be right there for you to read reviews and details.Good Luck. Let me know what you think of that one. I don’t think I will ever be in the market again for a backpack since my Vortex is holding up perfectly and I have found ways to minimize my load in such a way that I really don’t need anything else even on long trips but if I were to buy another one this would be the first on the list I think.
I can’t believe they don’t make Vortex packs anymore. I have had a 5700 and a 2800 for 8 years and they are both holding up incredibly well and will last me a lifetime.
But often the 5700 is to big and heavy and the 2800 to small and I have been pondering for a few years now to get either a 4500 or an
STX in addition…..
sad, sad panda
Remosito,
It is pretty unbelievable how something so good can be tossed away.
I know the STX was also a killer pack. I know someone who has one that of course is very, very happy with it.
Your comment solidifies how happy I am now that I got the 4500 when I did. Once you dial it in and really minimize every way you can, you get used to it and I don’t care what anyone says, the 4500 is supposed to be for a “4-5 day trip” but you can easily do two weeks or however long you choose.
Btw, hopefully you revisit the site cause I wanted to mention to read the above comments! As far as I know they could still have a 4500 hanging on the wall. William (above) went with the vortex from the local store around him. … Worth a shot! Number above.
Thank God I have have two (2) Vortex packs, one the 2200 the other the 4500. I noticed well over three (3)years ago that the company was having problems it was small things but I thought they were on there way out of business. Things like color of the backpacks, a small thing yes but then the website changed dramatically> I’m really sorry that it’s gone, it was a great company in terms of design and costumer service. Farewell to a great company,
John
J. Carbo,
Gotta love it. I wish I had a 2200 as well but one thing I just wanted to make sure to be clear about is that Vortex is not out of business in any way, the only change is that the backpacking division/department has changed focus towards a more profitable approach for them. That approach being hunting/fishing I guess. How does that translate for us? Well, we are still in the same boat as if they had gone out of business, unless you are interested in those lines of backpacks.
I have a 4500 that I’m going to part with. I’ve never used it. The only sign of wear are some teeth marks on the waist belt when my puppy thought it was a chew toy. No rips, or tears, just some small little marks in the nylon. Please contact me if you are interested in the pack or if you know someone who is.
Thanks,
Justin
lloyd_justin [at] msn.com
I was looking for a Vortex 2200 to replace the patrol pack I have been using for eleven years! I’m disappointed that I can’t find much. I had enough room for avalanche dog gear as well as my own. I used it as an avy pack where I could carry twelve charges easily!( in addition to my regular gear; ei. evac rope, medical gear, probe & shovel, More if nessesary. I’ve seen one site with only one pack offered. It offers only one color (green), when I like black for work purposes. Oh well, all good things come to pass. Looks like I’m going to have to go shopping! Cheers!
I’ve owned a large Version of the Vortex for quite a while. ‘02-’03 maybe. It is one of the best backpacks I’ve ever seen in regards to durability and construction. The closest analog I could find was the Badlands 4500. The styling is almost dead on. Compression straps in the same places, same design of pockets, very similar harness etc. What a shame that a great brand and design faded out of existence. I suppose if you want to buy a Vortex, you better like Badlands’ camo.
I have a Vortex 1800 day pack that the zipper finally wore out on. It’s the best all around ski/daypack I’ve ever owned. I bought it directly from the maker at an OR trade show ages ago. I thought it’d have the lifetime like they told me but alas I’ll have to get it repaired which I will because the rest of the pack is fine. It’s sad but not all too surprising that a great product like this was too good to ‘make it.’ Everything these days is made to wear out so you have to buy more. I’ve worn out countless packs over the years and this one is by far the standout best. The pack is so well designed I don’t think there will ever be a pack this perfect.
Josh,
I agree that it’s worth it to have it repaired. I’d do the same, but so far so good. I’m up to 15 years and counting, no damage and it still looks brand new. Thanks for your comment.
Admin
I’m sure it’s a great pack since it’s the same company, but I’m not a big fan of the camo. Thankfully mine is still in great shape after much use. I’m hoping they’ll offer some solid colors before mine wears out. Thanks for your comment.
Admin
I called the number on the site 801 978 2207. A person answered both times. The first call I left a voice mail to the person she said I need to talk to. After a couple days I called back and a guy answered. I told them I had a warranty claim and he just transferred me to the warranty dept. They were super friendly and told me to mark everything that needs fixed and send it in. All I have to pay is 12.00 for shipping. They were super-helpful and very professional. They gave me a RA# and I sent it in. That is truly great customer service. I’ll post back when I get it back.
I have used the vortex 4500 and the badlands 4500 and the 1st generation badlands 4500 was virtually identical to the vortex. They obviously based their design on the vortex. The suspension is amazing on both packs. My understanding is that when the badlands packs were introduced as hunting packs, the demand was so sharp that they have moved strictly in that direction. They claim to have 50% annual growth, or some similiar ridiculous number. I is understandable as they are the easiest carrying packs I have used. Their unconditional lifetime warranty is the best.
Mike,
You are right. That is essentially the answer I got and the reason behind the direction change for the company when I called previously. Great to here the product quality has not waivered in the shift to the hunting/fishing niche. Thanks for the insight!
admin
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