I picked up an LAPG LNT pack last week and thought I would post an initial review of it.  This is the pack I received, packed with a load similar to the load I used on last falls elk hunt.



My first reaction when I saw the bag was WOW.  This is a lot of bag for the money.  The pack is $50 right now and LAPG had a 20% off coupon code, so $40 plus shipping.

But it isn't all puppy dogs and roses.  I'll list some of the things I like and dislike, some will be personal preferences and some will be things that appear to be faults in the design.

First the bag looks well built, seams are sewn completely and evenly, but it doesn't have the extra stitching that expensive bags have.  This one is made in Viet Nam.  The nylon used on the outside of the bag is rubberized on the inside giving some degree of water resistance.  Plenty of nylon tie down points on this pack for MOLLE pouches or whatever else you want to strap to the outside.

The pack consists of a non-removable lid with an outside pocket on top. The main compartment has a light nylon cover with a drawstring closure.



Each side of the pack has a pleated zip pocket and a mesh pouch at the bottom.  You can see the butt of the rifle tucked into the mesh pouch on the first pic.  There are two side compression straps on each side.  This is the pleated pocket.



The main pack has a large top compartment and a smaller bottom compartment.  Between the two is a zipper and flap of nylon fabric.  This can be unzipped to make one large compartment accessed from top or bottom.  The bottom access is a zippered half circle with an elastic flap covering the zipper. There is an insulated water bladder compartment inside the main bag and a zippered outside pocket in the center of the pack.

This is from the bottom of the bag looking up.


The shoulder straps are well padded.  The waist belt is padded as well and is removable (I'm not sure why you would ever want to remove it).  The yolk is adjustable and can be moved up or down in 1.5" increments.  Just undo the velcro in the center of the yolk and move it up or down.  Re-wrap the velcro tab wherever it is comfortable.  There are load lifters attached to the shoulder straps.  This is an internal frame pack.  The frame appears to be a sheet of HDPE that is reinforced on each side.



Cons:
I'd like to see 2 more compression straps
Side pockets aren't well thought out.  They are pleated down the middle to expand, but sewn tight at the top and bottom, meaning they won't expand very much.
The frame doesn't seem very stout.
The adjustment system is limited because it only adjusts the yolk.
The lifters aren't attached to anything really solid and can't be adjusted up or down.
The pack sits too high above my shoulders.  This is a personal preference thing.
The zippered partition between the main bag and bottom bag is just a problem waiting to happen.  The zipper will break or the nylon will rip.
Hauling game quarters would be a problem in this pack.

Pros:
This is A LOT of pack for the money.
Large main compartment (with the partition unzipped) plenty of room for several days worth of gear.
I like the rubberized nylon for waterproofing.
Straps and webbing in all of the right places.
The water bladder pouch is insulated with foam.

For the next part of the review I'll give you a little background on myself.  I'm 47 years old, 6'0" and weigh 145.  I put on a lot of miles with an ALICE pack, both in the military and the real world.  Most of my back packing is done while hunting.  My go-to pack is a Mystery Ranch Marshall, so I have some experience with higher end packs.  I live at 600' above sea level.

I loaded this pack with 41lbs and walked around the house with it.  I could do that much with this pack without too much grumbling.  I was hauling 50lbs of gear in my Mystery Ranch at 9,000 feet last fall.  I would not want to do that much weight, at that elevation, with the LNT pack.  The frame design, the lifters, and the height of the LNT pack means that FOR ME the max comfortable weight is around 40lbs.

This pack will probably be used by my kids in the future for their hunting and camping.  This would make a great pack for mild weather camping, a pack to keep in your vehicle as a GHB, a spare or a pack for someone who is on a budget.  Will this pack last as long as an Exo, Kifaru or MR?  Heck no it won't.  But I think you could still get many years of use from it before it fails completely.

Bottom line is I've spent more money on crappier packs.  It is more comfortable to use than an ALICE pack and cheaper (if not as robust).  It won't be replacing my expensive pack but if you don't want to drop $3-500 on a pack you might give this one a try.

Nice review, thanks for posting that.

Looks like a nice GHB.  You could fit a lot of stuff in that.

I don't see any pix of your pack turned inside-out, so that prospective users can evaluate how the pack is sewn.  That aspect is extremely important.

Most upper-end packs are sewn so that the edges of the pack's fabric are protected from undue wear and abrasion.  Usually this means encapsulating the sewn edges of the fabric with grosgrain ribbon.

Most USGI packs, by contrast, simply sear the edges of the pack's sewn fabric.  This is UNSAT for long-term durability.  Most such packs will require the user to completely invert the pack, and so allow the user to flame-sear the worn edges of the pack's fabric.

If possible, invert the pack, and provide good pix of the seams.

Let's see how it is really made, and we can decide for ourselves.  No offense, of course.

I'll try to get pics of some seams.  I would be really surprised if the fabric edge is really sealed.  I'm also not sure that the "frame" is removable.  If it isn't, turning the pack inside out will be impossible.

While I like the pack for the money, I wouldn't expect this one to last if it was used frequently and abused.

Great review, thanks.

I've been looking for a pack for deer hunting. Short range stuff, not chasing elk through the mountains. Was looking for one that can also carry my rifle comfortably, along with some essential field gear.

LAPG email today shows an LNT on close out. IIRC, these have been offered at that $50 price in the past. Maybe back when they first came out a year+ ago?...
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There are, or should be, straps at the very bottom of your pack, to reinforce/compress the zippered bottom pocket.  Suggest you cross them in an "X" to better reinforce the zipper.  Also suggest you make a habit of cinching them down tightly, to reduce strain on the zipper.

Suggest you carefully inspect the seams inside the pack.  If they are not wrapped/encapsulated, then carefully use a bic lighter, and sear any fabric that seems to be unraveling before it goes too far.  You will probably need to repeat this every so often, lest the edges of the fabric un-ravel, and the sewn seam blows out.  The load-lifters will probably loosen-up with time and use.

Away from the office for now.

A tip on melting the seams:  a soldering iron works awesome for this job.

If required, may I suggest some practice on melting/searing fabric?

Takes a little bit of practice, so practice on disposable items.

That being said, it's common sense.  Heat flows UP.  Use your heat source from the bottom of the item, upwards.  Heavier fabrics take more heat/flame to melt than lighter fabrics.

Use some disposable items, and all this will become obvious.

Looks and sounds similar to Eberlestock in features.   They're also made in VN, if I recall.

Might be a decent less expensive alternstive.